JustGiving

Overview

JustGiving is a fundraising platform for charities and individual supporters raising money for causes. It is best suited to charities that want supporter-led fundraising alongside campaign pages and direct donation forms. Its mix of tools is compelling, but standard transaction and Gift Aid fees need to fit the way you collect donations.

Key features

Supporters can personalise fundraising pages with their own stories and share them using built-in tools. That gives charities a route to individual fundraising without requiring every appeal to start from a central campaign page. Charities can also create branded hubs that bring donations and connected fundraising pages together for an event, appeal, project or campaign.

Giving Checkout provides customisable direct donation forms. Direct donations through Checkout carry no processing or platform fees, but UK Gift Aid processing costs 5%. It is particularly useful when a charity can direct donors to those forms; standard donations remain subject to processing charges, so the distinction matters when comparing likely fundraising routes.

Reporting lets teams save up to eight report templates, export selected data and collect donor opt-in information. The template cap should be sufficient for teams with a few recurring reporting needs, but may constrain those that rely on a broader library of saved reports. Integrations include Strava, Eventbrite, ACTIVE Works, Blackbaud products, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Salesforce-related options, giving charities with those systems relevant ways to connect fundraising activity.

JustGiving says 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 payments can be made with cards and wallets.

Pricing

JustGiving uses a freemium model. Start is free, with no monthly subscription fee, and includes fundraising and campaign pages, Giving Checkout reports, donation widgets, Strava integration, and online and email support. It is aimed at charities new to the platform, but standard payment processing fees and a 5% Gift Aid reclaim fee apply. The standard processing fee is 1.9% + £0.30; donations in another currency are charged 2.90% + £0.30. Fee-free direct Giving Checkout donations are the exception, while UK Gift Aid processing through Checkout still carries a 5% fee.

Grow costs £15/month (+vat) if annual fundraising is up to £15,000 including Gift Aid, rising to £39/month (+vat) above that threshold. There is no annual commitment. It adds reporting and supporter se… to Start's standard processing fees and optional 5% Gift Aid reclaim fee. Grow suits charities that need its additional tools and can justify a subscription; charities with modest needs can start free, but still pay standard transaction charges. Giving Checkout also offers 24/7 assistance to anyone on the charity team, while Start includes online and email support.

Platforms

JustGiving is available on Android, iOS and the web, with an API for integrations. Its campaign services are open to registered charities and nonprofits in the UK, United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Who it's for

JustGiving makes the most sense for eligible charities that need both supporter-run fundraising and a branded home for campaigns, or that can use direct Giving Checkout forms to collect donations. The reporting, donor opt-in collection and named integrations are relevant to teams managing ongoing campaigns and connected systems. It is a less clear fit for organisations that need only a basic donation route and cannot make use of the broader campaign tools, particularly if standard processing fees will apply to most gifts.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Supporter pages and charity campaign hubs cover individual fundraising as well as coordinated appeals, events and projects.
• Pro: Direct Giving Checkout donations avoid processing and platform fees, which can make that route attractive for charities able to steer donors to it.
• Pro: Reporting, donor opt-in collection and integrations with services such as Strava and Salesforce-related products support charities with established workflows.
• Con: Standard payment processing fees still apply to donations outside the fee-free Checkout route, and Gift Aid processing carries a 5% fee.
• Con: Reporting templates are capped at eight, limiting how many saved report formats a team can maintain.
• Con: Grow's monthly charge increases from £15/month (+vat) to £39/month (+vat) once annual fundraising including Gift Aid exceeds £15,000.

Alternatives

For a broader shortlist, see Nonprofit Crowdfunding Software. Ketto is another freemium option, with a free Bronze plan that includes automated story creation and an Android/iOS app, but carries a 3% payment gateway fee and 18% GST on its success fee and payment g…; it may suit fundraisers looking for those app-based tools. LaunchGood has a free fundraising plan with no platform fee, though card processing is 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction and donors can optionally tip, making it an alternative for those prioritising no platform charge.

AdoptAClassroom.org offers free registration for eligible U.S. educators, with donations provided as online credit for marketplace or Teacher Choice purchases. Milaap offers a free fundraiser with zero platform fees, actual payment processing charges and voluntary tipping. DonorsChoose is free for teachers to post projects; classroom project requests have a $100 minimum and may remain posted for up to four months.

FundRazr offers a no-platform-fee option with 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing, with 95% of donors covering fees. WhyDonate has no platform fee, sign-up fee or monthly cost, but payment processing fees apply and recurring donations incur a 3% platform fee from the second payment. GoFundMe Pro is another freemium alternative; its Essentials plan is designed for nonprofits with annual revenue under $1 million and has no subscription fee or setup costs.

Verdict

Choose JustGiving if your charity wants supporter fundraising pages and coordinated campaign hubs in one platform, especially if direct Giving Checkout donations suit your collection strategy. Its main appeal is the range of fundraising routes and reporting tools; look elsewhere if standard transaction and Gift Aid fees outweigh the value of those capabilities for your organisation.