Looking for ways to raise money for important things, like helping sick people or supporting schools? GoFundMe is a popular tool for individuals, but there are better options for groups. We’ve found several great choices that can help your group raise even more money and support. These options make it easier to tell your story and ask for help. Before exploring its alternatives, let’s find out how GoFundMe works!
In 2010, GoFundMe started helping people raise money online. It’s like a special place where anyone – like you, your friends, or even a business – can ask for help with money. If you want to use GoFundMe, you first tell them why you need money, maybe for school or if someone is sick. Once they say it’s okay, you can share your story with pictures or videos and say how much money you want to get.
After that, you tell people about your page through email, text, or social media and ask them to give money. GoFundMe keeps the money safe until you ask to take it out. It’s like teamwork to help each other!
While GoFundMe is good for one person’s needs, there are better tools out there for groups. Let’s explore GoFundMe Alternatives together and find the perfect fit for your group!
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Check Out These Awesome Alternatives to GoFundMe for Your Nonprofit’s Fundraising!
Fundly
Fundly helps you make a cool page for your fundraising, and it works well on phones, too! You can share updates like a blog, and people can comment on them.
Fundly connects with Facebook so everyone can see what’s happening with your campaign. You can also link it with Gmail, Yahoo, Survey Monkey, or Constant Contact to send special emails. There’s a free app, too, so you can manage your campaign from anywhere. They also have a guide to help you start quickly.
It’s free to make and share your campaign on Fundly. You only pay a small fee when people donate.
Great for: Nonprofits who want to connect their fundraising with Facebook and use apps like Gmail or Yahoo to reach more people.
Snowball
If you want to make your fundraising grow like a snowball, Snowball can help with that!
Snowball lets you raise money in different ways all at once. They make it easy for you to create a page where people can donate. It works well on phones, and you can set a goal, share it on social media, and more.
Snowball’s basic plan is free (except for the credit card fees). If you want more tools, you can choose a plan starting at $549 per year. Check their website to learn more.
Great for: Nonprofits that focus on fundraising through events but still want to use crowdfunding sometimes.
GiveButter
GiveButter helps you make a page with words, pictures, and videos for your fundraising. You can even set a goal and see how much money you’re getting in real-time. It’s like a countdown to when your fundraising ends! You can also use Canva to make graphics and updates.
GiveButter has an easy tool to keep track of the people who give you money. You can see who gave online or offline and say thank you easily.
Signing up for GiveButter and using its tools is free. They take a small fee (1-5%, plus a bit for credit cards) when people donate to your page. Or, ask the people giving money to give a little extra.
Great for: Nonprofits that want a page that looks great and is easy to use. Also, it’s good for keeping track of the people who support you.
RallyUp
RallyUp lets your friends help your group in different ways. They can give money once, many times, or choose from some set amounts – it’s all up to them!
You can also add cool prizes to thank people who give different amounts. And if there’s something special, there’s only a limited number available. It’s like a race to get them!
RallyUp is free to use, but if you use some extra features, they take a small fee (7.5%, plus a bit for credit cards) when people give money. But you can also ask the people giving money to pay some or all of this fee.
Great for: Nonprofits that want to give prizes for different donation amounts or have special things only a few people can get. It’s also good for events where you want to do a raffle.
Donorbox
Donorbox is an easy and affordable way for nonprofits, like churches, to raise funds. You can set up your customized campaign in just 15 minutes! This platform lets you share your story with words, pictures, and videos. You can also send personalized emails and updates to your supporters.
The page you create on Donorbox shows your fundraising goal and a donor wall with real-time donations. Social sharing buttons make it easy for others to spread the word. The page works well on phones, and donating is quick with a simple form. You can customize it with suggested donation amounts and other options. Managing supporters and donations is also easy with Donorbox’s system.
It’s free to start with Donorbox! You only pay a small fee for each donation. Learn more about the cost here.
Great for: Those who want a customizable, affordable way to fundraise. Donorbox is perfect for nonprofits to showcase their impact and for supporters to show their love. It also offers other features like Peer-to-Peer, Text-to-Give, Memberships, Events, Recurring Donation Forms, and more.
Donate Kindly
Donate Kindly makes it easy for your group to collect money online. They give you a form where you can choose your favorite colors. You can also change the fields in the form to fit your group’s needs.
Once you make the form, you can put it on a page for your fundraising. If your group has different projects, you can make separate forms for each one.
Something to know is that this site is simple and doesn’t have lots of extra features. But it’s good for groups just starting with online fundraising.
Donate. Kindly don’t ask for money from your group. Instead, they ask the people who donate to give a little extra. There’s also a small fee for using credit cards.
Great for: Nonprofits that are new to fundraising online and want a simple way to collect money.
FundRazr
FundRazr helps groups and people collect money for different things like sports, schools, or personal needs. They give you pages that look nice and fit your group’s style. You can add pictures and videos to make it interesting for people who want to help.
There are cool things like wish lists and perks, too. Wish lists are like making a list of things your group needs, and people can donate to those specific things. Perks are prizes you give to people who donate a certain amount.
FundRazr has different plans. If you’re okay with asking donors to give a bit extra, you can use a plan with no platform fees, just a small fee for credit cards. If you don’t want to ask for extra, there’s a 5% fee for each donation.
Great for: Nonprofits that have specific things they need or want to give prizes for donations.
What Are Some Other Alternatives To GoFundMe?
Here are some other alternatives to GoFundMe if you need to raise money for different things:
For Churches:
Subsplash: Helps churches with mobile apps, websites, text, and online giving.
For Groundbreaking Products:
Indiegogo: A place for crowdfunding campaigns for innovative products and entrepreneurs.
For Schools and Teams:
Snap! Raise: A digital fundraising platform for schools, groups, and teams.
For Donor Management and Fundraising:
Bloomerang: Provides donor management software and fundraising tools for organizations.
For Educational Facilities:
GiveCampus: A platform for schools to raise funds with online donation pages, crowdfunding, events, and more. Uses AI for donor outreach.
For Creative Projects:
Kickstarter: A platform to turn creative ideas into reality by crowdfunding. Not for charities but for unique projects.
For Content Creators:
Patreon: A platform for content creators to connect with their audience and raise money online.
For Nonprofits (Free Option):
Zeffy: A 100% free fundraising platform for nonprofits in the US and Canada.
For Individuals:
Spotfund: Allows anyone to start a crowdfunding campaign for any cause.
For Product Crowdfunding:
Bonfire: Let you design and sell custom apparel for fundraising campaigns. No risk involved.
These are just some options to consider depending on your specific fundraising needs!
What Should You Consider While Finding The Perfect Fundraising Site?
When you’re searching for a fundraising site like GoFundMe but perfect for your group, here are a few important things to think about.
Low-cost Solutions
For groups like yours, every bit of money is important. Your new fundraising site should not take a lot of your collected funds. Look at the fees for each site you check out. Some ask for extra money on top of each donation, while others keep it simple. It’s good to know your budget and find out how much of the money you collect will really go to your group.
Tip: Look for sites that let you ask the people giving money to cover some of the fees. This way, all the money goes to your group. Donorbox is a great low-cost alternative to GoFundMe.
Easy to Use
You’re busy doing important things, so you need a site that’s easy to use. Some sites make it quick and straightforward to set up your fundraising page. They guide you step-by-step with checkboxes and dropdowns.
Also, think about the people giving you money. The forms they fill out should be easy. Donorbox’s forms are simple for donors to use, and they look neat on your page.
Branding and Storytelling
Your fundraising page should look good and tell your group’s story. You should be able to change colors, add pictures and videos, and make it match your group’s style.
Tip: Use powerful pictures and videos to tell your story. Donorbox Crowdfunding makes it easy to make your page look great and share your story.
Campaign Updates
It’s important to keep your supporters in the loop. Look for sites that let you share updates easily. This could be thank you messages, stories about what your group is doing, or reminders about when your fundraising ends.
Also, some sites let you show how much money you’ve collected in real-time. This creates a sense of urgency and makes people want to donate more. Donorbox has an updates tab and a goal tracker to keep everything in one place.
Social Proofing
It’s good to show that others are supporting your group. Look for sites that let your supporters easily share your fundraising page on social media.
Donorbox has social media buttons on your page so people can share it with their friends. There’s also a donor wall where you can show who donated and leave messages.
Remember, the right site for you should be affordable, easy to use, let you tell your story, allow updates, and show that people are supporting your important cause!
Is GoFundMe The Best Choice For Your Fundraising Needs?
Wondering if GoFundMe is the best choice for getting money for your projects? GoFundMe has helped many people collect over $15 billion, making it a great tool. Here’s the scoop:
Good Things about GoFundMe:
- It’s a safe way to get money for yourself or your group.
- You can make your page look nice with pictures, videos, and words.
- Creating a fundraiser is easy and simple.
- Your fundraiser doesn’t stop when you reach your goal.
Things to Keep in Mind:
- Sometimes, they take a bit of money (2.9% plus 30 cents) from each donation.
- It might take 1 to 14 days to get the money and 2 to 5 more days to reach your bank.
- GoFundMe only works in 19 countries. If you’re not in those countries, donations might be sent back.
So, GoFundMe is good, but there are things to consider. So, you can explore other options too!
The Bottom Line
In the end, GoFundMe is a popular way for people to get money for their projects. But guess what? Different alternatives could be more suitable for your needs! Whether you’re a group, a person, a church, or someone with cool ideas, there’s a special website just for you. Donorbox has easy tools, GiveCampus helps schools a lot, and each one has its cool stuff. Just think about things like how much it costs, if it’s easy to use, and who you’re talking to. Pick the one that fits you the best, and you’ll raise lots of money for your awesome plans! Try them out now and see your ideas soar!