Top 15 Fundraising Platforms

Top 15 Fundraising Platforms Transforming Philanthropy and Innovation

Discover the leading names in fundraising, from crowdfunding platforms to nonprofit software providers. Explore the top 15 companies shaping the future of philanthropy and fundraising.

1. GoFundMe

• Founders: Brad Damphousse and Andrew Ballester
• Founded Year: 2010
• Headquarters: Redwood City, California, USA
• Awards Received: Various awards for social impact and innovation
• Product Categories: Crowdfunding for personal, medical, and charitable causes.
• Description: GoFundMe is a popular crowdfunding platform that helps individuals and organizations raise funds for a wide range of causes.
• Key Features:
  • Easy-to-use platform for creating fundraising campaigns
  • Social sharing tools to reach a broader audience
  • Payment processing and withdrawal options
  • Donation protection guarantees
  • Support for various currencies and payment methods

2. Kickstarter

• Founders: Perry Chen, Yancey Strickler, and Charles Adler
• Founded Year: 2009
• Headquarters: Brooklyn, New York, USA
• Awards Received: Webby Awards, Time’s Best Inventions
• Product Categories: Crowdfunding for creative projects, art, technology, and more.
• Description: Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform that specializes in creative projects and innovative ideas.
• Key Features:
  • All-or-nothing funding model
  • Backer rewards for project supporters
  • Project creators maintain ownership and creative control
  • High visibility for creative and artistic projects
  • Strong community engagement and feedback.

3. DonorsChoose

• Founders: Charles Best
• Founded Year: 2000
• Headquarters: New York, New York, USA
• Awards Received: Charity Navigator’s highest rating, Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies
• Product Categories: Crowdfunding for classroom projects and school supplies.
• Description: DonorsChoose connects teachers with donors to fund classroom projects and provide resources for students.
• Key Features:
  • Transparency, donors know exactly where their money goes
  • Support for public school teachers
  • Vast selection of classroom projects to fund
  • Tax-deductible donations
  • Personalized thank-you notes from teachers and students.

4. Indiegogo

• Founders: Danae Ringelmann, Slava Rubin, and Eric Schell
• Founded Year: 2008
• Headquarters: San Francisco, California, USA
• Awards Received: Various awards for innovation and entrepreneurship
• Product Categories: Crowdfunding for a wide range of projects and products.
• Description: Indiegogo is a global crowdfunding platform that supports creators, entrepreneurs, and innovators in bringing their ideas to life.
• Key Features:
  • Flexible funding options (all-or-nothing or keep-it-all)
  • Access to a network of backers and supporters
  • E-commerce integration for product launches
  • Crowdfunding for tech, creative, and social impact projects
  • Crowdfunding experts and resources for creators.

5. Crowdfunder

• Founders: Chance Barnett
• Founded Year: 2011
• Headquarters: Los Angeles, California, USA
• Awards Received: N/A
• Product Categories: Equity crowdfunding and investment opportunities.
• Description: Crowdfunder is a platform that connects startups and early-stage companies with investors looking for equity investment opportunities.
• Key Features:
  • Equity crowdfunding for startups and small businesses
  • Access to a network of accredited investors
  • Investment syndicates for collective funding
  • Tools for managing and tracking investments
  • Support for raising seed and growth capital.

6. Razoo

• Founders: Sebastian Traeger and Jared Witt
• Founded Year: 2006
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., USA
• Awards Received: N/A
• Product Categories: Crowdfunding for nonprofits, charities, and personal causes.
• Description: Razoo is a crowdfunding platform designed to support nonprofits, charities, and individuals in raising funds for various causes.
• Key Features:
  • Fundraising campaigns for nonprofit organizations
  • Peer-to-peer fundraising and social giving tools
  • Donation processing and tax receipting
  • Support for charitable events and challenges
  • Customizable fundraising pages.

7. Classy

• Founders: Pat Walsh, Scot Chisholm, and Marshall Peden
• Founded Year: 2011
• Headquarters: San Diego, California, USA
• Awards Received: Forbes Next Billion-Dollar Startup
• Product Categories: Fundraising and nonprofit management software.
• Description: Classy provides fundraising and nonprofit software to help organizations streamline their operations and engage supporters.
• Key Features:
  • Peer-to-peer fundraising and team campaigns
  • Event registration and ticketing
  • CRM integration and donor management
  • Reporting and analytics for nonprofits
  • Mobile-responsive and branded fundraising pages.

8. YouCaring (Now part of GoFundMe)

• Founders: Brock Ketcher and Naomi Ketcher
• Founded Year: 2011
• Headquarters: Redwood City, California, USA
• Awards Received: N/A
• Product Categories: Crowdfunding for personal, medical, and charitable causes.
• Description: YouCaring was a crowdfunding platform for personal and charitable causes, known for its compassionate community.
• Key Features:
  • Easy campaign creation for medical expenses and emergencies
  • Support for funeral and memorial fundraising
  • Transparent fee structure with no platform fees
  • Personalized customer support
  • Integration with the GoFundMe platform after acquisition.

9. Patreon

• Founders: Jack Conte and Sam Yam
• Founded Year: 2013
• Headquarters: San Francisco, California, USA
• Awards Received: Webby Awards, Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies
• Product Categories: Membership-based crowdfunding for creators.
• Description: Patreon is a platform that allows creators to receive recurring payments from their fans and supporters, enabling them to sustain their creative work.
• Key Features:
  • Tiered membership levels with rewards for patrons
  • Recurring monthly income for creators
  • Integration with various content creation tools
  • Creator support and resources
  • Diverse range of content, from artists to podcasters.

10. Fundly

• Founders: N/A
• Founded Year: 2009
• Headquarters: Palo Alto, California, USA
• Awards Received: N/A
• Product Categories: Crowdfunding for individuals, nonprofits, and charities.
• Description: Fundly is a crowdfunding platform that caters to a broad range of fundraising needs, from personal campaigns to nonprofit initiatives.
• Key Features:
  • Crowdfunding for personal, medical, and charitable causes
  • Social sharing and campaign promotion tools
  • Mobile-friendly fundraising pages
  • Integration with social media and email marketing
  • Event fundraising support.

11. Seedrs

• Founders: Jeff Lynn and Carlos Silva
• Founded Year: 2009
• Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
• Awards Received: N/A
• Product Categories: Equity crowdfunding and investment platform.
• Description: Seedrs is a European equity crowdfunding platform that connects investors with early-stage businesses seeking investment.
• Key Features:
  • Investment opportunities in startups and growth companies
  • Access to a community of investors
  • AutoInvest and secondary market options
  • Portfolio tracking and management tools
  • Seedrs campaigns have raised millions for startups.

12. Funding Circle

• Founders: Samir Desai, James Meekings, and Andrew Mullinger
• Founded Year: 2010
• Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
• Awards Received: Various industry awards
• Product Categories: Peer-to-peer lending and small business loans.
• Description: Funding Circle is a lending platform that connects small businesses with investors looking to provide loans.
• Key Features:
  • Business loans for a variety of purposes
  • Diverse range of investors, including institutions and individuals
  • Quick loan application and approval process
  • Loan marketplace with competitive rates
  • Strong focus on supporting small businesses.

13. Kiva

• Founders: Premal Shah and Matt Flannery
• Founded Year: 2005
• Headquarters: San Francisco, California, USA
• Awards Received: Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies
• Product Categories: Microfinance and person-to-person lending.
• Description: Kiva is a nonprofit organization that facilitates microloans from lenders to entrepreneurs in developing countries.
• Key Features:
  • Crowdfunding for small loans to support entrepreneurs
  • Empowers individuals in low-income regions
  • High repayment rates and positive social impact
  • Transparent lending model
  • Diverse set of borrowers and partner organizations.

14. Network for Good

• Founders: Bill Strathmann and David Smith
• Founded Year: 2001
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., USA
• Awards Received: Tech for Good Awards, GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency
• Product Categories: Fundraising and donor management software for nonprofits.
• Description: Network for Good provides fundraising and donor management tools for nonprofits, helping them increase donations and manage relationships with supporters.
• Key Features:
  • Online donation processing and fundraising pages
  • Donor management and CRM integration
  • Email marketing and communication tools
  • Peer-to-peer fundraising capabilities
  • Data analytics and reporting for nonprofits.

15. DonorPerfect

• Founders: N/A
• Founded Year: 1985
• Headquarters: Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, USA
• Awards Received: N/A
• Product Categories: Donor management and fundraising software.
• Description: DonorPerfect offers donor management and fundraising software for nonprofit organizations, streamlining their fundraising efforts and supporter relationships.
• Key Features:
  • Donor database management and tracking
  • Online fundraising and event registration
  • Grant management and reporting
  • Integration with various nonprofit tools
  • Customizable and scalable for organizations of all sizes.