There are hundreds of crowdfunding options on the Internet! Learn how to compare your options and discover the right crowdfunding solution for your project.
GlobalGiving is the oldest and largest crowdfunding community for nonprofits, companies, and donors, and we’ve learned a lot in our 16+ years as a crowdfunding expert. We recommend comparing five key areas before you commit to a crowdfunding option: structure, fees, features, reach, and reputation. You can learn more about each area below:
Who does the platform serve?
Read the platform’s mission statement and scroll through existing projects to learn about its structure and whom it serves. Here at GlobalGiving, we consider ourselves a partner, not just a platform. We are a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit with a mission to help other nonprofits grow and become more effective. That means donations made through our platform are tax-deductible.
What fees will you incur?
Some platforms charge set-up fees, ongoing subscription fees, and/or fees per transaction. Be wary of platforms that are not upfront about their fees. There’s no fee to join GlobalGiving. Instead, GlobalGiving retains a 5-12% nonprofit support fee plus a 3% third party processing fee for each donation. GlobalGiving works hard to keep our costs low! Although our support fee may vary due to a number of factors, it is typically 5-7%. This covers our vetting costs and enables us to deliver even more money (and many other benefits) to our partners. Because we drive money back to our partners in the form of new donors, matching funds, and corporate partnerships, the net cost to most of our nonprofit partners is actually zero!
What benefits and features will you get?
Make a list of features that matter most to you and find out whether you’ll get them. Did you know: GlobalGiving offers unique crowdfunding tools? A few ‘extras’ include gift cards, promotional opportunities, peer-to-peer fundraising tools, specialized training, one-on-one fundraising support, matching campaigns, and disaster response services.
Will the platform promote your project?
Consider what kind of donors and corporate partners you may be able to connect with through the platform, and look to social media for clues about if and how the platform will promote your project. Since 2002, GlobalGiving has raised $300+ million for 18,000+ projects in 170+ countries! We promote projects tirelessly and partner with 170+ companies, including Nike, Ford, and Microsoft, and 726,000+ individual donors, to fund local solutions to global problems.
What do people say about the platform?
Ask existing users about their experience, and read reviews from independent and trusted sources. Charity Navigator gives GlobalGiving four-stars, its highest rating. We are also accredited by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance.
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