Getting started with GiveButter for fundraising
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GiveButter is one of several nonprofit fundraising platforms available to news organizations exploring reader revenue models. GiveButter offers basic fundraising tools at no monthly cost, though it relies on donor tips or processing fees for revenue.
The platform and service enables newsrooms to build out standard nonprofit fundraising features including campaign pages, donation forms, and event ticketing. News organizations considering GiveButter should weigh its free tier against the platform’s limitations and fee structure.
Here’s how to get GiveButter running in your newsroom, get the most out of the free tier, as well as important notes about limitations.
Step 1: Sign up and pricing
The first step is to create an account at givebutter.com.
Make sure that you have this required information:
- First and last name
- Work email address
- Nonprofit name or EIN (Employer Identification Number)
- Password
- Fundraising goal
- Current donation collection methods
- Organization contact count
- Existing donor management tools
Privacy tip: Use a dedicated work email for organizational account management and security purposes.
Cost structure:
- Basic tier: No monthly fees; platform requests optional tips from donors
- Without tips: 3% processing fee on donations, plus standard processing fees (2.9% + 30¢ for cards, 1.9% + 30¢ for ACH).
- Plus tier: $29.99/month (with a year’s subscription) for organizations with up to 250 contacts up to $129/month for outfits with up to 2,500 employees.
- Enterprise tiers: Variable pricing for larger contact databases
Note: The “free” model depends on donors agreeing to add tips. Organizations uncomfortable with this model should factor in the 3% processing fee.
Step 2: Set up your fundraiser
After email verification, select from three campaign types. This is important, because it sets the format for how a newsroom will manage a fundraiser.
Available formats:
- Donation form: Basic donation collection, embeddable on websites
- Fundraising page: Includes storytelling elements, video hosting, and progress tracking
- Event: Ticketing and registration for physical or virtual events
Setup requirements:
- Campaign title
- Fundraising goal
- Description
- Visual branding
- SEO metadata
- Payment verification requirements
- Automated thank you messages
- Fee structure selection
Pro tip: GiveButter provides a comparison chart outlining what features each campaign offers.
How each campaign type differs:
- Donation form: For collecting one-time or recurring donations and can be embedded on a website.
- Fundraising page: For highlighting a story or garnering public interest in a cause, like an annual drive. Allows for video, matching gifts, and tracking donations in real-time.
- Event: For in-person, hybrid, or virtual events that require tickets, like an exhibition match or gala. Enables ticket bundles, collecting donations, and sending invitations.
Step 3: Configure engagement tools
The platform includes basic email tools in the free tier. Some of these options include:
- Fundraising updates
- Progress notifications
- Donor communications
Paid features (Plus tier and above):
- SMS messaging
- Direct mail integration
- Phone number management
Newsrooms should assess whether free email tools meet their needs or if paid features justify the monthly cost. In general, it’s advised to take note of what features you’ll actually need to start a successful fundraiser, rather than paying for the full software stack and not using every feature.
For example, a newsroom might start a fundraiser and find that SMS messaging is important for the last leg of fundraising. In this case, it would be worth investing in the premium tier.
Step 4: Processing payouts
This section is especially important for avoiding paint points later on in the fundraising process. For example, it’s highly advisable to create a personal PayPal wallet and to link that to the GiveButter platform. If you use the GiveButter managed wallet, it will be difficult to extract transaction data if your organization leaves the platform.
The “Finance” tab manages:
- Current balance
- Payout history
- Bank account connections
Important: Bank account information should be added first before requesting payouts.
Is GiveButter right for your newsroom?
Choose GiveButter if you:
- are a news organization using nonprofit actions to build community, engagement, or public awareness.
- want to start and manage fundraisers while also being able to interface with other crowdfunding platforms. Cost-wise, it’s also affordable (free to use, while payments can have a 3% processing fee).
Consider alternatives if you need:
- advanced analytics (on the free tier)
- completely fee-free processing of donations
- journalism-specific features or templates
- personal or emergency fundraisers (e.g., medical expenses) — platforms like GoFundMe would be better suited
- data to be extracted quickly (GIveButter can take a while)
- complete ownership over your PayPal wallet rather than a managed solution initially offered by setting up with GiveButter. This is especially important if you plan on migrating platforms in the future.
Pro tips and known issues
- You can create a fundraiser using GiveButter’s Android and iOS apps following the same steps listed above.
- QR codes can be generated automatically for offline-to-online conversions
- Extracting data can take a while compared to other platforms, like FundraiseUp.
- If you disable automatic “tipping” to cover payment processing fees, GiveButter adds a 1%-5% transaction fee, although it says the Donation Form fee is 1%.
Alternatives
- FundraiseUp: The first fundraising platform to turn donations into a checkout system, thus improving sales conversion. Also quickly exports data for analysis.
- GiveWP: Excellent integration into WordPress-built news sites (exists as a WP plugin). Uses a campaign-based fundraising format.
- DonorBox: Used by a few well-known nonprofits, such as the Humane Society. Includes powerful CRM, on-location, and AI tools for analyzing growth vs. impact.
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