10 Questions to Ask

Best tips for evaluating a fundraising platform

How will this platform grow with our organization into the future?

Of course, you have fundraising and donor management needs today, and perhaps you are looking for a new tool because you need one specific thing. Your GiveSmart contract cost is the same whether you use one feature or all of the dozens we offer.

So today, text-to-donate or digital wallet payments are at the top of your priority list. Is adding a peer-to-peer event a part of your five-year plans? Maybe your gala has never had an auction component, but that doesn’t mean it never will.

If you choose a platform that doesn’t offer something you don’t need yet, you are unnecessarily limiting yourself. Your mission has a future. Choose a partner that does more to get you there.

Schedule your demo of GiveSmart today!

Are there transaction fees? A fee scale? Additional monthly charges?

Some vendors have complicated, surprise, sliding fee structures. Many vendors charge your organization more every time you:

Don’t raise money during a given month
Raise too much in a given month
Add a user to the system
Create a new campaign
Use a new (to you) feature
Receive a donation over a certain dollar amount
Accept digital wallet payments such as Apple Pay or
Google Pay
Need an integration
Sell a ticket

Some vendors may charge separate, unadvertised fees such as:

Additional monthly merchant account fees
Sliding transactions fees in addition to industry-standard credit card processing fees
Credit card fees that wildly vary based on how much you fundraise

With some vendors that were not originally built for nonprofit fundraising, you can wait months and months for your money. And, forget about getting donor contact information. Many payment processing vendors don’t give you that critical information, so you can’t even thank your donors.

GiveSmart pricing and fees are clear and simple, and presented up front with no surprises later on. Plus, you have the robust reporting you need to best engage your donors all year round.

Schedule your demo of GiveSmart today!

GiveSmart offers:

One contract that is set based on the plan you choose.

We have four plans designed to fit your needs. Every plan offers text-to-donate, unlimited staff/volunteer users, unlimited peer-to-peer campaigns, customizable, embeddable donation forms, and dozens of included integrations.

Industry-standard credit card processing fees, that you can pass on to donors.

Our credit card fees are the same for everyone, whether you raise $1 or $1 million. We never charge additional transaction fees. Organizations saved $10+ million using GiveSmart, when their donors chose to cover the credit card processing. And, every plan we offer includes digital wallet payments at zero extra cost.

How often are they pushing out product releases? Are they constantly improving or are they stagnant and outdated?

GiveSmart pushes regular updates and releases new features often. We make more than 20 releases a year.

Many of our similar, on the surface, competitors release updates only one to four times a year.

What type of support and services do they provide? Is the platform easy to use or is extensive training required?

Some vendors tout in-person support at events but fail to mention upfront that it costs your organization thousands and thousands of dollars. Is the return on investment there?

GiveSmart empowers your team and volunteers with budget-friendly personalized training and expert, live, dedicated support. Our Help Center library has nearly 900 training guides and videos. Why depend on, and pay for, in-person support over and over again?

What are others saying?

Check out the reviews for unfiltered opinions of any vendor you’re considering. Make sure you check out specifically what nonprofit users have to say.

Reviews also inform you of some things you should be looking for and may even inspire additional questions you should be asking when you are a part of any demos.

What else does the vendor offer? How available is their support team? Do you have a dedicated contact person?

As you and your team evaluate software, consider how vendors partner with their customers.

GiveSmart is with you every step of the way, from implementation to training and event day to Giving Tuesday. We work when you do, including nights and weekends. We’re the experts that empower your team to fundraising and donor management success.

Schedule your demo of GiveSmart today!