JustGiving

Overview

JustGiving is a fundraising platform where supporters raise money for causes and charities run campaigns and collect donations. It is best suited to eligible charities that need supporter-led fundraising alongside branded campaign pages and direct donation forms. The combination is broad, but charities should compare its standard transaction and Gift Aid fees with the value of the fee-free Giving Checkout route.

Key features

Supporters can build personalised fundraising pages, tell their story and share the page using built-in tools. This gives charities a way to support individual fundraisers as well as centrally managed appeals. For events, projects and campaigns, charities can create a branded hub that brings donations and connected fundraising pages together.

Giving Checkout provides customisable direct donation forms. Direct donations through Checkout have no processing or platform fees, but UK Gift Aid processing carries a 5% fee. That makes Checkout particularly worth considering when a charity can direct donors to its forms; donations through other routes are subject to standard processing charges.

Teams can save up to eight report templates, export selected data and collect donor opt-in information. The export and opt-in tools support routine reporting and donor data collection, while the eight-template ceiling may be restrictive for teams that need many distinct saved report formats. Integrations include Strava, Eventbrite, ACTIVE Works, Blackbaud products, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Salesforce-related options, offering connections to fundraising, event and donor-management tools.

JustGiving says its fundraising pages use Tier 1 PCI security compliance and SSL; its campaign page also describes fraud protection and a regulated payment gateway. Giving Checkout identifies JustGiving as an FCA-regulated Approved Payment Institution. Recurring donations are supported, and payment methods include cards and wallets.

Pricing

The Start plan is free, with no monthly subscription fee. It includes fundraising and campaign pages, Giving Checkout reports, donation widgets, Strava integration, and online and email support. Standard payment processing fees and a 5% Gift Aid reclaim fee apply. Start is a sensible entry point for charities new to JustGiving, but it does not remove the costs attached to processing donations or reclaiming Gift Aid.

Grow costs £15/month (+vat) if a charity raises up to £15,000 per year, including Gift Aid, and £39/month (+vat) if it raises more than £15,000 per year, including Gift Aid. There is no annual commitment. Grow includes standard payment processing fees, an optional 5% Gift Aid reclaim fee, reporting and supporter se... The fundraising threshold means charities should account for the higher monthly price if annual proceeds, including Gift Aid, exceed £15,000. For a charity below that threshold, the subscription is still an added cost alongside standard processing fees.

The standard processing fee is 1.9% + £0.30 per payment, or 2.90% + £0.30 for donations in another currency. Giving Checkout direct donations are the exception to these processing and platform fees; UK Gift Aid processing through Checkout still carries a 5% fee. Grow prices are stated as plus VAT.

Platforms

JustGiving is available on web, Android and iOS, and has an API. That gives supporters mobile and browser access, while the API may suit organisations that need a programmatic connection.

Who it's for

JustGiving is aimed at supporters raising money for causes and charities seeking tools for both individual fundraising and organised campaigns. Registered charities and nonprofits in the UK, United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand can join. The free Start plan suits charities beginning on the platform; Grow is for teams that want its paid plan and can account for the applicable revenue threshold and VAT.

JustGiving began in 2000 and joined the Blackbaud family in 2017. Its combination of campaign pages, supporter fundraising and direct donation forms is most relevant to charities that want those activities in one service.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Supporter pages and branded campaign hubs cover both individual fundraising and coordinated appeals.
• Pros: Giving Checkout direct donations avoid processing and platform fees, which can help charities that can route donors to its forms.
• Pros: Reporting, donor opt-in collection and a range of named integrations support charity teams' operational needs.
• Cons: Standard processing fees apply outside fee-free Checkout donations, and UK Gift Aid processing costs 5%.
• Cons: Grow rises from £15/month (+vat) to £39/month (+vat) above £15,000 raised annually, including Gift Aid.
• Cons: Reporting is capped at eight saved templates, which may not suit teams with more extensive recurring reporting needs.

Alternatives

For other options, see Nonprofit Crowdfunding Software.

Ketto is another freemium choice with a free Bronze plan and Android, iOS and web platforms; its payment gateway fee is 3%, with 18% GST on its success fee and payment gateway fee. LaunchGood offers free fundraising with no platform fee and charges 2.9% + 30¢ per card transaction, so it is worth comparing for those seeking a no-platform-fee model.

Milaap has a free fundraiser with zero platform fees, actual payment processing charges and voluntary tipping. FundRazr offers a no-platform-fee optional-tips plan, with payment processing of 2.9% + $0.30 and 95% of donors covering fees; it may suit readers looking for that fee-recovery approach.

M-Changa has free fundraiser setup but limits each phone line to one active fundraiser, with minimum withdrawal balances of KES 250, UGX 1.5M or TZS 1M. AdoptAClassroom.org is a free option for eligible U.S. educators, with donations provided as online credit for marketplace or Teacher Choice purchases.

Chuffed offers a free Shared Model with no platform fee by default, 2–3% payment processing paid by the campaigner and optional donor tips. FreeFunder is another free alternative, with no platform fee, optional donations to support the service and Stripe processing of 2.9% + $0.30 per donation.

Verdict

Choose JustGiving if you are an eligible charity that wants supporter-led fundraising, campaign hubs and direct donation forms in one platform. Its strongest case is the breadth of fundraising tools, particularly when Giving Checkout's fee-free direct donations suit your approach. Look elsewhere if standard processing and Gift Aid charges, or Grow's threshold-based subscription, make the costs a poor fit.