Zeffy
Zeffy is a nonprofit fundraising platform for donation forms, event ticketing, peer-to-peer campaigns, raffles or auctions where available, donor management, and campaign pages. It is known for promoting a no-platform-fee model supported by optional donor contributions, which nonprofits should review carefully before relying on it.
- Type
- Software
- Fees
- No platform fee · no card feeZeffy covers card fees; donors are asked for an optional tip
- Nonprofit terms
- Nonprofit-focused; confirm availability
- Last reviewed
- July 15, 2026
Quick answers
- How does Zeffy make money?
- Zeffy asks donors for an optional contribution to Zeffy at checkout and says this is its only source of revenue. Donors can lower it or set it to $0, and the nonprofit receives 100% of every payment either way. Source
- Does Zeffy charge nonprofits any fees?
- Zeffy says it covers all processing fees for every nonprofit on the platform, paid for by donors' optional contributions. Source
- Who can use Zeffy?
- In the U.S., an organization with an EIN and a bank account in its name; 501(c)(3) status is not required. Zeffy's eligibility page also lists other countries it serves. Source
- Can Zeffy take in-person payments?
- Yes. Zeffy's Tap to Pay app turns a compatible phone into a point of sale, with no physical card terminal needed. Source
From the official pages, checked July 15, 2026. Terms change; confirm before you sign up.
What is Zeffy?
Zeffy can be useful for nonprofits that want donation forms, event ticketing, peer-to-peer fundraising, campaign pages, and basic donor management with a no-platform-fee model. Use this page to decide whether Zeffy fits your fundraising workflow, what donor contribution and payout details to verify, and whether your planned fundraising activities are supported in your location.
Best For
Best for small to growing nonprofits that want affordable fundraising tools for donations, events, campaigns, and basic donor management. It fits teams looking for low upfront platform cost, while still needing to understand donor contribution prompts, country availability, and activity-specific rules.
Where it stands out
Zeffy has no paid plan at all and covers card processing itself, so a $100 gift arrives as $100 even when the donor skips the tip.
Good fit if: Every dollar matters and you want forms, events, auctions and memberships without fees or contracts.
Watch for: Donors see a tip prompt at checkout; no matching-gift lookup, no Salesforce integration, and you can't use your own Stripe account.
You keep from $10,000: $10,000 (Zeffy covers card fees; donors are asked for an optional tip)
Key Features
- Create donation forms, campaign pages, recurring giving options, and online donation experiences for nonprofit fundraising
- Run events, ticketing, peer-to-peer campaigns, raffles, auctions, and other fundraising activities where available and compliant
- Use basic donor management, receipts, exports, and campaign records to track fundraising activity
- Operate under a no-platform-fee model that relies on optional donor contributions, which should be tested for donor experience and clarity
- Launch fundraising tools with lower upfront cost while still checking country, payout, payment, and activity-specific limitations
How It Fits
- Learning curve
- Zeffy is generally approachable for small teams, but organizations still need to configure forms, events, donor records, receipts, exports, and donor contribution settings carefully.
- Setup timeShort to moderate
- Basic donation pages can be quick, while events, raffles, auctions, peer-to-peer campaigns, compliance checks, and donor data workflows need additional setup and testing.
- Organization sizeSmall to growing nonprofits
- A practical fit for organizations seeking low-cost fundraising tools, especially when they can accept and explain the donor contribution model clearly.
- Technical skillLow to moderate
- Most use is non-technical, but website embeds, event setup, exports, integrations, receipts, compliance, and donor data cleanup require operational ownership.
Before You Sign Up
Cost and access
Zeffy is nonprofit-focused and promotes no-platform-fee fundraising tools, but this should not be treated as a traditional discount. Review the current donor contribution model, payment handling, country availability, feature access, and any activity-specific limitations directly on Zeffy before launching campaigns.
Eligibility and availability
Zeffy availability and fit can depend on country, currency, nonprofit type, payment setup, fundraising activity, event rules, raffle/auction restrictions, and compliance requirements. Confirm whether your organization and planned campaign types are supported before relying on Zeffy.
Check before you apply
- Confirm the current no-platform-fee model, optional donor contribution prompt, payout rules, payment handling, and any feature limits directly on Zeffy
- Verify country, currency, nonprofit eligibility, bank payout, and supported payment options for your organization
- Check whether your planned activities — events, raffles, auctions, peer-to-peer campaigns, or ticketing — are supported and compliant in your location
- Test the donor checkout experience, optional contribution language, receipts, mobile flow, exports, and reporting before promotion
- Decide whether Zeffy donor management is enough or whether your organization needs a separate CRM as fundraising grows