GivenGain

Overview

GivenGain is a fundraising platform for registered charities, with tools for campaigns, events, donation pages and live streams. It is best suited to charities coordinating fundraisers across borders. The absence of subscription and setup fees is appealing, but payment processing and payout charges remain part of the cost.

Founded in 2001, GivenGain is a nonprofit foundation backed by foundations in Switzerland, the United States and the United Kingdom. It says it works with charities in over 80 countries, donors and fundraisers in 194, and accepts any currency. Its strict charity-only policy rules out personal fundraising and donations to individuals or personal bank accounts.

Key features

Fundraising pages can be set up in under 60 seconds and shared by text, email or social media. That makes GivenGain a practical option for event participants and fundraising champions who need a page they can quickly circulate. Charities can run unlimited campaigns, add multiple system users, set team permissions, review real-time reports and export donor data. There are no stated campaign or user caps, which suits teams managing concurrent appeals.

Donation tools include one-time and monthly fixed amounts, fundraising minimums and a donation website widget. Event registration and team fundraising are also supported. These options cover common campaign needs, although the per-donation charges mean that a free platform subscription does not make donations cost-free.

Integrations include Salesforce, Zapier webhooks, Meta sharing, Double the Donation, MailChimp and Campaign Monitor. Live-stream tools can show donation notifications and fundraising progress in real time, a useful fit for appeals where visible momentum is part of the event.

GivenGain says it has implemented PCI standards and access controls to achieve level 3 PCI compliance through its payment providers. User data is stored in a third-party data center in Ireland, while payment card credentials are held by acquiring partner Adyen in the Netherlands. Support is directed through its help center and customer support.

Pricing

The GivenGain fundraising platform is free, with no subscription or setup fees for charities, events or corporate partners. That makes it suitable for organizations that want to launch without a recurring platform bill. The trade-off is that processing and payout fees still apply.

The 3.0% card and digital payment charge and the 3.9% cryptocurrency charge make the platform fee-free, not fee-free fundraising. Charities should factor those variable costs, along with payout fees, into their budgets. There is no free trial because the platform is offered as a free plan.

Platforms

GivenGain is available on Android, iOS and the web, giving fundraisers and donors mobile access alongside the charity-facing platform.

Who it's for

GivenGain is aimed at registered charities, including those running events, team campaigns, recurring-giving appeals or live-stream fundraisers. Its broad geographic reach and acceptance of any currency may suit organizations working across borders. It is not the right choice for an individual seeking to collect donations for personal use, since the platform serves registered charities only.

Pros and cons

• Pro: No subscription or setup fees for charities, events or corporate partners lowers the upfront barrier to running campaigns.
• Pro: Unlimited campaigns, multiple system users, permissions and reporting support a charity team managing several appeals.
• Pro: Quick fundraising-page setup, social sharing, event registration and live-stream progress notifications serve both event-led and online appeals.
• Con: Processing charges of 3.0% for listed card and digital payment methods and 3.9% for cryptocurrency reduce the net amount raised.
• Con: Charity-only eligibility excludes individuals and personal fundraising, narrowing its use beyond registered organizations.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, browse Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Software.

KindLink is worth considering if unlimited supporter and donor records, beneficiary records and transaction history are priorities in a free-forever plan. Funraise offers a free plan for organizations raising under $1 million annually and premium plans with custom pricing; consider it if that fundraising threshold and its peer-to-peer offering fit your needs. Raised offers unlimited campaigns and products without setup fees or monthly subscriptions, but applies a 5% platform fee to credit-card donations in addition to card processing fees.

Grassrootz is another option. Tiltify offers a free Basic plan with a community engagement page, unlimited individual fundraising pages, donation reports and direct support seven days a week. Bonfire may be a better fit for organizations that need a branded online store, inventory sales and a point-of-sale app; its Essentials plan costs 8.25 USD per month when paid yearly. DonorDrive is an alternative with custom pricing. Enthuse offers a Mass Participation plan at 0.00 GBP per month with a 0% platform fee, alongside payment provider and Gift Aid fees.

Verdict

Choose GivenGain if you represent a registered charity that needs campaign, event and live-stream fundraising tools without a subscription or setup bill, particularly when multiple users and international reach matter. Look elsewhere if you need personal fundraising or if per-donation processing and payout costs are central to your decision.