Give A Hand vs Zeffy: Fees, Features and CRM Compared

What is Give A Hand, and how is it different from Zeffy?

Zeffy is a free all-in-one fundraising platform built for registered nonprofits. Its full donor CRM fills itself as every donation, ticket and membership comes in, and one account runs campaign pages, monthly giving, peer-to-peer, events, auctions, raffles, a store and memberships, with no fee taken from any gift. Give A Hand is a crowdfunding site built mostly for personal causes, such as medical bills, memorials and emergencies, with a path to raise for a charity. It has a 0% platform fee, but 2.9% + $0.30 comes out of every US gift, and charity fundraisers are paid out once a month.

Is Give A Hand legit?

Yes. Give A Hand is a real crowdfunding platform. Cards are processed by Stripe, and it does not store card details on its servers. Before funds are transferred, it runs identity verification, sanctions screening and KYC and AML checks, and it has anti-fraud tools. Its terms are governed by Delaware law. What it costs is the part to check: 2.9% + $0.30 comes off every US donation. On Zeffy, registered nonprofits receive every dollar.

Give A Hand reviews and complaints: what should we check before launching?

Give A Hand's own terms and help center answer the questions worth checking first:

• Fees: 2.9% + $0.30 is deducted from each US donation. Tips to Give A Hand are separate from the gift.
• Charity fundraisers: the money goes to the charity on the 1st of every month, by check to its registered mailing address, per the terms. Gifts received on or after the 1st wait for the next month.
• Uncollected payments: if a charity does not deposit a payment within 120 days, the donations may be refunded or handed to the state as unclaimed property.
• Holds: Give A Hand may hold a fundraiser, delay transfers or keep a reserve, for example over refunds, chargebacks or suspected fraud.
• Personal fundraisers: transfers need identity checks, and funds not transferred within 120 days of the first gift may be refunded.

Source: giveahand.com terms and help center, October 2026.

How much does Give A Hand take from a donation?

Give A Hand itself takes no platform fee. The processor's 2.9% + $0.30 is deducted from each US donation, so a $100 gift reaches the organizer as $96.80, and $10,000 raised in 100 gifts of $100 becomes $9,680. Donors are asked for an optional tip to Give A Hand on top. On Zeffy, your nonprofit is paid the whole $100, and no processing fee is taken along the way.

How does a nonprofit get the money from a Give A Hand charity fundraiser?

The organizer never receives it: Give A Hand sends the money to the charity chosen when the fundraiser was set up. Its help center says this happens on the 1st of every month, and its terms say the payments go out as checks to the charity's registered mailing address. On Zeffy, the nonprofit runs its own campaign, and payouts land in its bank account every Monday, or monthly.

Give A Hand or Zeffy: which should we choose?

Zeffy is for registered nonprofits: personal fundraisers for an individual are not possible on Zeffy. For a nonprofit, Zeffy runs campaign pages, monthly giving, tickets, auctions, a store and memberships with a full donor CRM in one free account, and every gift is paid in full to your bank.

What does Give A Hand offer that Zeffy doesn't?

Personal fundraisers for medical bills, memorials and emergencies, where a beneficiary can be invited to withdraw the money. Fundraiser coaching. And, for a limited time and subject to approval, 3% matching on charity fundraisers. Zeffy has no personal fundraisers, coaching program or matching offer.

Is Zeffy really free?

Yes, for every registered nonprofit. Zeffy charges no platform fee, no processing fee and no payout fee, and no plan is needed. Donors may choose to add a contribution to Zeffy, which never comes out of the gift. See how Zeffy is free.