Choosing the right fundraising platform is crucial for nonprofits looking to maximize their impact while keeping costs low. Two popular platforms, GiveButter and Zeffy, offer nonprofits innovative tools to run campaigns, manage donations, and engage supporters.
However, each platform comes with its own strengths and focuses, making them suitable for different types of organizations. In this detailed comparison, we’ll take a look at GiveButter vs Zeffy side-by-side, analyzing their features, pricing, and overall value to help your nonprofit make the right choice.
Overview of GiveButter
GiveButter is a versatile fundraising platform designed to help nonprofits run crowdfunding campaigns, peer-to-peer fundraising, and manage event ticketing. It’s known for offering a user-friendly experience that integrates with popular CRMs and marketing tools, allowing nonprofits to easily track donors and run personalized campaigns.
Key Features
• Crowdfunding Campaigns: GiveButter supports visually appealing, customizable crowdfunding campaigns. It allows organizations to raise funds through donation forms, campaign pages, and other creative options, all optimized for mobile and desktop use.
• Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: Supporters can create their own fundraising pages, enabling grassroots fundraising efforts that can dramatically expand the reach of a campaign.
• Event Ticketing and Management: Nonprofits can create, promote, and manage ticketed events directly within the platform. From simple virtual events to larger in-person galas, GiveButter offers a range of options.
• Recurring Donations: Encourage ongoing support by offering donors the option to make recurring contributions, which can be managed with ease.
• Customizable Donation Forms: Nonprofits can design donation forms that match their branding and fundraising goals, with a variety of layouts and customization options.
• Integrations: GiveButter integrates with popular tools like Salesforce, Mailchimp, and QuickBooks, making it easier to sync donor data, communicate effectively, and manage finances.
User Experience
GiveButter is known for its simple yet powerful user interface. The platform is mobile-friendly, making it easy for both nonprofits and donors to navigate and use. Customization is a strong point, as nonprofits can tailor their campaign pages and donation forms to align with their branding.
The platform also offers a robust support system with live chat, tutorials, and a knowledge base.
Overview of Zeffy
Zeffy is a 100% free fundraising platform designed to remove the financial burden from nonprofits. Unlike most fundraising platforms that take a percentage of donations as a transaction fee, Zeffy allows organizations to collect 100% of the funds raised. This is made possible by an optional tip model where donors can choose to tip Zeffy to support the platform.
Key Features
• 100% Fee-Free Model: Zeffy operates on a zero-fee model, meaning nonprofits get to keep 100% of the donations they receive. This is a significant advantage for organizations operating on tight budgets.
• Donation Campaigns: Nonprofits can create and manage simple, effective donation campaigns. Zeffy focuses on ease of use and simplicity, making it ideal for smaller organizations or those looking for a streamlined donation process.
• Event Management and Ticketing: Similar to GiveButter, Zeffy offers ticketing for events, allowing organizations to sell tickets and manage guest lists without any additional fees.
• Membership Management: Zeffy includes features to manage memberships, making it easier for nonprofits with subscription or membership-based models to track and engage with their supporters.
• Recurring Donations: Zeffy allows donors to set up recurring contributions, providing nonprofits with a reliable, ongoing stream of support.
• Donor Management and CRM Integration: Zeffy offers basic CRM integration and donor management features, allowing nonprofits to track their supporters and communications effectively.
User Experience
Zeffy’s user experience is built around simplicity and efficiency. The platform is easy to navigate, with straightforward tools for creating donation forms, managing events, and tracking donor activity.
The mobile-friendly interface ensures that both nonprofits and donors can easily interact with the platform on any device. Zeffy also provides customer support through email and its help center, with additional educational resources to assist nonprofits.
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Feature Comparison
Crowdfunding and Fundraising Campaigns
GiveButter: Known for its customizable and visually engaging campaigns, GiveButter is ideal for nonprofits that need flexibility in their fundraising efforts. The platform offers various formats for campaigns, including forms, pages, and ticketing options, and integrates storytelling with multimedia elements.
Zeffy: Zeffy takes a more streamlined approach with its donation campaigns, focusing on simplicity. While it lacks the depth of customization found in GiveButter, its fee-free model makes it attractive for nonprofits seeking to maximize their donations without paying platform fees.
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
GiveButter: Offers comprehensive peer-to-peer fundraising features, allowing supporters to create their own donation pages. This functionality is great for grassroots campaigns and events, as it empowers the nonprofit’s network to contribute directly.
Zeffy: While Zeffy supports basic supporter-driven campaigns, its peer-to-peer features are not as robust as GiveButter’s. Zeffy is more suitable for smaller organizations or simpler campaigns that don’t require extensive customization or community fundraising.
Event Ticketing and Management
GiveButter: GiveButter’s event management tools are feature-rich, supporting both virtual and in-person events with options for ticketing, RSVPs, and promotion. Nonprofits can create branded event pages, sell tickets, and manage attendee lists.
Zeffy: Zeffy also provides event ticketing but focuses on simplicity, with fewer customization options compared to GiveButter. However, the fact that it’s free makes it an attractive option for organizations that don’t need advanced features but still want to host events without incurring costs.
Recurring Donations
GiveButter: Offers a flexible and easy-to-manage recurring donation feature. Nonprofits can track recurring gifts, send personalized thank-yous, and communicate with regular donors seamlessly.
Zeffy: Similar to GiveButter, Zeffy provides recurring donation functionality. While it may not have the same depth of customization, the fee-free model ensures that nonprofits keep 100% of all recurring donations.
Customization and Branding
GiveButter: Known for its extensive customization options, GiveButter allows nonprofits to create branded pages that reflect their organization’s look and feel. Campaigns, donation forms, and event pages can all be customized.
Zeffy: Zeffy offers basic customization options for donation forms and event pages. While the platform is easy to use, it doesn’t offer the same level of design flexibility as GiveButter.
Pricing Comparison
GiveButter Pricing Structure
Overview: GiveButter operates on a “free” pricing model where nonprofits can use the platform for free, but transaction fees apply. The platform offers the option for donors to cover these fees through tips. The standard transaction fee is 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, which is typical for most fundraising platforms.
Additional Costs: GiveButter charges fees on all donations unless donors opt to cover them. However, it’s possible for nonprofits to receive 100% of the donation if donors choose to pay the platform fees.
Learn more about GiveButter pricing
Zeffy Pricing Structure
Overview: Zeffy’s unique selling point is its 100% free platform model. Nonprofits using Zeffy keep 100% of their donations without any platform fees or transaction costs. Zeffy operates on an optional tip model, where donors can voluntarily add a tip to support the platform.
Additional Costs: There are no additional costs associated with using Zeffy. Nonprofits receive the full amount of every donation, making it a highly attractive option for organizations looking to maximize revenue.
Learn more about Zeffy pricing
Integration and Compatibility
GiveButter Integrations
GiveButter integrates with popular CRM systems like Salesforce and HubSpot, as well as email marketing platforms such as Mailchimp. The platform also supports Zapier integrations, allowing nonprofits to automate workflows and streamline data collection across various tools.
Zeffy Integrations
Zeffy offers basic integrations with CRM and donor management tools, though its integration capabilities are more limited compared to GiveButter. For smaller organizations or those not heavily reliant on advanced integrations, Zeffy’s offerings are sufficient.
Customer Support and Resources
GiveButter’s Support and Resources
GiveButter offers comprehensive customer support through live chat, email, and an extensive knowledge base. Users can access tutorials, webinars, and guides to help them get the most out of the platform. The community forum also provides a space for users to share tips and ask questions.
Zeffy’s Support and Resources
Zeffy provides customer support via email and a help center, which includes guides, articles, and tutorials. While it doesn’t offer live chat, Zeffy’s support is generally well-regarded for being responsive and helpful.
Conclusion
Both GiveButter and Zeffy offer powerful fundraising solutions, but they cater to different nonprofit needs.
GiveButter: Best for nonprofits seeking robust customization, peer-to-peer fundraising, and advanced event management tools. It’s ideal for organizations that want a flexible platform and are comfortable with the possibility of paying transaction fees.
Zeffy: Perfect for nonprofits focused on maximizing revenue with no fees. It’s a great option for smaller organizations or those that prioritize a simple, streamlined fundraising experience without the need for extensive customization.
