What Is the Best Fundraising Platform for Nonprofit Events?

Planning a fundraising event? Then you might have already discovered that choosing the right platform can be just as stressful as planning the event itself. With the multitude of options available, all promising things like donation increases or making ticketing and registration a ‘breeze’, it’s no wonder so many leaders get overwhelmed with options and default to whatever is popular instead of finding one that actually suits their needs. 

It doesn’t have to be a guessing game. While most platforms will get the job done, the goal is getting it done well.  Platforms like Paybee provide you with an all-in-one solution makes event management easy by keeping everything together in one place. Other popular options like Givebutter, OneCause, Eventbrite, Donorbox, and Zeffy have their own strengths, and can help in different ways, depending on what your organization needs.

Whether hosting a major gala or auction, opting for an online, or even a hybrid event, the right platform directly affects your fundraisers end results. 

What the right software can do for you:

• Give participants a smooth donation experiences, leading to higher conversion rates. 
• Less time fussing with tech means more time focusing on the event itself.
• Donor management tools can track supporter information, giving valuable insights into their habits and behaviors.
• Built-in performance tools give a clear view of how well your campaigns perform.

Ready to get started? This guide breaks it all down so you can be confident that you pick the right platform, maximizing results and avoiding wasting time and money.

Define Your Event Fundraising Needs Before Choosing a Platform

Before you start looking for tools, you need to figure out exactly what running your specific event will entail. A fundraising assessment helps identify what your overall goals are, who your audience is, and the specific details that make up the type of event you're running.  

A fundraising assessment will look at the following:

Event type: The overall structure pinpoints what core functions the platform should focus on. For example: an auction will need bidding tools, but a gala will need a program that specializes in ticketing and registration, and an online/hybrid event should focus on mobile accessibility. 

Must-have features: Identify what actions you absolutely need from your platform so you don’t end up paying for unnecessary features. (i.e.: A peer-to-peer campaign won’t need ticketing features like an in-person event.) 

Audience: Who are you expecting to show up? Audience size and past donor behavior patterns shows if you need a complex system, or if a simple checkout system will suffice.

Budget: Fees and add-ons add up quickly, and more money spent on a platform means less money going into your charity. Even ‘free’ platforms might still charge for processing. 

Bonus Tip: Don’t just go for the cheapest option. The right platform at a higher cost can increase take home umbers if it offers better tools and services.

Start off with a clear idea of your needs and capabilities to lay the groundwork for your search. Once you have a clear idea in your head of what tools you need, you can start cutting out platforms that don’t offer the features that you need for your event.

Key Features to Look for in a Nonprofit Event Fundraising Platform

Once you have a clear picture of what you need to look for, it's a lot easier to evaluate platforms based on what they can offer you. Even the most basic features aren’t offered by every software. It’s easy to get lost in all of the things these softwares claims to provide. Let’s look at the top essentials and information you need so you don’t fall into the ‘promises' trap.

Ticketing and Registration

Important if you're hosting an event that requires paid entry or has another need for more structured access. Look for platforms that handle ticket sales, entry logistics like check in and tired access, and saves attendee info. For things like galas and in-person events, having an easy/personalized experience changes the way participants view your organization.

Donation Forms and Payment Processing 

While collecting donations is the heart of every fundraiser, online and hybrid events in particular need platforms that offer easy to use donations forms and secure payment processing. These should be mobile friendly, support multiple different payment options,, and condense the amount of steps needed to complete the giving process. Keep people from dropping off by making giving as easy and straightforward as possible. 

Donor Management 

Though less important for one off events, those looking to build long-term relationships with donors should look for tools that include features like audience segmentation, donor history reporting, and easy ways to organize contact information. Being able to send automated replies, post-event follow ups, and communications between fundraisers adds a personal touch and lets your supporters know they’re appreciated. 

Reporting and Analytics

The aftermath is almost as important as the event itself. In order to evaluate how well your team performed, look for features that support real-time tracking, provide detailed and exportable reports, and that specifically mention dashboards for both donations and engagement. These insights give you a glimpse of donor behavior, and shows where you need to improve for next time.

Compare Popular Fundraising Platforms for Nonprofit Events

Let's take a look at some of the features offered by leading softwares on the market today in order to get a better idea of how these features work in 

Paybee – An all-in-one platform made specifically for nonprofit fundraising events that specializes in ticketing, offering donations, auctions, and donor management systems. It easily integrates with other tools, making it a perfect fit for teams that want less tech tools to manage.

Givebutter – An emphasis on engagement features, customizable campaign pages, and full livestream support paired with a user-friendly interface makes this platform ideal for peer-to-peer campaigns.

OneCause – A system supporting mobile bidding, event management , and fundraising tools geared towards events that see high revenues, such as galas or large auctions.

Zeffy – 0 platform fees makes this the best budget option. They provide basic fundraising and ticketing tools, and can be a great option for smaller organizations that have simple fundraising needs.

Eventbrite – While not exactly designed for nonprofit fundraising, they earn a shoutout thanks to their top notch registration and ticketing tools. Its thorough scheduling and event management features have made them a go-to for organizations of all types.

How Different Softwares Compare

So while some tools focus on ticketing and donation collection, others excel in handling large auctions or even centralizing event management. This is the perfect example of choosing what works for you. A smoother experience for both your team and your donors alike starts with finding the balance between the right tools, your goals, and your organizations capabilities. Evaluate Pricing Models and Total Cost of Ownership

One thing that many nonprofits miss the mark on is not understanding the effect pricing models and the total cost of ownership has on their bottom line. Pricing isn’t as straightforward as it may look– ‘free’ platforms may still charge while paid ones may see you ultimately walking away with even more money. The secret is not getting stuck on what a platform costs, but going for one that in the end, will have the greatest impact on your overall fundraising result.

Fundraising platforms usually come in three different models:

• Subscription based (you pay a flat fee to gain platform  access)
• Transaction based (they take a percentage of every donation/ticket sale)
• Donor covered fees (the fee is tacked on to the donor at checkout.

Be warned-even platforms that advertise themselves as ‘free’ can still charge to process payments, which could be a surprise when you run your event numbers. Add-ons, integrations, and premium features are also things that can catch you off guard, which is why instead of looking at listed price, organizations should be looking at what their take home bottom line will be. 

Assess Integration Capabilities with Existing Systems

Next, it’s time to look at how well a platform will connect with the other tools that your team is already using. 

You want the platform to integrate with any email marketing tools, CRMs, accounting software, and other websites to make sure all data flows automatically, rather than needing to be manually imported. 

Integrations = less admin work for your team, and reduces the risks of human error by avoiding things like typos and duplicate entries. Bringing together event, donor, and financial tracking and data in one ‘ecosystem’ gives you more control over your campaigns, and can help paint an overall picture that will help you in future endeavors.

There are 4 key integrations to check for:

• CRM and Donor based integrations: Does the platform automatically sync donor information and allow long-term donor tracking and support follow up campaigns?
• Email marketing: Does it include automated follow ups and segmented messaging, so you can send thank you emails immediately after supporters donate?
• Website and embed functionality: Can you embed donation forms and registrations pages directly on your website? If not, you risk taking users away from your brand experience as they redirect to another site.
• Accounting and reporting: Does the platform easily sync with your other accounting tools to generate reports post-event?

Integrations are important because they cover the work that goes deeper than the event itself. When everything can interconnect seamlessly, your entire organizational system becomes more efficient, and can help make sure the new program can not only launch as seamlessly as possible, but can also easily scale alongside your organization as it grows.

Consider Ease of Use for Staff and Attendees

A big factor when assessing a new program is making sure it's easy to use not only for the supporters, but also for the staff that will be responsible for managing it. A clear navigation system, easy to set up, and anything else that leads to a smooth user experience will show up as more people completing their purchases and fewer people abandoning cart because they can’t be bothered with too many steps.

When evaluating usability: 

• The software should be intuitive enough to manage without needing to be a technological expert. 
• Once in place, getting your staff trained should be quick, so you spend less time training and more time preparing for the event. 
• The entire checkout process should be smooth, taking as few steps as possible. They shouldn’t be redirected to another site or moved away from the ‘branding experience’ you have established on your page.

In these cases, it’s best to choose simplicity over flash. A platform packed with ‘useful’ features means nothing if it’s too complicated for your staff to quickly get a grip on. 

Review Mobile and Auction-Specific Capabilities

People expect to be able to participate and interact with their favorite organizations through their mobile devices these days. To accommodate, software should let people donate, bid, and engage with the charity through features like mobile donation pages and the ability to give by sending a quick text. Live tracking and pop up notifications are examples of features that can inspire supporters to interact in real time and actively stay engaged with the campaign.  Not only does this let supporters give directly from their seats, but from anywhere in the world. This can exponentially increase the amount of people able to participate, which is never a bad tithing for an organization getting the word out.

Accessibility is the number one factor that leads to participation and, at the end of the day, how well your fundraiser performs.  Donors are far more likely too follow through when they can act in the heat of the moment. Mobile tools are the leading feature in reducing friction, catching impulse donations, and also keeping supporters engaged and attuned throughout the event, keeping things exciting and interesting for them. 

On top of mobile participation, look for features that support things like:

• Real-time notification 
• Text-to-give functionality 
• Donation pages that are specifically optimized for mobile phone use. 

Plan for Data Security, Compliance, and Reporting

A lesser thought about factor when choosing fundraising software is how it handles compliance issues and donor protection. It’s easy to assume a company is going through the right steps to make sure sensitive data is safe, but it depends on the nonprofit to ensure that supporters' personal information is being kept safe. Opt for transparency and features that prioritize security. Solid reporting features will play an important part in understanding performance and making sure your team stays accountable.

Platforms should explicitly mention having a secure payment processing system alongside data encryption. It’s especially important that organizations that operate internationally make sure that all programs are compliant with legal standards required for handling donor data, since data protection laws vary by country.

Test Platforms with a Small Event or Trial

So, you’ve finally found your perfect fundraising software (easy to use, foolproof for donors, didn’t cost an arm and a leg). The next step is testing it out…

Doing a trial run with a smaller event or campaign is the best way to evaluate how well it performs, without all of the pressure that comes with a high stakes event. When running a trial closely watch how well both the staff and the donors are experiencing it.

• How quickly was your staff able to learn how to use it?
• Is the checkout experience smooth, with few steps?
• How well does the interface work on a cellphone?
• Are the reports detailed enough?
• Did you receive helpful customer support?
• DId the platform save you time?
• Were the fees reasonable for the results?

The extra work put in to make sure to test your system before execution will be more than worth it. A quick trial run will show any problems before the main event, make sure everything runs smoothly, and give the chance to gain valuable feedback from staff members and participants– helping you avoid mistakes when it really counts.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can one platform manage both events and ongoing donor relationships?

Yes. There are many tools on the market that offer event management alongside CRM tools and are capable of running events while simultaneously tracking donor history and managing communication.

2. How important are payment processing fees when selecting a platform?

Payment processing fees are very important, as they can show up even when a platform is advertised as ‘free’. Since they are taken from every transaction, they can have a significant effect on how much money your organization takes home.

3. What should small school groups or community organizations choose?

Smaller organizations do best with simple platforms that provide the basics, like ticketing and donation collection, while being simple and quick to set up.

In Conclusion…

Every organization and event will need different things from their fundraising software. Whether you’re a small school group looking to raise money, or a large organization looking to launch a major initiative, having a dependable fundraising software in place will act as a foundation that will launch you towards the finish line. 

If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution, head over to Paybee's website and explore what we have to offer. Our team of experts is ready to show you just how having an easy-to-use platform can make all the difference for your next campaign.