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Nonprofit software

14 best fundraising software tools for UK charities in 2026

July 7, 2026

In this article:

What is fundraising software?

Qgiv is a fundraising platform for online donations and more

Fundraising software is a type of technology designed to help charities and not-for-profits manage and run their fundraising activities efficiently.

Most fundraising software streamlines various aspects of the fundraising process to help charitable organisations make the greatest impact.

Though every fundraising platform is different, most help organisations with:

  • Supporter management: tools for maintaining a database of donors, including contact information, donation history, and communication preferences. Supporter management helps charities find new donors and retain existing ones.
  • Online donation processing: secure and user-friendly interfaces to collect donations online, with customisable donation forms that can be embedded on a website.
  • Campaign management: functionality for creating, organising, and tracking fundraising campaigns, events, and initiatives. This includes peer-to-peer fundraising pages, crowdfunding, and more.
  • Custom reports and analytics: reporting tools that provide insights into donation trends, campaign performance, and other relevant metrics.
  • Communication and marketing: features for communicating with donors through email campaigns, newsletters, and other channels.
  • Event management: tools to plan, manage, and promote fundraising events, including ticketing, registration, and tracking attendee participation.

In a UK context, the right fundraising software should also handle Gift Aid declarations and claims through HMRC's Charities Online service. UK charities can reclaim 25p from HMRC for every £1 a UK taxpayer donates, a significant income stream that many platforms fail to automate properly. (Gift Aid guidance, HMRC)

All UK fundraising platforms are also subject to the Fundraising Regulator's Code of Fundraising Practice (current version effective 1 November 2025, with a new Section 9 covering online fundraising platforms). Charities should confirm that any software they use does not undermine the Code's requirements for transparency with donors.

What UK charities should check for first

Before comparing feature lists, UK charities should screen every platform for three non-negotiables:

  • Gift Aid handling: does the platform capture Gift Aid declarations from donors, store them for the required six years, and support submission through HMRC's Charities Online service? Does it support the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme (GASDS) for eligible small cash and contactless donations? (HMRC Gift Aid guidance)
  • UK GDPR and PECR compliance: does the platform capture lawful consent, support the soft opt-in for existing supporters, and align with ICO guidance? UK charities frequently ask 'Are you GDPR compliant?' before adopting new tools, and rightly so.
  • Fundraising Regulator alignment: does the platform display any fees or optional donor contributions transparently, in line with the Code of Fundraising Practice?

What to look for in fundraising software for UK charities

Gofundme is popular and an easy platform for fundraising campaigns

Choosing the right platform is a significant decision. When comparing your options, look for these features:

  • Gift Aid handling: automated declaration capture, HMRC Charities Online submission support, and GASDS claim support on eligible small donations.
  • UK GDPR and PECR compliance: lawful basis for data processing, soft opt-in for existing supporters, ICO-aligned consent capture.
  • Fundraising Regulator alignment: transparency of any fees or optional contributions shown to donors.
  • Direct Debit support: either native or via GoCardless integration. Direct Debit accounts for around 31% of UK charity donations and is essential for regular giving.
  • Event and ticketing tools: for many charities, events such as galas, fetes, and auctions are central to their fundraising. Good ticketing software lets you sell tickets, manage registrations, and track attendance.
  • Customisable donation forms: your charity should be able to add its logo, colours, and fonts to its donation forms. Forms should accept multiple payment methods and send automated acknowledgements.
  • Customer support: good fundraising software offers responsive support when you run into difficulties.
  • Supporter management: your chosen tool should offer filtering and segmentation, easy contact importing and exporting, and custom list creation.
  • Peer-to-peer campaigns: peer-to-peer fundraising is a powerful way to expand your reach. Look for team fundraising pages, gamification tools, and straightforward reporting.
  • User-friendliness: clunky software costs busy teams time. Choose a platform that is simple to navigate.
  • Cost: most fundraising platforms charge platform fees, transaction fees, or monthly subscriptions. Some, like Zeffy, are 100% free.
  • Security: charities handle confidential donor information. Choose a platform that is secure and trustworthy.
  • Integrations: check compatibility with the other tools your organisation uses, such as CRM systems, email marketing platforms, or accounting software.
  • Regular giving: monthly giving is vital for charity income stability and long-term planning. Your platform should let donors set up and manage their own regular gifts.

What are the benefits of fundraising software?

Bloomerang website

It is tempting to think that a well-organised team can manage donations and donor information on a spreadsheet. In practice, doing this by hand makes information prone to error and severely limits what you can achieve.

Efficiency and automation

Fundraising software streamlines and automates the fundraising process, from collecting donations to supporter management, saving time and reducing the administrative burden on small teams.

The best platforms also offer event registration, Gift Aid declaration capture, and prospect research tools in one place.

Increased reach

Online fundraising platforms help organisations reach more donors. Supporters can share campaigns on social media, via email, and sometimes by text, expanding your reach well beyond traditional networks.

Accessibility

Robust fundraising software gives donors a convenient way to contribute and gives your team a shared database for important information. Online donation forms, mobile-friendly interfaces, and multiple payment options make it easy for people to support your cause from anywhere, at any time.

Gift Aid: the UK multiplier

A UK taxpayer's £100 gift becomes £125 to your charity once you reclaim through HMRC. Your software should capture the declaration, store it for at least six years, and submit claims through HMRC's Charities Online service. (HMRC Gift Aid guidance)

Compliance and reporting

Fundraising software helps organisations meet their regulatory obligations. In the UK, this means generating the records needed for annual returns and the Trustees' Annual Report and Accounts (TAR) submitted to the Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR (Scotland), or CCNI (Northern Ireland). It also means maintaining HMRC Gift Aid records for a minimum of six years, and operating within the Fundraising Regulator's Code of Fundraising Practice.

If any of this sounds complex, consider working with a fundraising consultant who knows the UK regulatory landscape.

The best fundraising software for UK charities at a glance

Fundly's solution for fundraisers

Donorbox is trusted by 80,000 organizations

Onecause software for running events

Fundrazr for individuals and organizations

Charity Auctions Today makes it easy to run charity auctions

GoFundMe Pro donation website
Blackbaud website on nonprofit software
SoftwareIdeal forStandout featureUK pricing
ZeffyAll-in-one free fundraisingNo platform fee, no transaction fee£0, completely free
JustGivingCold donor brand recognitionHousehold-name URL for peer-to-peer0% platform fee + 1.9% + 20p card processing; optional donor tip
EnthuseLondon Marathon and Great Run P2POfficial partner to TCS London Marathon and Great Run to 20340% platform fee + 1.9% + 30p processing; events 3.5% + 75p/ticket
CAF DonateEmbedded donate buttonsBuilt by CAF; used by 8,000+ UK charitiesNo subscription; staggered transaction fees
Wonderful.orgTruly 0% via Open BankingPay by Bank with no platform or Gift Aid fee0% via Open Banking; card processing only
Ticket TailorPaid events above £10Flat per-ticket fee with 50% charity discountFrom 22p/ticket (credits) or 60p PAYG + Stripe processing
TicketSourceCommunity theatre, schools, church eventsZero organiser fee; buyer-facing booking fee0% organiser fee; booking fee charged to buyers
EventbritePublic-facing events needing discoveryLarge discovery marketplace~6.95% + £0.59/ticket + processing (paid events)
Crowdfunder UKTime-bound campaignsNational Lottery match funding partnerships0% platform fee for charities + card processing
GivenGainP2P outside flagship eventsSubscription-free with automatic Gift AidFree for charities; optional donor tip
BeaconGrowing fundraising-led charitiesNative Gift Aid claim submission; #1 UK CRM 6 yearsFrom £33.50/month
DonorfyCharities starting with a CRMFree to 500 constituents; broad integrationsFree up to 500; from ~£50/month above
GivergyCharity galas and gala dinners'Keep it FREE' donor-covered fee modelFree for UK charities; donor-covered fees
GoodBoxIn-person contactless givingDedicated GBx tap-to-donate devicesDevice cost + per-transaction fee

Fundraising software Best for Best feature Price G2 rating

Zeffy

All fundraising activities 

100% free (no platform fee - no transaction fee)

100% free

4.9/5

GoFundMe Pro (formerly Classy)

Enterprise feature access

Robust event management 

Custom Pricing (sales-quoted)

4.4/5

DonorPerfect

Donor management

Donor data collection

Custom quote required, starting at £99/month

4.4/5

QGiv

Flexible fundraising

Customizable forms and event capabilities

£0 - £259/month and up to £0.95 -  4.95% in processing fees

4.7/5

GoFundMe

Crowdfunding

Easy social sharing

Charity: 2.2% + £0.30; personal: 2.9% + £0.30 (+ optional donor tip)

4.6/5

Bloomerang

Donor retention

CRM

£79–£1299+ /month, 1% platform fee, and processing fees up to 2.2% + £0.30

4.7/5

Fundly

Social media fundraising

Peer-to-peer fundraising

0% platform fee, 2.9% + £0.30 transaction fee

2.9/5

DonorBox

Recurring donations

Flexible payment options

£0–£139+/month, 1.5% platform fee,  up to 2.2% + £0.49 in processing fees

4.6/5

CauseVox

P2P campaigns

Engaging, customized P2P pages

£0 - £315 /month, and up to 4.25% + £0.30 in processing fees

4.3/5

Blackbaud

Scalability

AI-powered tools

Custom quote required

3.5/5

BetterWorld

Raffles

Text-to-donate

£0 + 0% platform fee, and up to 2.9% + £0.30 processing fees

5/5

OneCause

Event fundraising

Auction management

Custom quote required

4.7/5

Fundrazr

School fundraising 

Coaching and support

0%-5% platform fee, plus standard processing fees

4.2/5

Charity Auctions today

Auction management

Robust item features

£0 -£1500, 0% to 5% platform fees, and up to 3% + £0.30 processing fees

4.5/5

1. Zeffy: the only 100% free fundraising platform for UK charities

US nonprofit Outreach 360 saved £6,000 by switching from GoFundMe Pro to Zeffy for their online fundraising needs

Zeffy is a 100% free online fundraising platform built for charities and not-for-profits. Unlike other fundraising software, Zeffy is a genuine all-in-one solution: from event ticketing to membership management, from online raffles to peer-to-peer campaigns, Zeffy is the only platform that lets UK charities raise money and reach more donors without taking a penny of what they earn.

Pros:

  • Raffle management (UK small society lottery flow)
  • Customisable donation forms
  • Peer-to-peer campaign management
  • Supporter management
  • Tap to pay
  • Online shop tools
  • Membership management
  • 100% free, no platform fee, no transaction fee
  • Online forms for ticketing and events
  • Unlimited customer support
  • Top-rated security
  • Gift Aid handling

Cons:

  • Newer to the UK market than some long-established platforms

Pricing:

£0, no platform fee, no transaction fee. When someone donates through your Zeffy form, they have the option (but are never required) to leave a voluntary contribution to Zeffy. Enough donors do so to cover every fee, so your charity keeps 100% of what it raises.

What Zeffy users are saying:

"Besides being free, Zeffy has become an invaluable tool as it provides a way for our donors to give knowing that 100% of their donation will be received by our organisation. Besides that, it is very user-friendly. Easy to set up and customer support is amazing!", John W.

2. JustGiving: the household name with a tip-prompt to watch

JustGiving is the UK's most recognised charity fundraising platform and has been since 2001. When a donor sees a JustGiving URL, they know what it is, and that brand recognition genuinely helps convert cold donors on peer-to-peer pages.

The honest caveat: JustGiving's default optional tip prompt of around 17% is the most widely criticised feature in UK charity fundraising circles. UK VoC research consistently shows donors feel the tip is added without their knowledge, which erodes trust and reflects on the charity, not the platform.

Pros:

  • Household-name brand recognition with UK donors
  • Strong peer-to-peer and sponsored-event infrastructure
  • Wide integration ecosystem
  • Gift Aid pass-through

Cons:

  • Default ~17% optional tip prompt is the sector's most-criticised pattern
  • Gift Aid processing carries an additional fee (5% of the Gift Aid value)
  • Owned by Blackbaud since 2017; pricing has evolved

Pricing:

0% platform fee on donations + approximately 1.9% + 20p card processing + 5% on Gift Aid value. Optional donor tip default ~17%. Some charities pay a monthly subscription (£15 to £39 + VAT). See Zeffy vs JustGiving for a full comparison.

What JustGiving users are saying:

"JustGiving is brilliant for reaching donors who already trust the platform. The peer-to-peer pages are simple for fundraisers to set up. My only gripe is the tip prompt, donors ask us about it and it's an awkward conversation."

3. Enthuse: the only platform for London Marathon and Great Run fundraisers

Enthuse puts the charity's brand front and centre, fundraisers see your charity, not Enthuse. It is the official online fundraising partner for London Marathon Events (TCS London Marathon) and the Great Run series under an exclusive contract running to 2034. If your charity holds places in either event, Enthuse is effectively mandatory.

Pros:

  • Official partner for TCS London Marathon and Great Run series to 2034
  • Charity-branded fundraising pages
  • Strong branded P2P infrastructure
  • Gift Aid handling
  • FCA-regulated (Small Payment Institution, ref 797344)

Cons:

  • Outside flagship events, the value proposition is weaker against free alternatives
  • Optional subscription fee adds up for smaller charities
  • Events fee per ticket on top of processing

Pricing:

0% platform fee on donations (with a tipping default); approximately 1.9% + 30p card processing; 5% on Gift Aid value. Events: 3.5% + 75p per ticket. Optional Enthuse Fundraising and Events subscription from £29.99 + VAT per month. See Zeffy vs Enthuse for a full comparison.

What Enthuse users are saying:

"If you have London Marathon places, there is no choice, you use Enthuse. The branded pages are excellent and fundraisers love that donors see our charity name, not a third-party platform."

4. CAF Donate: trust-first donate buttons from a sector institution

CAF Donate is built by the Charities Aid Foundation, itself a registered charity and one of the UK sector's oldest infrastructure bodies. That institutional backing gives CAF Donate a trust signal that commercial platforms simply cannot replicate. More than 8,000 UK charities use it.

Pros:

  • Built by CAF, a recognised UK sector institution
  • Used by 8,000+ charities
  • No monthly subscription
  • Strong for embedded donate buttons and Direct Debit
  • Gift Aid handling
  • Trustees will recognise the name

Cons:

  • Reporting is more basic than commercial alternatives
  • Lower marketing flair, less suited to high-engagement campaign pages
  • Feature set is narrower than all-in-one platforms

Pricing:

No monthly subscription; staggered transaction fees by donation type. Generally cheaper than most commercial platforms. See Zeffy vs CAF Donate for a full comparison.

What CAF Donate users are saying:

"CAF Donate is exactly what we needed for a simple embedded donate button. Our trustees recognised the CAF name immediately, which helped when we were asking for sign-off on a new platform."

5. Wonderful.org: genuinely 0% donations via Open Banking

Wonderful.org uses Open Banking (account-to-account transfers) to deliver genuinely 0% donations, no platform fee, no Gift Aid processing fee, and no card fee on Pay by Bank transactions. It has received positive coverage from Money Saving Expert as a transparent alternative to platforms with tip prompts.

Pros:

  • 0% platform fee and 0% Gift Aid fee via Pay by Bank
  • No tip jar
  • Transparent fee model
  • Open Banking infrastructure

Cons:

  • Narrower donor reach than JustGiving
  • Open Banking journey requires donors to authenticate with their bank app, converts well with younger donors, less well with donors uncomfortable with the flow
  • Feature set is narrower than all-in-one platforms

Pricing:

What Wonderful.org users are saying:

"Wonderful is exactly what it says, genuinely free for charities with no tip prompt. The Open Banking journey took some getting used to for older donors, but for our younger supporter base it works brilliantly."

6. Ticket Tailor: flat-fee ticketing that works for small UK charities

Ticket Tailor is a UK-founded, B Corp certified ticketing platform and the most-cited Eventbrite alternative among independent UK event organisers. It charges a flat fee per ticket rather than a percentage, a significant saving on higher-priced tickets.

Pros:

  • Flat per-ticket fee (not percentage-based)
  • 50% charity discount on per-ticket fees
  • Free for free events under 2,000 tickets per year
  • Direct Stripe or PayPal payouts (instant access to funds)
  • No discovery marketplace means you own your audience relationship
  • UK-founded and B Corp certified

Cons:

  • No built-in discovery marketplace, you bring your own audience
  • Primarily a ticketing tool; not an all-in-one fundraising platform

Pricing:

Pay-as-you-go: £0.60 per ticket. Pre-purchased credits: from £0.22 per ticket. Charity discount: 50% off. Tickets under £5 also receive a 50% discount. Free events under 2,000 tickets/year: free. Add Stripe processing (1.5% + 20p for UK cards). See Zeffy vs Ticket Tailor for a full comparison.

What Ticket Tailor users are saying:

"On a £20 fete ticket, Ticket Tailor costs us about 22p plus Stripe processing. Eventbrite was costing us nearly £2 per ticket. For a community event where margins are already tight, that difference is enormous."

7. TicketSource: zero organiser fees for community events

TicketSource is a Wales-based ticketing platform that charges no fee to the organiser. It has won the STAR Outstanding Customer Service Award twice and is particularly strong for community theatre, schools, churches, and occasional-event charities that need a dependable, low-friction ticketing tool.

Pros:

  • 0% organiser fee
  • Charity discount available
  • UK-based human customer support
  • Stripe option for direct payouts
  • Strong track record with community theatre and church events

Cons:

  • Buyer-facing booking fee (a percentage-scaling charge added at checkout) can be a conversion drag for price-sensitive audiences
  • Not a full fundraising platform, ticketing only

Pricing:

0% organiser fee. Buyers pay a booking fee at checkout (approximately 10% on lower-priced tickets, less on higher). Charity discount available. (Verify current rates on TicketSource's UK pricing page before publishing.)

What TicketSource users are saying:

"Zero cost to us as the organiser. Our audience is used to booking fees from other platforms, so it hasn't affected sales. The support team is responsive and genuinely helpful."

8. Eventbrite: wide reach for events that need discovery traffic

Eventbrite is the globally dominant event platform and still the default choice when you need your event to be discovered by people who do not already know your charity. Its marketplace genuinely drives traffic to public-facing fundraisers.

The honest caveat: for small-charity events with lower ticket prices (a £10 fete ticket, a £15 community gala entry), Eventbrite's per-ticket fee of roughly £1.29 or more quickly erodes your fundraising margin. Many small UK charities running fetes, Eid festivals, awards nights, or church concerts find Ticket Tailor or TicketSource more cost-effective.

Pros:

  • Large discovery marketplace, valuable for public-facing events
  • Wide brand recognition
  • Robust event management tools
  • International reach

Cons:

  • Punitive fee structure on lower-priced tickets
  • Free events with over 25 attendees now require a paid plan (from September 2023)
  • Not a charity-first platform, no Gift Aid automation

Pricing:

Paid events: approximately 6.95% + £0.59 per ticket plus payment processing. Free events under 25 attendees: free; over 25 attendees requires a paid plan (Flex from £7.99/event or Pro from £19/month). See Zeffy vs Eventbrite for a full comparison.

What Eventbrite users are saying:

"The discovery is the reason we use Eventbrite for our public-facing fundraisers. But for our smaller internal events, the fees are too high, we've switched those to Ticket Tailor."

9. Crowdfunder UK: time-bound campaigns with match funding built in

Causevox website about peer-to-peer fundraising

Crowdfunder UK is the UK's largest crowdfunding platform, and its defining feature for charities is access to match funding from the National Lottery, local authorities, and other public funders. That match funding is effectively free grant money, and it is the main reason small UK charities choose Crowdfunder over a standard donation page.

Pros:

  • 0% platform fee for charities
  • Match funding partnerships (National Lottery, local authorities, and others)
  • Strong for time-bound campaigns with a clear funding target
  • Rewards-based, prize draw, and community-shares models supported
  • Registered with the Fundraising Regulator

Cons:

  • Less suited to steady-state donate buttons or monthly giving
  • Card processing fees apply
  • Match funding windows can be competitive

Pricing:

What Crowdfunder UK users are saying:

"We raised £18,000 for our community garden, £9,000 from our supporters and £9,000 matched by the National Lottery. Without the match funding on Crowdfunder, we would never have reached our target that quickly."

10. GivenGain: subscription-free P2P with automatic Gift Aid

GivenGain is an international not-for-profit fundraising platform that launched in the UK in 2022. It is subscription-free, includes automatic Gift Aid processing, and operates a champion-page model that encourages longer-lasting community fundraising relationships.

Pros:

  • Subscription-free for charities
  • Automatic Gift Aid processing
  • Champion-page model for community P2P
  • UK partners include British Heart Foundation and Swimathon
  • Optional donor tip model

Cons:

  • Less brand recognition than JustGiving, cold donors may need more reassurance
  • No London Marathon or Great Run integration (that is Enthuse exclusively)
  • Narrower UK reach than the established platforms

Pricing:

What GivenGain users are saying:

"GivenGain is our go-to for sponsored challenges that are not the London Marathon. The automatic Gift Aid saves us hours of admin and the champion pages keep fundraisers engaged long after the event."

11. Beacon: the UK's top-rated fundraising CRM

Beacon is a UK-built fundraising CRM rated number one in Fundraising Magazine's annual UK CRM survey for six consecutive years. It combines a modern interface with native Gift Aid claim submission, which sets it apart from US-built CRMs that require a workaround for HMRC claims.

Pros:

  • Rated #1 UK fundraising CRM for six years running (Fundraising Magazine)
  • Native Gift Aid claim submission to HMRC Charities Online
  • Modern, accessible interface
  • Fast onboarding for small teams
  • Good reporting and analytics

Cons:

  • Limited beyond fundraising (no case management, grant management)
  • Subscription cost scales with supporter count
  • Not an all-in-one fundraising platform, you will still need separate tools for ticketing and events

Pricing:

Starter from £33.50/month; scales by active supporter count. (Verify current rates on Beacon's UK pricing page before publishing.)

What Beacon users are saying:

"We moved from a spreadsheet to Beacon and the Gift Aid submission alone saved us two days of admin per quarter. The interface is genuinely intuitive, our volunteer team picked it up within a week."

12. Donorfy: an affordable CRM for charities starting out

Donorfy is a UK-built fundraising CRM, now owned by The Access Group, with a free tier for up to 500 constituents. It integrates with a broad range of platforms including JustGiving, Enthuse, Mailchimp, GoCardless, and Stripe, making it easy to plug into the tools your charity already uses.

Pros:

  • Free to 500 constituents, low barrier to entry
  • Broad integration ecosystem (JustGiving, Enthuse, GoCardless, Stripe, Mailchimp)
  • UK-built with UK charity workflow in mind
  • Gift Aid integration
  • Cheaper entry than Beacon

Cons:

  • Reporting is more basic than Beacon
  • Now owned by The Access Group; pricing has evolved
  • Not an all-in-one platform, ticketing and events need separate tools

Pricing:

Free up to 500 constituents; from approximately £50/month above that threshold (tiered by constituent count). (Verify current rates on Donorfy's UK pricing page before publishing.)

What Donorfy users are saying:

"Donorfy let us start for free while we were figuring out our CRM needs. The JustGiving and GoCardless integrations mean all our donations flow in automatically, no manual entry."

13. Givergy: free mobile bidding for UK charity galas

Givergy is a London-based mobile bidding platform for charity galas, gala dinners, and golf days, with a 'Keep it FREE' initiative that makes the platform completely free for UK charities. The platform is award-winning and has a strong UK reference base including schools, sports clubs, and hospitals.

UK charity raffles run as small society lotteries under the Gambling Act 2005. Most charity prize draws are registered with the local licensing authority (£40 initial, £20 annual renewal), subject to a £20,000 single-draw cap, a £250,000 annual aggregate cap, a maximum single prize of £25,000, and a requirement that at least 20% of proceeds go to the charitable cause. Gift Aid does not apply to raffle ticket purchases. (Gambling Commission, small society lotteries guidance) Zeffy's raffle tool is designed for this UK legal flow.

Pros:

  • Free for UK charities ('Keep it FREE' model)
  • Award-winning UK gala mobile bidding
  • Silent auction, live auction, and donation tools
  • UK reference customers: schools, sports clubs, hospitals
  • Donor voluntarily covers fees

Cons:

  • Primarily focused on events, not a full fundraising stack
  • Best suited to gala-format events rather than everyday fundraising

Pricing:

Free for UK charities; donors voluntarily cover fees. (Verify current rates on Givergy's UK pricing page before publishing.)

What Givergy users are saying:

"Our gala raised significantly more than the previous year, and the fact it cost us nothing as a charity made it even better. The mobile bidding kept guests engaged all evening."

14. GoodBox: contactless giving at events, fetes and venues

GoodBox makes dedicated contactless donation hardware (GBx devices) for in-person giving at churches, museums, visitor attractions, fetes, and street fundraising. It directly addresses one of the most consistent themes from UK charity VoC research: cash is declining and small charities often have no card payment option at the door.

Pros:

  • Dedicated GBx tap-to-donate devices purpose-built for UK charities
  • Strong with churches, museums, and visitor attractions
  • In-person donation app as well as hardware
  • Resolves the 'no card reader at the fete' problem

Cons:

  • Device purchase or rental cost plus per-transaction fee (unlike free smartphone tap-to-pay alternatives)
  • Hardware dependency, devices need managing, charging, and insuring
  • Not a full fundraising stack

Pricing:

What GoodBox users are saying:

"We placed a GoodBox device at the back of church and donations from visitors doubled in a year. People genuinely do not carry cash any more, and this solved that problem for us."

More fundraising tools worth knowing

If none of the 14 platforms above is quite the right fit, these UK-relevant tools are worth exploring:

  • TotalGiving: a UK donation platform pledging 100% of donations to the charity, with no platform commission. Good for simple donate pages; less suited to charities needing an integrated stack.
  • Givey: a UK donation app aimed at small charities and community causes with a '100% to the cause' position.
  • Localgiving: a membership-model platform built specifically for small local charities and community groups, bundling donate pages with training, support, and access to match-funding campaigns.
  • Chuffed: an impact-focused crowdfunding platform with a passionate user base and a free-for-charities model.
  • Crowdfunder UK (listed above): also worth considering for charities exploring community shares or match-funded capital projects.
  • ChurchSuite: for churches specifically, an integrated membership, rota, donation, and Gift Aid management platform. Dominant in UK church administration.
  • Membermojo: simple membership management for small clubs, associations, and community groups. Not a fundraising platform, but useful alongside one.

Are there any free fundraising tools that charge no fees?

Zeffy platform is 100% free for nonprofits

While every other platform takes a portion of donations in fees, Zeffy gives 100% of fundraising revenue directly to your charity. Donors can be confident that every pound they give goes straight to your cause.

The UK charity sector has good reason to scrutinise platform fees. JustGiving's default optional tip prompt of around 17% is the most widely discussed example, and UK donor research consistently shows transparency anxiety about these prompts. As one UK charity supporter put it: 'people seem to think it had been added without their knowledge.' That erosion of trust reflects on the charity, not just the platform.

At Zeffy, there is no tip prompt on behalf of the platform. When donors give, they can choose to leave a voluntary contribution to Zeffy, but they are never nudged towards it, and your charity keeps 100% regardless.

Zeffy is free for everything: donation forms, event ticketing, memberships, raffles, peer-to-peer campaigns, and supporter management.

Which is the best fundraising software for UK charities?

Donorperfect solution
Betterworld is a platform that offers fundraising solutions

When choosing fundraising software, weigh the cost, the feature set, the customer support, and, critically for UK charities, the Gift Aid handling and regulatory fit.

Consider the tool stack many small UK charities are currently running: a £15 fete ticket requires Ticket Tailor; an autumn appeal donate page sits on JustGiving; a Christmas raffle needs a separate tool; and a sponsored 5K goes through Crowdfunder or GivenGain. Then add a CRM. That is four or five separate platforms, multiple logins, and fees on every transaction.

Zeffy consolidates that entire stack, fundraising, ticketing, raffles, memberships, auctions, and supporter management, in one free platform, with Gift Aid handling and UK regulatory fit. Unlike other platforms, Zeffy is the only solution that is genuinely 100% free for UK charities, with no platform fee and no transaction fee, ever.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free fundraising software for UK charities?

Zeffy is the only 100% free fundraising platform for UK charities. There is no platform fee and no transaction fee. Zeffy covers donation forms, event ticketing, peer-to-peer campaigns, raffles, memberships, and supporter management in one free platform.

Does fundraising software handle Gift Aid?

Not all platforms handle Gift Aid automatically. Look for software that captures Gift Aid declarations from donors, stores them for the required six years, and supports claim submission through HMRC's Charities Online service. Zeffy, Beacon, Donorfy, GivenGain, and CAF Donate all offer Gift Aid handling.

Do UK charities need to register with the Fundraising Regulator?

UK charities that spend £100,000 or more per year on fundraising are subject to a voluntary levy that funds the Fundraising Regulator. All charities fundraising in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland are expected to follow the Code of Fundraising Practice, regardless of size. The current Code came into effect on 1 November 2025. (Fundraising Regulator)

Can I run a raffle using fundraising software?

Yes, but UK charity raffles where tickets are sold in advance to the public are 'small society lotteries' under the Gambling Act 2005. They must be registered with your local licensing authority (£40 initial, £20 annual renewal), subject to a £20,000 single-draw cap and a maximum single prize of £25,000. Gift Aid does not apply to raffle ticket purchases. Zeffy's raffle tool is designed for this UK legal flow. (Gambling Commission guidance)

What fundraising software is best for small UK charities?

Zeffy is the strongest choice for small UK charities because it is completely free and covers the full fundraising stack. For specialist needs: Ticket Tailor for ticketing, Beacon or Donorfy for CRM, Crowdfunder UK for match-funded campaigns, and Givergy for silent auctions.

Do I need to register as a charity to use fundraising software?

Most platforms are open to registered charities, CICs, unincorporated associations, and community groups, though some features (such as Gift Aid reclaim) are only available to organisations that are HMRC-recognised. In England and Wales, charities with income above £5,000 must register with the Charity Commission. In Scotland, all charities must register with OSCR regardless of size.

Written by
François de Kerret
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Keep reading :

Nonprofit guides
Fundraising for UK Charities: 12 Strategies to Raise More in 2026

Charity fundraising does not have to mean juggling four platforms and four invoices. This guide covers 12 proven strategies for UK charities, from corporate sponsorships and peer-to-peer campaigns to Gift Aid, regular giving, and the UK grants landscape, with guidance on legal compliance under UK charity law, the Fundraising Regulator's Code, and the Gambling Act 2005. Whether you are a registered charity or a community group just getting started, these approaches help you raise more while keeping every pound for your cause.

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