The best fundraising websites are built to make your life easier. They help you set up a fundraising page, share it with your community, and collect money online without the need for endless spreadsheets or constant follow-up.
Here’s the truth: Not every platform fits every organization. Whether you’re a PTA treasurer raising money for a senior trip or you’re a growing nonprofit ready to level up your fundraising, the fundraising website you choose matters.
In this guide, we’ll walk through what online fundraising websites are, why organizers use them, and what to look for when choosing one. Let’s dive right in!
What is an Online Fundraising Website?
An online fundraising website is a tool that helps you organize fundraising events, collect donations online, and track the success of your campaigns. Think of it as the go-to online place where people can learn about and give to your cause.
The best online fundraising platforms go beyond just payment processing. They allow you to communicate with your team and your donors, manage events, set up peer-to-peer fundraisers, and more.
From coordinating with volunteers to tracking donations, it’s no secret that having the right tool on your side can save time and reduce stress!
Why Organizers Use Online Fundraising Websites
Organizers use online fundraising websites because they make fundraising easier for everyone:
- Donors can give fast: Supporters donate in minutes from their phone or laptop, without needing cash or a check.
- You can share anywhere: A single link works on social media, email, group chats, and QR codes.
- Payments are tracked automatically: No more guessing who paid, who still owes, or which amount came in.
- Receipts and confirmations are instant: Donors get an email confirmation, and you can keep records organized.
- Progress stays visible: Fundraising thermometers, goals, and updates help keep momentum going.
- It feels more professional: A branded page builds trust and makes your fundraising look credible.
In short, a fundraising website helps you spread your story, mobilize your community, and stay organized.
Top Traits of a Winning Fundraising Website
Wondering what to look for in an online fundraising platform? Don’t worry, we got you!
Before comparing brands, it helps to know what actually drives results. These are some of the top characteristics that the best fundraising websites have:
- All-in-one collection: A winning platform handles donations, recurring dues, ticket sales, and product fundraisers on the same account, so your group can run everything from one place.
- No barrier for the donor: Supporters should be able to give in under a minute, with no app download or account creation required. Every extra click loses you supporters.
- Flexible ways to pay: The strongest platforms collect payments by card, digital wallet, eCheck, and cash or check because your community will not all reach for the same method.
- Built-in peer-to-peer tools: Peer-to-peer fundraising lets participants raise money through their own pages and networks, which consistently outperforms a single central donation page.
- Reporting a volunteer can actually use: You’ll want a dashboard that shows donations, totals, and supporter info at a glance. Most importantly, you should be able to export reports for bookkeeping!
- Online and in-person in one system: Most real-world fundraisers involve a table at an event. A platform with point of sale tools keeps every sale in the same report.
- Data collection alongside payment: The best online fundraising websites gather shirt sizes, waivers, and volunteer sign ups at checkout instead of forcing a second form.
Pro-Tip:
When you’re comparing fundraising websites, focus on the features that save time, reduce confusion, and help supporters actually follow through.
7 Best Online Fundraising Platforms that Make Fundraising Easy
Now, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Let’s take a look at the best fundraising platforms for a variety of different groups and needs, starting off strong with Cheddar up.
Cheddar Up | Best Online Fundraising Platform for Groups, Schools, & PTAs
Cheddar Up is the strongest all-in-one option for organizations that fundraise as a community. Think PTAs, PTOs, school fundraisers, booster clubs, sports teams, and community groups.
This online fundraising website was built for the group use case first, which is why it handles the messy realities most donation platforms ignore.
For example, on a single account, a group can run online fundraisers, sell tickets through event management, take payments at a table with in-person sales, collect dues, and gather forms and waivers. Donors pay by card, eCheck, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or cash and check, with no app or account required.
How Cheddar Up Excels at School Fundraising
It is the clear leader for school fundraising and for PTAs. Cheddar Up reports over $200 million raised for schools and PTAs, and has tools that are great for PTAs, booster clubs and teams. Volunteer-friendly features carry real weight here, including athon fundraisers, custom branding, and mobile fundraising apps for iOS and Android.
Great for Nonprofits As Well
Cheddar Up is also a great option for nonprofits. It offers nonprofit payment processing with a verified 501(c)(3) badge, recurring donations, goal progress bars, and built-in peer-to-peer pages with leaderboards. However, a nonprofit status is not required to open an account, which matters for the many groups that fundraise without formal 501(c)(3) status.
The reporting deserves its own mention. Every payment is tracked automatically and exports to a spreadsheet, multiple managers can share access, and the whole account rolls up into one view. That is what makes a handoff to next year’s treasurer survivable.
Best for: PTAs, schools, sports teams, clubs, and nonprofits that want one platform for donations, dues, events, and forms. See how Cheddar Up works for a full walkthrough, or browse the full feature list.
Givebutter | Best For Nonprofits That Want A Built-In CRM
Givebutter is a well-regarded choice for registered nonprofits that need donor management bundled with fundraising. It combines a CRM, event ticketing, auctions, and peer-to-peer campaigns in one interface, and it consistently earns high user-satisfaction marks. Nonprofits with a growing donor list and a real events calendar tend to like it.
Pro-Tip:
Groups that mainly collect dues and run school fundraisers usually find it heavier than they need, which is worth weighing in a Cheddar Up and Givebutter comparison.
Zeffy | Best For Nonprofits That Want A Donor-Funded Model
Zeffy is built exclusively for registered nonprofits and runs on a donor-funded tipping model, inviting supporters to add a voluntary tip at checkout.
For a small nonprofit that wants to keep its budget lean, that structure is genuinely appealing, and the platform includes donations, ticketing, and forms. Eligibility is limited to qualifying nonprofits, so schools, PTAs, and informal groups will need another option if they aren’t a registered 501(c)(3) organization.
Pro-Tip:
Organizations weighing the two can review this Cheddar Up and Zeffy comparison.
Donorbox | Best For Embedding Donation Forms On Your Website
Donorbox is the go-to option when your donation form needs to live inside an existing website. Its embeddable forms drop cleanly into WordPress, Squarespace, and similar builders, and it supports recurring giving plus modern payment methods like Apple Pay.
This platform is a strong fit for nonprofits whose website is already the center of their fundraising.
Donorbox is first and foremost a donation and recurring giving platform. While it does offer add-on features for formal nonprofit events, like Donorbox Live™ Kiosk, it does not offer a built-in Point of Sale (POS) system for selling items or collecting general group dues.
Therefore, it may be seen as less of a fit for groups that need ticketing, sign ups, and in-person sales in the same tool.
Give Lively | Best Free Toolkit For Registered Nonprofits
Give Lively offers a free fundraising toolkit, including custom donation widgets, text-to-donate, event ticketing, and peer-to-peer leaderboards, all supported by a philanthropic funding model.
Furthermore, it is one of the best online fundraising websites for a 501(c)(3) that wants solid core tools with a clean donor experience. Access is restricted to registered nonprofits, so PTOs, teams, and smaller community groups generally need a different platform, like Cheddar Up.
Fundraise Up | Best For AI-Optimized Donation Checkout
Fundraise Up focuses narrowly on one thing and does it well: converting website visitors into donors. Its checkout uses machine learning to personalize suggested gift amounts and reduce drop-off, and larger nonprofits often see meaningful lifts in average gift size.
This fundraising site is built for organizations with significant online donation volume and a team to manage it, which may put it out of range for most volunteer-run groups.
GoFundMe Pro | Best For Large Nonprofits And Enterprise Campaigns
GoFundMe Pro, which recently incorporated Classy, is built for established nonprofits running complex, multi-channel campaigns. It supports advanced donor management, enterprise integrations, and large-scale peer-to-peer events, and the name recognition helps with cold audiences.
The platform assumes you have staff to operate it, so it rarely suits a PTA or a single-chapter club. It is often seen as far too heavy of a system for volunteer-run PTAs, local sports teams, or booster clubs to use. However, if you have large-scale enterprise campaigns with the right organizers to manage it, GoFundMe Pro is a great option and highly recommended!
Pick the Best Online Fundraising Website for You
As you can see, there are many different fundraising websites that you can choose from. The best option for you depends widely on the goals and the scale of your organization.
To narrow down your choices, first define your campaign goals. Are you hosting a one-time campaign, an event, or ongoing fundraising?
Next, think about who will be using the fundraising website. Are you going to have volunteers that need to access it? Do you have staff that will be in charge of it?
Lastly, ask yourself what your budget is and look for a platform that best fits your needs. Are fees clear, predictable, and reasonable for your fundraising goal?
At the end of the day, all of these fundraising websites are amazing. It just depends on the direction of your group and how you need to collect donations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a fundraising website and a donation page?
A donation page is usually one page where people donate. A fundraising website often includes more tools, like campaign pages, team pages, progress tracking, sharing tools, and reporting.
Are online fundraising platforms safe?
Reputable platforms like Cheddar Up use encryption and secure payment processing. Still, you should review the platform’s security practices and make sure your page includes clear information about who is organizing the fundraiser and where funds are going.
Can I raise money online without being a nonprofit?
Yes, many platforms support individuals, sports teams, boy and girl scouts, schools, and community groups. Just make sure you’re transparent about the purpose of the fundraiser and how the funds will be used.
How do I get more people to donate?
Keep your ask clear and simple. Share your link multiple times, post updates, thank donors publicly (with permission), and show progress toward a specific goal. Stories and photos help people connect emotionally and act quickly.
What fees can I expect?
Fees vary on the platform you choose. There are different types of fees and costs. Here are some examples of what you might encounter:
Payment processing fees: These cover the cost of card payments and are usually a percentage of each donation plus a small fixed amount. Most platforms include these fees automatically.
Platform fees: Some fundraising websites charge a monthly subscription or a per-donation platform fee. Others let donors optionally add a tip to help keep the platform running.
Payout or transfer fees: Some platforms charge for instant transfers or special payout methods. If fast access to funds is important, look closely at payout terms.
Extra feature costs: Add-ons like text-to-give, advanced reporting, CRM integrations, or event ticketing may cost extra depending on the platform.
Before You Go
Don’t start collecting donations without the best fundraising platform on your side. If you are a PTA, school, scout group, sports team,local nonprofit, or community group looking for ways to make fundraising easier, look no further than Cheddar Up. Explore Cheddar Up and see just how easy it is to collect and track donations!
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Unleash the Colors: How to Host a Color Run Fundraiser
A color run fundraiser combines the thrill of a fun run with bursts of bright color along the way. Participants start in white and make their way through a course filled with “color stations,” where volunteers toss powder or spray safe, water-based paint so everyone finishes covered head to toe in color.
But it’s more than just a fun event. A color run is a powerful way to raise money from multiple angles. You can collect registration fees, sell extras like t-shirts or color kits, bring in local sponsors, and tap into peer-to-peer fundraising to reach even more supporters.
Even better, it’s easy to organize everything in one place. With a simple collection page, you can manage sign-ups, track payments, and keep donations flowing without the usual hassle.
To get started, there are two great setup options: a standard fundraiser template for straightforward, all-in-one collecting, or a peer-to-peer template that lets participants create their own pages and boost your total even further.
How to Host a Trunk or Treat Fundraiser
Planning a trunk or treat fundraiser for your PTA, church, or nonprofit? This step-by-step guide walks through the whole process, from setting admission and pricing trunk spots to collecting sign ups and running the event day. You can set it all up online, and this template gets you started in minutes. A trunk or treat fundraiser is a Halloween event where kids collect candy from decorated car trunks in a parking lot, while the host organization raises money through admission, trunk-spot fees, and concessions. Instead of going door to door, families walk from car to car in a designated parking area, collecting treats from creatively decorated trunks. Each participant, often called a trunker, decorates their vehicle with fun, spooky, or themed displays.
Schools, churches, PTAs, and nonprofits typically host trunk or treat fundraisers in mid- to late October. Because the whole event happens in one contained parking area rather than across a neighborhood, it’s a safe, weather-flexible way to bring the community together and support the organization.
Trunk or Treat Sign Up Sheet: Make It in 5 Minutes or Less
Create a haunting, all-in-one sign-up sheet for a trunk-or-treat event in just minutes – free! Includes registration and volunteer time slots. The most ghoulishly fun season is creeping up, which means it’s time to set up your trunk or treat sign up sheet. Building the whole thing online takes a few minutes (easily the least scary part of your season!). If you organize for a PTO, church, HOA, or scout troop, you get one place to collect attendee registrations, sign up trunk hosts and volunteers, and take payments for entry or food. This guide walks you through it with an online sign up sheet template, including how to set up registration and volunteer sign-ups on the same page. The fastest way to create a Trunk or Treat sign up sheet? Skip the blank page. Cheddar Up’s Trunk or Treat template gives you a ready-to-customize starting point with registration, donation items, waivers, and volunteer sign ups already built in. Just add your event details, make it your own, and share the link with your community.
Field Trip Form
This page gives you a field trip form template you can customize online, plus an example of what it looks like filled in. One page collects permission, fees, and chaperone sign ups, so families finish everything from a single link.
Field trips are the highlight of the school year. These class outings deepen learning, build community, and give kids something to look forward to. They also take real planning to keep everyone safe and on schedule. Emails pile up, teacher messages get lost, and at some point every parent has found a crumpled field trip form at the bottom of a backpack.
The fix is to keep it simple. Picture a permission slip, fee collection, and volunteer sign up living in one online form. That is what a Cheddar Up field trip form does.
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