The 12 Best Fundraising Tools for Nonprofits in 2026 (Ranked & Compared)

When nonprofits make the change and start using purpose-built fundraising tools, they tend to raise 34% more than those that are still relying on basic and general tools. This is a huge increase, and it could be the difference between missing your fundraising goals and surpassing them. But there’s a problem with using a purpose-built platform. 

There are so many of them out there, and dozens of different options mean you end up wasting time and money on the wrong tools. Some nonprofits even end up getting locked out of their donor data because they didn’t realise that they no longer own it once they sign up with that platform. We don’t want to see that happen to you, which is why we’re here to help. 

We have worked tirelessly to put together a comprehensive, use-case-organised comparison of the 12 best nonprofit fundraising tools in 2026. We have all of the top-rated platforms such as PayBee and Givebutter, as well as those which can help larger nonprofits with those grand events, such as OneCause. No matter what you need, we have a platform that can help. 

What Makes a Great Nonprofit Fundraising Tool?

You want your fundraising tools to be great. Good isn’t enough, and you can’t just settle for what looks like it might be best without properly exploring your options. So, what makes a great nonprofit fundraising tool? Well, the must-have criteria we recommend include:

• Fundraising-specific features that aren’t limited to events or CRM. This includes things like peer-to-peer donations, custom forms, and matched giving 
• Donor data ownership so that you get to keep the information and you aren’t charged extra just to move it between platforms
• Transparent pricing systems that have no hidden fees and show you exactly what you’re going to be charged and why 
• Mobile bidding and event experience to make it more accessible to everyone. Having an app makes it even better and more manageable 
• Scalability that ensures the platform is able to accommodate the growth of your nonprofit and the events you’ll be running as a result. 

Of course, there is more to it than just this, but those are the features you really want. After that, there are those that are nice to have, but we don’t consider them powerful enough to make or break whether you choose a platform. These include:

• Hybrid event support that allows you to host an in-person and online event at the same time, allowing for remote participants and a wider reach 
• Peer-to-peer fundraising that allows your donors to branch out and solicit donations from their friends and family to help raise even more money for your cause 
• Auction management that gives you seamless access to the auction that you’re running, allowing you to keep track of things in real time and make changes 
• Recurring giving that allows donors to keep sending money to the nonprofits that they support outside of events and fundraisers 

But what about the things you should avoid? Well, any fundraising tool that has the following is one that you should quickly close and forget about because it’s going to end up costing you a lot more than you hoped: 

• Locks on your data, preventing you from moving donor data and analytics away from the platform and to another one without paying a hefty fee (or at all)
• High transaction fees, especially since the standard is usually between 1% and 3%. Those transaction fees come straight out of the money you have raised 
• No nonprofit tax documentation, which means they won’t be able to provide tax receipts for donors. Without these, your nonprofit will lose trust from the public

Quick Answer: Best Fundraising Tools by Use Case

Here’s a quick breakdown of which tools are the best for each type of event. That way, you have a rough idea of what to expect before we get into the details. 

The 12 Best Nonprofit Fundraising Tools in 2026

This is where we go into more detail and really flesh out the top nonprofit fundraising tools. In addition to the overview table below, we’ll take you through what each of these 12 platforms has to offer so that you can determine what will work best for your nonprofit. 

1. PayBee

PayBee is the top-rated platform for event-based fundraising, and it has everything you need to get started as a small nonprofit or make waves as a larger one. It scales with the needs of your organisation, which is what makes it stand out. While it does have a free tier that’s funded by optional donor tips, there is also a paid tier that allows for in-person and hybrid events. 

It is designed to be nonprofit-friendly because they care about helping raise money for good causes. The pricing is event-based, which makes it much more accessible, and it even includes automated payment processing and tax receipts as part of its free plan. There are tonnes of exceptional features, but the ones that stand out the most are: 

• Ticketing services 
• Silent and live auctions 
• Hybrid events 
• Fund-a-Need
• Raffles
• Donor reporting
• Sponsor management 

Overall, it is the most complete fundraising platform for nonprofits of any size. It offers unlimited campaigns, real-time reporting, and mobile bidding that helps make everything more accessible to your guests. It’s everything you need to make your event a success, and it includes peer-to-peer fundraising alongside in-kind gifts. 

Best for: Events, galas, auctions, hybrid fundraising

2. Givebutter

Givebutter gives fundraising platforms a good name. It’s a free all-in-one tool that allows small organisations to start exploring how events work and the avenues they can explore to raise money. It’s completely free and uses optional donor tips to pay for the fees, but there are custom-priced plans available when you’re ready to scale up and expand your events. 

The free version comes with all the tools you need to run a successful event, and you’ll find that it’s quite extensive for what it is. You get everything from the mobile app to the marketing without having to pay a penny so that you can make the most out of your event. There are stacks of great features, but some of the best you can expect to find include: 

• Events and ticketing 
• Auctions
• Peer-to-peer donations 
• CRM and donor management 
• Livestreaming 
• Automated payments and tax receipts 

Overall, it’s the best free option with the most features. You’re not going to find a free platform that offers as much as Givebutter does, and it’s actually surprising how much more their paid tiers include. It’s worth trying out, especially as their free tier still offers 24/7 support, which isn’t something you see very often. 

Best for: All-in-one free fundraising

3. Zeffy

Zeffy is known as being the go-to for zero-fee fundraising. It is completely free with absolutely no transaction fees, and it’s rare to find a 100% free fundraising tool in this economy. They are funded purely by optional donor tips, and it’s a strategy that has worked very well for them for over seven years. It’s part of what makes them a great first step for small nonprofits. 

Despite being entirely free, they have quite a lot to offer. It might not be as in-depth as some of the big platforms, but it’s more than enough to help your organisation build strong foundations. They offer a lot to ensure your event thrives, including tap-to-pay and online stores that you can sell merchandise through. Some of their other core features include:

• Ticketing and events 
• Donation forms 
• Peer-to-peer donations 
• Raffles and auctions 
• CRM and donor management 
• Memberships 

Zeffy is the best bet for nonprofits that need to pinch pennies and are in the kind of situation where every dollar matters. They’re there to help small nonprofits find their place and thrive, which is what makes them so important. If you’re looking to make an entrance into fundraising as a nonprofit, this is the platform for you. 

Best for: Zero-fee fundraising

4. Donorbox

Donorbox is centred around making the most out of online donations and helping nonprofits get as much as possible out of their campaigns. They have a free plan with relatively low fees between 2.95% and 3.95%, and there are also paid tiers that range from a standard one to a custom package that you have to discuss with them during an appointment. 

They offer a lot to nonprofits, and their structure means that they are fairly well suited to everything from small organisations to large ones. It all depends on what you need from them. Their highest-tier paid package even comes with a fundraising coach to help you out. But they have plenty of fantastic features, some of which include: 

• Recurring giving 
• Crowdfunding 
• Event pages 
• Text-to-give 
• CRM and donor management 
• Donation forms 
• Reporting analytics 

What this platform does best is maximise online donation conversions to help you make the most of what you have. There are tonnes of features for you to play with, especially in the paid plans, and the automated checkout and tax receipts are a huge help. It’s a solid platform to use regardless of the size of your nonprofit. 

Best for: Online donation optimisation

5. Bloomerang

Bloomerang brings a lot to the table in terms of donor management, and it’s definitely up there as one of the platforms you should choose if you have a central focus on your donors. Of course, every nonprofit cares about donors and keeping them interested, but those that want to put additional focus on recurring donations and such should consider this tool. 

They have a lot to offer in terms of increasing retention and major gifts. One of their main advertising points is that they pride themselves on helping nonprofits make a bigger impact, find more donors, and keep the donor cycle going strong. They have a good reputation, and in addition to promising donor retention, they also have some handy additional features: 

• Giving history 
• CRM and donor management 
• Event management 
• Predictive giving insights 
• Mobile app for fundraisers 
• Text fundraising 
• Auctions and events 
• Qgiv integration 

They don’t have a free plan, but they do put your money where their mouth is. They are the ones to go to when your donor relationships are your primary focus, and they have a fantastic success rate in ensuring conversions and retention. With Bloomerang, it’s a case of you get what you pay for in the most positive manner. 

Best for: Donor management with fundraising tools

6. OneCause

OneCause is there for large nonprofits and organisations so that they can throw grand events with plenty of support to back them up. If you tend to run high-revenue events, this is the platform you need. They specialise in galas and auctions with precious items up for grabs and exceptionally high amounts raised as a result. 

The pricing is what would be described as premium, and each package is tailored to the nonprofit in question, so you have to contact them for a quote. But they also offer an extensive list of features, including table management and event registration, so that you don’t have as much to deal with. Some of the other things you can look forward to are: 

• Mobile bidding 
• Ticketing services 
• Text-to-give
• Peer-to-peer donations 
• Donor conversion through fundraising 
• Auctions and events
• Automated payment and tax receipts 

Overall, it’s the best choice for sophisticated events and their teams with large budgets, especially churches and foundations. If you’re running in the big leagues of nonprofit fundraising, you need the kind of support that can help you with large-scale events, and this is something OneCause does perfectly. Their pricing might be premium, but it’s worth every penny. 

Best for: High-revenue galas and auctions

7. Qgiv by Bloomerang

Qgiv is part of the Bloomerang family, and it has a fantastic free option to help small nonprofits get started and find their footing. The paid plans are more extensive in what they offer, but the free tier is a brilliant starting point that will help you get comfortable with fundraising and running an event. Think of it as a way to build your confidence before progressing. 

It does have CRM, but you have to go through Bloomerang to use it. The nice thing is that the integration is seamless and the other features all belong to Qgiv. It’s all about simplified giving, and that comes across positively through the features that the platform offers. Some of the things you can expect to find include: 

• Peer-to-peer fundraising 
• Text-to-donate 
• Auctions 
• Event management 
• Data and reporting 
• Donation forms 

Out of all the platforms here, this is the one you’re going to want to use for things like walkathons, 5Ks, and campaign-based fundraising. It’s a great way to get the word out there and encourage people to support your cause and donate towards your goal. Plus, you can always head to Bloomerang if you decide you want something more extravagant. 

Best for: Peer-to-peer fundraising

8. Handbid

Handbid is another one of those fundraising tools that puts more focus on the large events that need more pomp and glamour to them. It’s designed for auctions, and it’s known for putting donors at the centre of its plan so that they feel comfortable and are more inclined to make recurring donations or return for future events. 

While they don’t work exclusively with nonprofits, they definitely put a lot of love and attention into the sector. Their concierge onboarding system adds a touch of elegance to the whole experience, and it definitely makes your nonprofit feel like royalty. They have the magic touch, and this is reflected in their features. These include the following: 

• Mobile bidding 
• Gamification 
• Ticketing and events
• Livestreaming 
• Sponsor support and management 
• Automated payment processing and tax receipts 

It’s hard to dispute the fact that this platform has the best auction UX out there, and it’s a strong contender for organisations that use auctions as their primary form of fundraising. They are experienced and skilled at what they do, and their customer service team is an excellent reflection of this. Those large auction-centric events are in for a treat with Handbid. 

Best for: Auction-centric events

9. Classy by GoFundMe

Classy by GoFundMe is a fantastic platform for digital campaigns and crowdfunding. While there is no free tier, the fact that the price is tailored to your nonprofit is often promising. All you need to do is get in touch with the team, and they’ll let you know exactly what kind of package you need for your next event. They even offer seamless onboarding for the software. 

You get a lot for your money with this one, and while it does have a strong focus on the digital side of things, it also offers a wider reach to remote participants as a result. You also get auctions and events, which give you more flexibility when planning your fundraiser. Some of the features you can expect to find with Classy include: 

• Peer-to-peer donations 
• Crowdfunding 
• Recurring giving 
• Events and giving carts
• Live events (including auctions)
• Reporting and KPIs
• Donation forms and automated payments

It’s the best platform for digital campaigns and national organisations that want to reach a massive audience. The fact that it’s also tied to one of the most trusted crowdfunding platforms helps a lot with donor trust, and you can also tie your events with existing campaigns to help spread the word about your mission and why the cause is important to you. 

Best for: Digital campaigns and crowdfunding

10. NeonOne

NeonOne is there to help ensure nonprofits get everything they need when running an event and that they are fully prepared for it. It’s refreshing to see a platform that’s so focused on the wellbeing of the organisation they are working with, and while they don’t offer free tiers, their prices are very reasonable for what they’re offering. 

They don’t run auctions, but they do offer a platform for events that has a strong focus on keeping things simple. They are all about keeping the systems easy to use while also ensuring effortless donor management so that you have less stress running your nonprofit. There are some fantastic features included with this platform, some of which are as follows: 

• CRM 
• Events and ticketing 
• Memberships 
• Fundraising 
• Recurring gifts 
• Peer-to-peer donations
• Reporting and analytics 
• Stewardship journeys 

They are the best option for organisations that want to use one system for everything. NeonOne have all the tools you need right in the palm of your hand, including event registration, and they don’t shy away from making it accessible to everyone who wants to use them. They even have specialised tools for your volunteers to make their lives easier as well. 

Best for: Unified nonprofit management

11. RallyUp

RallyUp is one of the good ones, and they offer a wide variety of options to the nonprofits that work with them. They have a free tier to help smaller organisations get their foot in the door, and this can be completely free through the use of optional donor tips. Outside of that, they have extensive paid plans that are customised to suit the needs of your nonprofit. 

Since they offer a lot, it makes them one of the more versatile platforms out there. This means that they are popular with a number of different industries and can cater to the needs of most. They also have an excellent selection of tools, many of which are available with the free tier, and you can expect to find the following included in this: 

• Auctions and events 
• Raffles and ticketing 
• Peer-to-peer donations 
• CRM 
• Crowdfunding 
• Livestreaming 
• Data and analytics 
• Automated checkout 

What makes RallyUp really special is that you can run multi-format campaigns through them. That means you can host an auction, raffle, event, and peer-to-peer fundraiser all at once if you wanted to. It’s what makes them so special, and it also means that large and small nonprofits alike can benefit from what they offer. 

Best for: Multi-format campaigns

12. Auctria

Auctria is a great way for nonprofits to host events without worrying too much about what they’re spending. Their paid plan is a great stepping stone for organisations that want to make a start in fundraising, and there are no performance fees for using it. The paid plans offer a little more, and they are quite reasonably priced for budgeted auction events. 

They do many things well, especially in terms of features, and Auctria is packed with them. They have a fantastic customer support team and are even able to track consignment items to take some of your tasks from your workload. Their credit card fees can even go as low as 0.25%. But on top of this, some of their leading and most impressive features include: 

• Online and in-person auctions 
• Item management system 
• Flexible checkout 
• Data imports
• Ticketing and events 
• Website analytics 
• Tracked sales tax 

They are the absolute best affordable dedicated auction tool, and you won’t get much better for your money. Auctria might have been designed as a budget platform to help nonprofits, but it doesn’t feel budget when you use it, and your donors are sure to feel the same way. With Auctria’s help, you could be in for the fundraiser of a lifetime. 

Best for: Budget-conscious auction events

How to Choose the Right Fundraising Tools for Your Nonprofit

Okay, you’ve been loaded with all the information you need to know what each platform is able to offer your nonprofit. That’s great, but how do you go about choosing one? We’ve broken it down for you so that you can make your decision with confidence. 

First, you need to build a solid foundation and framework for what you want to get out of your tools. You can start by looking at your main source of revenue. Do you raise the most money when you host events or are auctions more successful for you? Once you have that sorted, you can start looking at the secondary features. 

The secondary features are things like ticketing systems, mobile bidding, recurring giving, and memberships. While these secondary features are incredibly important for you as a nonprofit, they’re not much use until you’ve determined what your main fundraising method is. Once you’ve got that figured out, you can move on to the next stage. 

This is known as the reality check because it’s when you have to take a really hard look at your budget and be honest with yourself about what you can afford and the true cost of your event. You need to factor in any platform fees, processing fees, and paid staff time. Anything your fundraiser will cost you, including venue fees, needs to be factored in. 

After that, you’re going to need to take the scale of your organisation into consideration. It ties in perfectly with your budget because your budget needs to match the size of the nonprofit you’re running, and it will often help determine how much you can spend. But it goes deeper than that because the scale also links with the complexity of the tools that you use. 

For example, some organisations have older or less experienced volunteers who struggle with technology and complex tools. In cases like this, you need to match the platform you use to the volunteer base that you currently have. You don’t want to make life harder for them or yourself, and similarly, smaller organisations don’t need nearly as many features as large ones. 

Next, it’s a question of data ownership. Who has ownership of your donor list, and are you allowed to export everything? There are some platforms that will sneakily take ownership of your donor list and won’t allow you to export it without paying a fee first. You need to ensure you choose a platform that ensures you retain ownership of your donors at all times. 

Last, but not least, you have the integration check. If you’re using your own external CRM, does it connect with that? Are you able to integrate the platform with your email and accounting tools? Everything should be seamless and easy to give you the best experience and remove some of the stress and hassle from running a fundraiser. We know that they’re not easy to do. 

It can feel like a lot, but once you have the right tool, everything becomes so much easier. At PayBee, we’re dedicated to helping nonprofits make the most of their events so that they can raise as much money as possible for their cause. That’s why we want to make sure you find the best platform for the job. 

Free Fundraising Tools for Nonprofits: Comparing Zero-Cost Options

Free fundraising tools are so helpful to nonprofits, especially small ones and those that are new to hosting events and auctions. This is a quick and easy breakdown of the leading zero-cost options and what they’re best for. 

1. Zeffy is truly free. There is no catch; it has no fees, and it is dedicated to ensuring that nonprofits don’t pay out of pocket for its services. Instead, it is funded solely through optional donor tips, and considering it has been going strong for almost a decade, it’s clear the system is working for them. It’s the best choice for small organisations who don’t need anything too fancy. 
2. Givebutter offers a little more in terms of features, and it’s another platform that relies on optional donor tips to keep going. It has options that allow you to change how the platform is paid, which means you can turn the donor tips off or select a paid plan. The fact that it’s automatically set at zero cost is a great addition. 
3. Betterworld is brilliant for nonprofits that want to start small and plan to scale up in the future. It’s one of the best choices for PTAs and churches because of this, and they offer free auctions and raffles with donor tips for funding. There are also quite a few features included with the free package that make it desirable. 

While free tools are fantastic, there are also limitations when you use them. They often have limited support options from the platform and fewer integrations. Those integrations can be important, especially as you grow and your fundraisers become more popular. Similarly, the lack of customisation options can hold you back with free options. 

Fundraising Tools for Specific Event Types

If you’re looking to see which fundraising tools are best for specific event types, we have you covered in that department as well. To keep things simple for you, we’ve created a list that you can skim through to determine which platform is going to be best for your fundraiser. 

• Galas and banquets: PayBee, OneCause, Greater Giving
• Silent and live auctions: PayBee, Handbid, Auctria, GalaBid
• Walkathons and 5Ks: Qgiv, Classy, Donorbox
• Golf tournaments: GolfStatus, OneCause
• Virtual fundraisers: PayBee, Givebutter, OneCause
• School/PTA events: PayBee, SchoolAuction.net, Handbid

All of these platforms are fantastic choices, and you can find out more about them above where we go through the 12 best nonprofit fundraiser tools. That way, you can figure out which one offers the most features that align with your organisation and its needs. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Best Fundraising Tool for Nonprofits?

The best fundraising tool for your nonprofit depends on the type of fundraising you focus on. If you primarily work with event-based fundraising such as galas, auctions, and banquets, PayBee is the lead contender. If you want free all-in-one fundraising, then Givebutter and Zeffy would be the best, whereas Bloomerang is top of the line for donor management. 

What Fundraising Tools are Free for Nonprofits?

Zeffy is completely free, and it has no platform or transaction fees, which makes it a great choice for nonprofits. Givebutter is free and has an optional tip model for donors, while Betterworld has free raffle and auction tools on offer. They work very well for small nonprofits, but the paid platforms tend to provide much stronger support and a wider range of features.

What is the Most Popular Fundraising Platform for Nonprofits

Givebutter and Donorbox are two of the most commonly used fundraising platforms. They’re affordable and easy to use, which is what makes them so appealing. For event and gala fundraising, PayBee takes the lead, while Salesforce NPSP and Bloomerang are considered the very best for larger organisations that have a strong focus on donor management. 

How Do Nonprofits Raise Money Online?

Nonprofits raise money through fundraising events, crowdfunding, donations, virtual events, recurring donations, and peer-to-peer fundraising. There are platforms such as PayBee, Givebutter, and Donorbox that provide all of these excellent features in one place to make the experience as easy and seamless as possible for you. 

What Fundraising Software is Best for Events

PayBee is right up there as the top-rated fundraising software for nonprofit events because it offers integrated ticketing, silent and live auctions, raffles, hybrid events, sponsorship management, and Fund-a-Need. But OneCause and Handbid are equally strong alternatives for events that have a heavy focus on auction fundraising. 

What Tools Do Large Nonprofits Use for Fundraising?

Generally speaking, large nonprofits will use enterprise platforms for major gift management and digital campaigns. These platforms include ones such as Salesforce NPSP, Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge, and Classy. But even large nonprofits will often rely on platforms such as PayBee and OneCause for galas and auctions because they know the expertise is there. 

How Do I Choose Fundraising Software for My Nonprofit?

You need to determine which channels you use the most when fundraising, whether it’s online giving, events, or peer-to-peer. After that, you need to look at the total cost of these channels, how easy they are for your team to use, and how the integrations with your existing CRM work. You will also need to take a deeper look at donor data ownership to ensure you retain it. 

Get Started with Your Next Fundraiser Today

The answer to which fundraising tool is based solely on the needs of your nonprofit. There is no right answer because it depends on the type of events you want to host, your budget, and the capacity of your team. That’s the whole purpose of this guide. It’s there to help you figure out which platforms align with your needs the most. 

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But as good as each of these platforms is, PayBee remains the leader for event-based fundraising. There’s nothing quite like it out there, and we’re proud to be the top nonprofit event fundraising platform. Why not try PayBee for free and see how it works with your next event? With our team of experts on hand, you’re in for a night to remember. 

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