You shouldn’t must lose management of your donor information and depend on a third-party platform simply to create a fundraising marketing campaign.
However that’s precisely what occurs once you hit ‘launch’ on GoFundMe.
Fortunately, there are many GoFundMe options on the market. Some allow you to keep 100% management over your donor relationships, others supply a extra skilled expertise, and plenty of present options that GoFundMe merely doesn’t have.
With that in thoughts, I’ve spent the previous couple of months testing every thing from easy donation plugins to full-featured crowdfunding platforms.
I even spoke with fundraisers who’ve efficiently used exterior platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo to assist me perceive once they’re the most suitable choice.
Now, I’m utilizing all that hands-on expertise to deliver you the definitive information to the most effective GoFundMe options. Listed below are the highest WordPress plugins, exterior platforms, and kind builders that you should utilize when GoFundMe simply doesn’t reduce it.
Fast Overview of the Finest GoFundMe Alternate options
If you happen to’re in a rush, right here’s my fast choose of the most effective donation plugins and platforms:
Why Not Use GoFundMe?
When that you must elevate cash on-line, GoFundMe is usually the primary title that pops into folks’s minds. It’s actually standard, however counting on it may possibly include hidden prices and disadvantages.
Listed below are the principle explanation why I like to recommend on the lookout for a GoFundMe different, and particularly accepting donations via your personal web site:
You keep away from the “voluntary tip” mannequin: GoFundMe eliminated its core platform price, however it now asks your donors for a voluntary tip to help the platform. This may be complicated or distracting to your supporters and should cut back the quantity they intend to provide to your trigger. Once you use a WordPress plugin, you solely pay the usual cost processor price (from Stripe or PayPal) with out asking donors for an additional platform contribution.
You personal your supporter record: This one is large. Once you use a plugin by yourself website, you may have full entry to your donor data. This implies you’ll be able to construct your personal electronic mail record, ship personalised updates, and construct actual relationships that final lengthy after the marketing campaign is over.
You get an expert, branded Look: As a substitute of a regular GoFundMe web page that appears like everybody else’s, you’ll be able to create a donation web page that completely matches your web site’s appear and feel. This builds belief and makes your challenge look rather more skilled.
You unlock highly effective fundraising instruments: Many plugins and platforms include options that GoFundMe doesn’t supply. I’ve seen folks use a GoFundMe different to arrange recurring month-to-month donations, create workforce fundraising pages, and even monitor offline donations like money or checks.
You’re in full management: Your fundraising web page lives in your web site. You don’t have to fret a few platform altering its guidelines or shutting down your web page. It’s your marketing campaign, in your phrases.
Selecting the best device all the time is determined by your particular wants. However shifting away from a one-size-fits-all platform like GoFundMe provides you the liberty and energy to construct a thriving neighborhood round your trigger.
How I Check and Overview Donation Platforms / Plugins
Once I advocate any device or WordPress plugin, I make certain all my recommendation comes from real-world expertise. I’ve seen firsthand how the fitting device makes all of the distinction, and the way the incorrect one could cause actual issues.
I bear in mind testing crowdfunding platforms that appeared good however failed once I tried to do one thing easy, like obtain an inventory of donor electronic mail addresses.
That’s why I developed a radical, hands-on testing course of. I put each single device via a sequence of real-world situations so I can inform you what it’s actually like to make use of it.
Right here’s a peek at my testing guidelines:
I examine for compatibility: A fundraising device should work nicely together with your different plugins and your WordPress theme. I additionally check the way it integrates with standard electronic mail advertising companies and different important instruments you might be utilizing in your website.
I arrange an actual marketing campaign: I don’t simply have a look at screenshots. I construct an precise donation kind from scratch and check your entire expertise from the supporter’s standpoint. I wish to know precisely what your donors will see.
I check the donor information: It is a big one for me. Are you able to really export your supporters’ data simply? I examine to see how full that information is, and whether or not it’s a format you’ll be able to really use to your electronic mail record or information.
I contact buyer help: I’ll attain out to the help workforce with a couple of frequent questions that I do know our readers may have. I then time how lengthy it takes for them to reply, and the way useful these responses really are.
Why Belief WPBeginner?
Right here at WPBeginner, we’ve been serving to folks with their WordPress web sites for over 15 years. We’ve guided thousands and thousands of individuals via selecting the best instruments for his or her web sites and on-line companies.
Past that, we’ve personally gained hands-on expertise on the planet of fundraising and nonprofit operations by way of our Balkhi Basis, together with constructing colleges and offering scholarships. This background provides us a novel perspective on which donation instruments actually ship.
Our promise to you is straightforward: we solely advocate merchandise that we might confidently use on our personal initiatives. You possibly can learn extra about this course of in our editorial pointers.
Now, let’s check out my prime picks for all types of nonprofits and fundraising campaigns.
1. Charitable – Finest GoFundMe Various for Customized Donation Campaigns
Charitable is a WordPress plugin that makes a speciality of supplying you with full management over your donation campaigns and kinds.
Whereas many plugins supply a primary ‘Donate Now’ button, Charitable stands out by letting you construct enticing, customizable donation pages that completely match your web site’s model.
💡 Need to dive deeper? Learn our hands-on Charitable overview now to see precisely how this donation plugin works.
My Expertise
Once I examined Charitable, I discovered the setup course of was fairly simple. Connecting it to my PayPal and Stripe accounts was easy, and I used to be prepared to just accept on-line funds in just some minutes.
The function I used to be most excited to check was the power to create several types of fundraising campaigns.
I shortly arrange a ‘purpose marketing campaign’ with a donor leaderboard and a devoted web page showcasing supporters.
The marketing campaign kinds themselves are extremely customizable, so I had no issues adjusting fields and colours to match my theme completely. That is implausible for constructing donor belief.
I might additionally simply add a fundraising thermometer to indicate potential supporters how shut I used to be to reaching my fundraising objectives.
One other function that actually stood out to me was the great donor administration portal.
After my assessments, I might see easy, clear stories displaying precisely how a lot cash got here in.
Plus, the plugin gives superior options like monitoring ‘offline donations’ proper within the dashboard, guaranteeing my marketing campaign progress bar stayed correct. It is a big time-saver.
Not like GoFundMe, Charitable provides you full possession of your donor information and gives a transparent, tip-free donation expertise. This makes it a significantly better long-term resolution for severe fundraising.
Total, I discovered Charitable to be a strong alternative for organizations that want management over their donation course of and need superior instruments to have interaction donors, like leaderboards and branded marketing campaign pages.
Why I Advocate Charitable: The plugin helps you to create stunning, extremely custom-made donation kinds and pages, which is a big benefit for skilled branding. Plus, it consists of highly effective superior options like donor leaderboards and the power to seamlessly handle each on-line and offline contributions in a single place.
2. WP Easy Pay – Finest for Easy Recurring Donations
WP Easy Pay focuses on doing one factor rather well: letting you settle for donations via Stripe proper in your WordPress weblog or web site.
It’s constructed for individuals who want simple fundraising with out the complexity of a full crowdfunding platform.
WP Easy Pay is superior to GoFundMe for long-term initiatives as a result of it focuses on producing regular, recurring month-to-month help – a function GoFundMe doesn’t natively help.
My Expertise
Throughout testing, the very first thing that struck me was how simple it was to get going. The setup wizard helped me join my website to Stripe and create a reside subscription kind in lower than 5 minutes.
I wished to see how WP Easy Pay dealt with recurring month-to-month donations, since it is a function lots of our readers want.
In comparison with different platforms, WP Easy Pay makes this course of very simple.
I notably favored the ‘customized quantity’ function, because it lets your supporters select their very own contribution degree. It’s a small contact that makes an enormous distinction.
After including a kind to my website, I discovered the cost course of was utterly seamless. WP Easy Pay consists of Apple Pay and Google Pay choices, which makes it simpler for folks to donate on their cellphones.
It’s necessary to know that WP Easy Pay isn’t designed for complicated campaigns. You received’t discover options like fundraising purpose thermometers or supporter reward ranges.
However truthfully, for organizations that simply wish to arrange a stream of regular, month-to-month help, this plugin’s simplicity is a big bonus. There’s nothing further to get in your manner.
Why I Advocate WP Easy Pay: This plugin makes organising recurring donations easy and inexpensive. You additionally keep away from the voluntary tip mannequin utilized by platforms like GoFundMe, so you’ll be able to maintain extra of your cash by limiting charges to solely the usual cost processor price.
⭐ Contemplating utilizing the WP Easy Pay plugin? Discover out if it’s the fitting match by exploring our in-depth WP Easy Play overview.
3. WPForms – Finest for Information-Pushed Donation Types
WPForms is a robust kind builder plugin for WordPress that’s implausible for fundraising, particularly once you wish to do extra than simply gather cash.
It’s good for conditions the place you wish to collect detailed data to essentially perceive and join together with your supporters.
💡 Get the complete scoop! I put this plugin to the final word check in our hands-on WPForms overview.
My Expertise
The very first thing I seen is how simple it’s to create a kind utilizing WPForms’ drag-and-drop builder.
It felt actually intuitive, and so they have a number of pre-built donation templates, so that you don’t have to start out from scratch.
However my favourite function is the Conditional Logic.
This sounds a bit technical, however it’s really easy and extremely highly effective.
For my marketing campaign, I arrange a kind asking donors which challenge they wished to fund: ‘Pressing Medical Provides’ or the ‘Group Rebuilding Fund’.
If a donor selected ‘Group Rebuilding Fund’, then I confirmed them a brand new area asking in the event that they’re taken with volunteering for a clean-up day. It’s an incredible approach to construct a neighborhood round your trigger, and never simply gather cash.
In my expertise, this degree of sensible, data-driven donor segmentation is just unimaginable with a primary GoFundMe web page.
After that, I related the shape to my electronic mail advertising service. Based mostly on their solutions, I added every supporter to certainly one of three totally different electronic mail lists so they may obtain focused updates. This function alone saved me hours of tedious guide work.
After all, WPForms handles the cash facet of issues completely, too. WPForms connects on to your PayPal or Stripe account, so you’ll be able to keep away from any tip requests or extra charges.
After testing WPForms, I noticed how this device might rework your fundraising. It’s the mixture of direct funds and sensible donor engagement that makes WPForms such a robust GoFundMe different.
Why I Advocate WPForms: This plugin is rather more than a easy donation button; it combines funds with highly effective instruments for gathering donor data. With WPForms, you’ll be able to perceive your supporters higher and construct stronger long-term relationships via smarter communication.
4. GiveWP – Finest WordPress Plugin for Complete Donation Administration
GiveWP is a devoted fundraising plugin that’s constructed particularly for non-profits.
Not like a general-purpose kind builder, each function in GiveWP is designed that will help you handle and develop your crowdfunding campaigns. This deep focus makes it a much more highly effective {and professional} resolution than GoFundMe for any severe nonprofit.
My Expertise
For this check, I wished to create the type of marketing campaign you’d usually see on GoFundMe.
I used GiveWP’s visible kind builder to set a donation purpose, add a number of recommended giving quantities, and show a progress bar. The complete course of felt intuitive and gave me way more management over the appear and feel than a regular GoFundMe web page.
However the function that actually exhibits why GiveWP is such an awesome different is its ‘donor administration.’
After working a couple of check donations, I checked the donor historical past part. GiveWP had created a whole profile for every supporter, displaying me each single donation they’d made and their complete lifetime giving. In contrast, GoFundMe solely gives easy transaction lists.
GiveWP’s reporting instruments have been simply as highly effective. I might simply monitor donation developments and see which campaigns have been performing the most effective.
This sort of perception helps you make selections primarily based on actual information, not simply guesswork. It transforms fundraising from a one-off occasion right into a long-term technique, serving to you construct lasting relationships with the individuals who help your trigger.
Why I Advocate GiveWP: This plugin gives professional-level donor administration instruments, supplying you with full possession of your information in a manner that GoFundMe doesn’t. The detailed monitoring and reporting show you how to perceive your donors higher, which is vital to constructing robust, long-term relationships past a single marketing campaign.
5. Formidable Types – Finest WordPress Plugin for Complicated Multi-Step Donation Campaigns
Formidable Types is a really superior kind builder, and it’s an awesome GoFundMe different when you want one thing extra complicated than a easy ‘donate now’ button.
It’s designed for creating utterly customized, multi-step donation experiences proper inside WordPress. Whereas GoFundMe gives one single, static donation kind, Formidable Types helps you to create a dynamic, multi-page funnel.
My Expertise
I’ll be upfront: Formidable Types has extra of a studying curve than a few of the less complicated plugins. As a result of it’s so highly effective, it took me a short while to get acquainted with all of the choices, however its drag-and-drop builder helped quite a bit.
I wished to check one thing that may be unimaginable to realize on a platform like GoFundMe, so I made a decision to create a guided, multi-page donation course of.
The primary function I cherished was the ‘Progress Bar’. As I clicked via my check kind, Formidable Types displayed somewhat bar displaying precisely how shut I used to be to ending. It’s a small element, however it actually does assist to maintain folks engaged.
Nevertheless, the true energy lies in its conditional logic. Identical to WPForms, Formidable Types can present or cover totally different questions primarily based on the person’s solutions. This degree of customized interplay ensures you gather higher information in comparison with a static GoFundMe web page.
It made the entire course of really feel like a sensible, guided dialog somewhat than only a lengthy, static kind. Even once I created an in depth, three-page kind, the expertise felt easy and by no means overwhelming.
Why I Advocate Formidable Types: It’s good for when you may have very particular wants {that a} one-size-fits-all platform like GoFundMe can’t deal with. Plus, Formidable Types actually excels at creating multi-step, clever kinds that information your donors via the method easily.
6. Kickstarter – Finest GoFundMe Various for Inventive Tasks Needing Group Help
Kickstarter is a big title within the artistic world, and it’s a really totally different type of GoFundMe different.
It’s not for private fundraising, however somewhat a launchpad for ‘artistic initiatives’ like new merchandise, video games, and movies, connecting you with an viewers that’s able to again new concepts.
Not like GoFundMe, which is primarily for private causes and medical bills, Kickstarter is a project-based platform centered on delivering a particular artistic product.
My Expertise
To get an actual really feel for the way Kickstarter works, I spent a number of time speaking with creators who’ve run profitable campaigns. Their suggestions was extremely constant and actually highlighted the platform’s distinctive strengths.
The primary factor everybody talked about was the ability of the Kickstarter neighborhood. Not like asking for donations by yourself website, you’re placing your challenge in entrance of an viewers actively on the lookout for new and fascinating issues to help.
One other key level they introduced up was the ‘all-or-nothing’ funding mannequin.
It sounds scary, however customers instructed me it really helps quite a bit. This mannequin creates an actual sense of urgency that motivates folks to again the challenge. It additionally builds belief as a result of backers know they received’t be charged until the challenge is unquestionably going forward.
After all, there are some trade-offs.
You’re primarily ‘renting’ an viewers on another person’s platform. The charges are additionally greater than working campaigns by yourself nonprofit web site, and also you don’t have the identical degree of management.
Nevertheless, everybody I spoke with confirmed that gaining access to a built-in, enthusiastic neighborhood was well worth the trade-off.
In addition they cherished that Kickstarter handles all of the difficult technical stuff like cost processing and backer updates, to allow them to deal with their challenge as an alternative of working a WordPress web site.
Why I Advocate Kickstarter: This platform connects your artistic challenge with a large, engaged neighborhood that’s actively on the lookout for concepts to help. The ‘all-or-nothing’ mannequin and overview course of additionally give your challenge on the spot credibility and construct belief with potential backers.
In my view, Kickstarter is a significantly better alternative than GoFundMe for launching a product or artistic work as a result of specialised viewers and accountability system.
7. Indiegogo – Finest GoFundMe Various for Versatile Funding Choices
Indiegogo is one other main crowdfunding platform, and it’s an fascinating GoFundMe different because of the distinctive choices it gives.
Indiegogo is constructed for launching merchandise and inventive concepts, however with extra flexibility than most different platforms. This flexibility provides Indiegogo a bonus over each Kickstarter’s strict ‘all-or-nothing’ mannequin and GoFundMe’s easy donation format.
My Expertise
Identical to with Kickstarter, I wished to get the true story, so I chatted with a number of creators who’ve run profitable campaigns on Indiegogo.
The very first thing all of them introduced up was the flexibleness in funding. You get to decide on between ‘mounted funding’ and ‘versatile funding’. If you happen to go for versatile funding, then you’ll be able to maintain all the cash you elevate even when you don’t hit your purpose.
They instructed me this alternative was an enormous reduction, because it means initiatives can nonetheless transfer ahead with partial funding. However the function they have been most enthusiastic about was ‘InDemand’. They described it as a complete game-changer.
Principally, as soon as your fundamental marketing campaign is over, Indiegogo helps you to maintain taking orders and elevating funds seamlessly. The creators I spoke to stated this function alone made the platform charges price it, because it robotically dealt with all of the complicated components of post-campaign gross sales and saved momentum going.
Understand that, like different huge platforms, there’s a trade-off.
You’re paying charges and giving up some management in change for entry to Indiegogo’s big neighborhood. However the creators I spoke with all felt that Indiegogo’s international attain was a worthwhile trade-off, particularly because it’s one thing they couldn’t simply replicate on their very own web site.
Whereas GoFundMe is healthier for pressing private causes, Indiegogo is much superior for product launches that want continued post-campaign gross sales.
Why I Advocate Indiegogo: This platform gives versatile funding choices, so you’ll be able to select the mannequin that most closely fits your challenge’s wants. As well as, Indiegogo’s ‘InDemand’ function is a game-changer, because it helps you to proceed elevating funds and taking orders lengthy after your marketing campaign has ended.
For creators, that is significantly better than GoFundMe’s inflexible, one-time donation construction.
What Is the Finest GoFundMe Various?
After testing all these instruments, I’d usually advocate Charitable for many customers. You get full management over your fundraising whereas additionally proudly owning all of your donor data.
It’s implausible for non-profits and anybody who needs to create skilled, customized donation kinds proper on their very own WordPress website with out asking their donors for platform suggestions.
After all, it’s not the one nice choice.
In case your fundamental purpose is organising recurring month-to-month donations as shortly as potential, then WP Easy Pay is a superb alternative. And if that you must construct actually sensible, detailed kinds that change primarily based on a donor’s solutions, then WPForms is extremely highly effective.
Each of those allow you to construct by yourself website, supplying you with management and saving you cash by guaranteeing all funds go to your trigger.
If you happen to’re prepared to maneuver past the constraints of GoFundMe and begin constructing lasting relationships together with your supporters, I’d advocate beginning with Charitable. You possibly can check out the free model straight from WordPress.org to get a really feel for it.
When you see how highly effective it’s, you’ll be able to all the time improve to unlock its extra superior options.
FAQs About GoFundMe Alternate options
Switching from a platform like GoFundMe can really feel like an enormous step, and it’s regular to have a couple of questions earlier than you dive in. Right here at WPBeginner, we get questions from our readers on a regular basis about which instruments are finest and find out how to get began.
That will help you out, I’ve put collectively solutions to a few of the most typical questions I see. My purpose is to provide the confidence that you must choose the right GoFundMe different to your challenge.
What’s the principle benefit of utilizing a WordPress plugin as an alternative of GoFundMe?
The largest benefit is that you just personal and management 100% of your donor data.
When somebody donates on GoFundMe, their contact data primarily belongs to GoFundMe. I’ve discovered that is the most important frustration for individuals who use the platform. You possibly can’t simply obtain an inventory of your supporters to construct an actual relationship with them.
With a WordPress plugin, donor data is saved in your web site.
It is a big deal. It means you’ll be able to construct your personal electronic mail record, ship a customized thank-you word, and maintain your neighborhood up to date in your progress lengthy after the marketing campaign is over. You’re constructing an actual neighborhood for the long run, not simply amassing a one-time cost.
Can I gather recurring donations in WordPress?
Completely! That is really top-of-the-line causes to make use of a WordPress plugin to your fundraising.
Organising a base of regular, recurring help is a implausible manner to make sure your challenge or trigger has long-term stability.
From my testing, virtually all the highest donation plugins deal with this rather well. I used to be particularly impressed with WP Easy Pay if you wish to get a easy month-to-month donation kind up and working as quick as potential.
If you happen to want extra superior options, then WPForms is extremely highly effective and allows you to create recurring donation kinds with ease.
Do I would like technical expertise to arrange these GoFundMe options?
No! You positively don’t should be a developer to make use of these GoFundMe options.
I do know fundraising by yourself website can really feel intimidating in comparison with utilizing a platform like GoFundMe. Nevertheless, these instruments are all very beginner-friendly.
Many of the plugins on this information have wonderful drag-and-drop builders, so you’ll be able to simply click on and add the fields you wish to use. There’s no coding concerned in any respect.
Lots of them even have setup wizards that stroll you thru getting began, step-by-step.
Who’s GoFundMe’s greatest competitor?
GoFundMe has a number of main opponents, however the ‘greatest’ one relies upon completely in your objectives.
For big-scale artistic initiatives, platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo are robust rivals as a result of they supply entry to built-in communities of backers.
Nevertheless, I consider the most effective different isn’t one other platform. As a substitute, it’s utilizing a devoted WordPress plugin like Charitable by yourself web site.
Once you host campaigns in your website, you compete with GoFundMe by taking full management of your donor information, customizing your kinds, and avoiding the donor confusion brought on by voluntary suggestions.
Is there a greater choice than GoFundMe?
Sure, I strongly consider there’s a higher choice than GoFundMe, particularly you probably have a WordPress web site.
GoFundMe is ok for a fast, one-time marketing campaign, however it’s not the only option for constructing long-term help as a result of it retains your donor data and asks your supporters for a tip. A greater choice provides you full possession and management.
That’s why I all the time advocate utilizing a WordPress donation plugin like Charitable by yourself website, somewhat than an exterior service like GoFundMe.
Extra Sources for Fundraising
I hope this information has given you the boldness to take management of your fundraising.
Irrespective of whether or not you’re beginning your very first marketing campaign or making the transfer away from GoFundMe, it may possibly really feel like there’s quite a bit to study.
That will help you with the following steps, I’ve collected some important sources under. They’re filled with suggestions for enhancing your website and rising a passionate neighborhood round your trigger:
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