Free Fundraising Tools for Nonprofits — Zeffy, Google Ad Grants, Mailchimp

The shortcut: Most small orgs leak 3–8% of every donation to processing fees and pay $30–$200/month for tools that have nonprofit free tiers. Switch to the stack below and that money goes back to programs.

Zeffy — 0% donation processing (yes, really)

Zeffy charges donors an optional tip that funds the platform. The nonprofit pays nothing — not even Stripe fees. They process donations, ticketed events, peer-to-peer campaigns, memberships, and recurring giving.

Compare to the alternatives:

Platform	Fee on $100 gift
Zeffy	$0 (optional donor tip)
PayPal Giving Fund	~$0 but slower payouts, eligibility checks
Donorbox	$1.50 + Stripe (2.2% + 30¢) = ~$4.00
Givebutter	Stripe + optional tip = ~$2.50–$5.00
Classy / Bloomerang Giving	3–5% platform fee + Stripe = ~$5–$8

Numbers approximate — check current pricing on each platform.

Setup checklist

Sign up at zeffy.com — needs your EIN and 501(c)(3) determination letter.
Connect your bank account for direct deposit.
Build a donation form. Embed it on your website or share the hosted link.
Turn on tax receipts (Zeffy issues them automatically).
Test with a $1 donation to yourself before launching.

Google Ad Grants — $10,000/month in free search ads

Google gives qualifying 501(c)(3)s up to $10,000/month in Google Ads spend. Used well, this drives donors, volunteers, event signups, and program participants for free.

Eligibility

Active 501(c)(3) determination from the IRS
Registered with TechSoup — they do the validation
Not a hospital, healthcare org, school, or government entity (those have separate programs)
Functional website at your own domain (no Wix/Squarespace subdomains)

Apply in 6 steps

Get a TechSoup validation token (free, takes 2–14 days).
Apply for Google for Nonprofits.
Once approved, enroll in Google Ad Grants from the same dashboard.
Set up a Google Ads account (do not use your personal one).
Build at least 2 campaigns, 2 ad groups per campaign, 2 ads per group, 5+ sitelinks. Google requires this structure.
Submit for activation. Approval typically takes 2–3 days.

Compliance rules that get accounts suspended

Maintain a 5%+ click-through rate (CTR) every month. Pause low-CTR keywords.
No single-word keywords. No overly broad terms.
Geographic targeting required.
Bids capped at $2/click (use Maximize Conversions to bypass).
Account login required at least every 90 days.

Mailchimp — 15% nonprofit discount + free tier

Mailchimp's free tier covers up to 500 contacts and 1,000 sends/month. The 15% nonprofit discount applies to paid plans once you grow. For most small orgs, the free tier is enough for a year+.

Apply for the discount: mailchimp.com/help/about-mailchimp-discounts

Alternatives: Buttondown (no nonprofit tier but $9/mo flat for 1K subs), MailerLite (free up to 1K), Brevo (formerly Sendinblue, generous free tier).

Facebook Fundraisers — free, with a major caveat

Meta lets users create fundraisers benefitting your org. Funds disburse via PayPal Giving Fund. Pros: zero fees, supporters do the asking. Cons: payout can take 60+ days, donor data is anonymized, you have to enroll first.

Enroll: facebook.com/fundraisers/signup

Reality check: Facebook fundraising volume has dropped sharply since 2022. Useful as a passive channel, not a strategy.

Year-end appeal — the template

~30% of annual giving happens in December, and ~10% on December 31 alone. Don't wing your year-end letter. Use this structure:

Subject: One last thing before the year ends Dear [First name], [ONE PERSON'S STORY — 3-5 sentences. Specific. Named (with permission) or pseudonymous. Show, don't tell. The reader should picture this person.] That's what your gift made possible this year. In [year], because of supporters like you, we [ONE concrete number — "served 412 meals," "placed 18 families," "trained 96 volunteers"]. Not a goal. An actual accomplishment. Heading into [next year], we have [ONE clear, named opportunity or challenge]. To meet it, we need to raise [specific amount] by December 31. Will you give [suggested amount based on their giving history] today? [BUTTON: Give Now] Whatever you can give — $25, $100, $1,000 — goes directly to [program]. Every gift is tax-deductible. We'll send your receipt within 24 hours. Thank you for being part of this work. [Executive Director name] [Title] P.S. If you've already given this year, thank you. None of this happens without you.

Send schedule that works

Soft launch email: first week of November (acknowledge new fiscal year, set context)
Main appeal: Tuesday after Thanksgiving (after Giving Tuesday noise)
Mid-December reminder: only to non-openers from main appeal
Dec 28: "3 days left" to all non-donors
Dec 31: morning send + late evening send to non-donors

More tools worth knowing

Canva for Nonprofits — free Canva Pro, including premium templates and brand kit. Apply with TechSoup validation.
Givebutter — full-featured fundraising platform with peer-to-peer, events, and CRM. Donor-paid tip model like Zeffy.
Bloomerang — donor management CRM. Not free, but priced for small orgs ($99/mo for <1K constituents).
Network for Good — combined CRM + donation tools, geared to under-resourced orgs.
Classy — the heavyweight option. Worth it once you cross ~$500K in online revenue.

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