Fundraising CRM: Best Fundraising Software and Giving Platforms for Nonprofits (2026)
Fundraising CRM, in short: a fundraising CRM combines a donor database with the tools that bring gifts in — online donation forms, recurring giving, peer-to-peer pages, event tickets and text-to-give. Small nonprofits usually pair a low-cost donor CRM such as Little Green Light ($45 a month) with a giving platform such as Zeffy (free) or Givebutter (free, or Plus from $29 a month); all-in-one options include Bloomerang (CRM from $125 plus Fundraising at $40 a month) and Neon CRM (from $99 a month).
The real decision is how gifts are collected and what each option costs per dollar raised. This guide compares fundraising CRMs and giving platforms on fee model, features and fit, with a worked cost example. For the database side, read what a donor CRM should do; for the full shortlist, see the best CRM for nonprofits. All sit in the best CRM by industry hub.
Key takeaways
- Three fee models: subscription, platform percentage, or “free” funded by optional donor tips.
- Zeffy charges nonprofits no platform or card fees and lives on donor tips.
- Givebutter's free plan charges 0% with tips on; with tips off it is 3% plus card processing.
- Donorbox is free to start at a 2.95% platform fee; Pro is $150 a month at 1.75%, which pays off only at high volume.
- Whatever collects the gift, the CRM must receive it with fund, campaign and receipt status.
Disclosure: published by Scalry, a marketing platform that is not a fundraising CRM and does not process donations. It is mentioned once below.
What is a fundraising CRM?
A fundraising CRM is donor management software with fundraising built in: it collects gifts online, runs campaigns and events, and records every gift against the donor automatically. Some products do both jobs in one system; others are giving platforms with a light donor database, or donor databases with basic forms.
| Type | Examples | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-in-one fundraising CRM | Bloomerang + Fundraising, Neon CRM, DonorPerfect | One record, no sync | Higher subscription; forms can be less flexible |
| Giving platform with a light CRM | Givebutter, Zeffy, Donorbox | Strong forms, events, peer-to-peer; low or no subscription | Thin reporting and stewardship |
| Donor CRM plus separate giving tool | Little Green Light + Zeffy or Givebutter | Cheap and flexible | Two systems to keep in sync |
What should a fundraising CRM include?
- Donation forms embedded on your site, with suggested amounts, fund choice and a recurring option on by default.
- Recurring giving with automatic retries and alerts for failed and expiring cards.
- Campaign and appeal pages with goals and progress.
- Peer-to-peer fundraising so supporters can raise money from their own networks, with soft credit to the fundraiser.
- Events and ticketing that record the deductible part of each ticket for quid pro quo receipts.
- Text-to-give and mobile wallets for events and younger donors.
- Automatic receipts meeting IRS acknowledgment rules.
- Sync to the donor record with fund, campaign and appeal codes, not just an amount.
Fundraising platforms and CRMs compared
| Tool | Subscription | Platform fee | Card processing | Donor database |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zeffy | $0 | 0% | Not charged to the nonprofit or donor | Basic |
| Givebutter (free plan) | $0 | 0% with tips on; 3% with tips off | Covered by donors in most cases with tips on; 2.9% + 30¢ with tips off | Basic, unlimited contacts |
| Givebutter Plus | $29–$279/mo annual, by contacts | As above | As above | Adds CRM automation and more |
| Donorbox Standard | $0 | 2.95% (forms) to 3.95% (events, memberships) | Stripe 2.2% + 30¢ for US nonprofits | Basic |
| Donorbox Pro | $150/mo | 1.75%–2% | As above | Basic, more team members |
| Bloomerang | CRM from $125/mo + Fundraising $40/mo, annual | Not published | Via its payment partner | Full donor CRM |
| Neon CRM | From $99/mo; events +20%, memberships +10% | Not published | Via Neon's payments | Full CRM |
| Little Green Light | $45–$135/mo by records | None from LGL | From 2.2% + 30¢ via processor | Full donor CRM |
US list prices and fees from each vendor's pricing page, checked 27 October 2026, without promotions. Givebutter's pricing page and help centre show slightly different monthly Plus prices for one tier; we quote the annual figures, which match. Processing rates change and depend on card type, so confirm them before you switch.
How do “free” fundraising platforms make money?
They ask the donor to add an optional tip at checkout. Zeffy says it makes money exclusively from those tips and charges nonprofits neither platform nor card fees. Givebutter's free plan works the same way when tips are on; if you switch tips off, it charges 3% plus processing. The trade-off is the donor experience: a tip prompt adds a step and a second amount at the moment of giving, and some organisations prefer a clean form even at a cost. Test the checkout yourself before launching.
What does online fundraising cost per $100,000 raised?
Here is a worked example: $100,000 a year raised online in 1,000 card gifts of $100, with the nonprofit paying all fees (no donor cover). Subscriptions are annual.
| Setup | Subscription / yr | Platform fee | Processing | Total cost | Share of $100k |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zeffy | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Givebutter free, tips on | $0 | $0 | Mostly donor-covered | Near $0 | ~0% |
| Givebutter free, tips off | $0 | $3,000 | $3,200 | $6,200 | 6.2% |
| Donorbox Standard (forms) | $0 | $2,950 | $2,500 | $5,450 | 5.5% |
| Donorbox Pro (forms) | $1,800 | $1,750 | $2,500 | $6,050 | 6.1% |
| Little Green Light (5,000 records) + its processor | $720 | $0 | $2,500 | $3,220 | 3.2% |
Processing: 2.9% + 30¢ (Givebutter, tips off) or 2.2% + 30¢ (Donorbox and Little Green Light's stated starting rate) per gift. Excludes CRM costs for the giving-platform rows and any add-ons.
Two things stand out. Donorbox Pro's lower percentage only beats Standard once online volume passes about $150,000 a year (where the 1.2-point fee saving covers the $1,800 subscription). And a tip-funded platform plus a cheap donor CRM is the lowest-cost setup for most small nonprofits, provided gifts sync cleanly into the CRM.
Which fundraising CRM should a small nonprofit choose?
| Your situation | Good fit |
|---|---|
| Under $250k raised, one or two staff, cost is everything | Zeffy or Givebutter free + Little Green Light |
| Retention and stewardship are the priority | Bloomerang with Fundraising |
| Members, events and volunteers drive income | Neon CRM |
| Big peer-to-peer or event campaigns | Givebutter or Donorbox, synced to your CRM |
| Admin capacity and complex programmes | Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud with a giving app |
Compare total cost at your database size in nonprofit CRM pricing compared, and if you have a larger development team, see the best CRM for large nonprofits.
How do you keep giving tools and the CRM in sync?
- Choose one system of record for donors and receipts, and say which in writing.
- Map form fields to fund, campaign and appeal codes before launch.
- Match donors by email first, then name and address, and review possible duplicates weekly.
- Send receipts from one place only, or donors get two and finance loses trust in both.
- Reconcile monthly: payouts from the giving platform against gifts in the CRM and deposits in the bank.
What about email, events and campaign pages?
Fundraising campaigns also need appeal emails, landing pages, event registration and follow-up texts. Donor CRMs include basic email; for more, nonprofits add a marketing tool. Our guides to a newsletter plan you can sustain and landing pages that convert apply to appeals with little change.
Scalry ($29–$199 a month, flat) can run campaign pages, email and text sequences and event booking. It does not take donations or issue receipts, so use it only beside a fundraising CRM that does, with gifts recorded there.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best fundraising CRM?
For small nonprofits on a budget, a free giving platform (Zeffy or Givebutter) paired with Little Green Light. For an all-in-one, Bloomerang with its Fundraising product or Neon CRM. For large programmes, Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud, Raiser's Edge NXT or Virtuous.
Is Zeffy really free?
Zeffy says it charges nonprofits no platform fees and no card processing fees, and makes money only from optional tips donors add at checkout. The cost is a tip prompt in your donation form.
What fees do Givebutter and Donorbox charge?
Givebutter's free plan charges 0% with donor tips on, or 3% plus 2.9% + 30¢ processing with tips off. Donorbox Standard is free with a 2.95%–3.95% platform fee plus processing; Pro is $150 a month with a 1.75%–2% fee.
What is the difference between a fundraising CRM and a donor CRM?
A donor CRM is the database: giving history, receipts and retention reports. A fundraising CRM adds the tools that bring gifts in, such as donation forms, peer-to-peer pages and event ticketing. Many products now do both.
Do I need a separate giving platform if my CRM has donation forms?
Not always. Built-in forms are enough for simple online giving. A separate platform earns its place for peer-to-peer, auctions, text-to-give or large event campaigns, provided gifts sync back into the CRM with their codes.
Pick the system that owns the donor record first, then the cheapest way to collect gifts into it. You can rebuild one real campaign inside Scalry before moving anything else.
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