JustGiving

Overview

JustGiving combines supporter-led fundraising with campaign tools for charities and nonprofits. It best suits organisations that want individual fundraising pages alongside branded campaigns and direct donation forms. Its breadth is useful, but the costs depend on how donations are collected and whether Gift Aid is reclaimed.

Key features

Supporters can build personalised fundraising pages, tell their own story and share the page using built-in tools. That makes JustGiving a natural fit for peer-to-peer appeals, where supporters bring their own networks; it is less compelling for an organisation looking only for a simple central donation form.

Charities can create branded campaign hubs that bring donations and connected fundraising pages together for an event, appeal, project or campaign. Giving Checkout adds customisable direct donation forms, with 0% processing and platform fees on direct donations. UK Gift Aid processing through Checkout still carries a 5% fee, so the fee advantage is clearest when direct donations are the main route and Gift Aid costs are acceptable.

Teams can save up to eight report templates, export selected data and collect donor opt-in information. The exports and opt-in collection support routine reporting and donor data work, though the template cap may be limiting for teams that need many distinct saved report formats. Integrations include Strava, Eventbrite, ACTIVE Works, Blackbaud products, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Salesforce-related options, giving charities several ways to connect fundraising activity with event and CRM systems.

JustGiving says its fundraising pages have Tier 1 PCI security compliance and SSL; its campaign page also describes fraud protection and a regulated payment gateway. Giving Checkout identifies JustGiving as an Approved Payment Institution regulated by the FCA. These measures matter for organisations handling donations online, though they do not remove the need to compare fees and operational fit.

Pricing

Start is free and has no monthly subscription fee. It is aimed at charities new to JustGiving and includes fundraising and campaign pages, Giving Checkout reports, donation widgets, Strava integration, and online and email support. Standard payment processing fees and a 5% Gift Aid reclaim fee apply, so free means no subscription rather than no fundraising costs. It is a sensible entry point for charities establishing a presence, but organisations with higher volumes or broader reporting needs may prefer Grow.

Grow is priced at 15.00 GBP per month. The stated rate is £15/month (+vat) if you raise up to £15,000 per year (including gift aid), and £39/month (+vat) if you raise more than £15,000 (including gift aid) each year. There is no annual commitment. Grow includes standard payment processing fees, an optional 5% Gift Aid reclaim fee, reporting and supporter se[...]. The price step above £15,000 raised makes expected annual fundraising an important part of the choice. For either plan, the standard payment processing fee is 1.9% + £0.30, or 2.90% + £0.30 for donations in another currency; fee-free Giving Checkout direct donations are the exception. Giving Checkout also offers 24/7 assistance to anyone on the charity team.

JustGiving supports recurring donations and accepts cards and wallets. Registered charities and nonprofits in the UK, United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand can join. The service began in 2000 and joined the Blackbaud family in 2017.

Platforms

JustGiving is available on web, Android and iOS, with an API also listed. That combination suits charities managing campaigns online while supporters use mobile devices, and gives technically equipped organisations an API route to connect systems.

Who it's for

JustGiving is strongest for eligible charities and nonprofits that need both supporter-led fundraising and centrally managed campaign pages, particularly when integrations such as Strava, Eventbrite or CRM options are useful. Start suits new charities that want the core fundraising setup without a monthly subscription. Grow is a better fit for teams that can justify a monthly fee for reporting and supporter features, provided the applicable revenue tier works for them.

It is less suitable for organisations that need a fee-free service across every donation route, or for fundraisers outside the eligible countries. Charities focused solely on direct donations should weigh Giving Checkout against its 5% UK Gift Aid processing fee and the standard charges that apply to other donation routes.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Supporter pages and branded campaign hubs cover both individual and organisation-led fundraising, so charities can support several campaign styles in one service.
• Pros: Giving Checkout direct donations have 0% processing and platform fees, which can reduce costs for charities that route donors through its forms.
• Pros: Integrations span event, activity and CRM tools, while reporting includes exports and donor opt-in collection.
• Cons: Standard donations incur processing fees, and UK Gift Aid reclaim or processing carries a 5% fee, so the no-subscription Start plan is not cost-free in practice.
• Cons: Grow rises from £15/month (+vat) to £39/month (+vat) when annual fundraising exceeds £15,000 including Gift Aid, making the higher tier material for successful campaigns.
• Cons: Reporting templates are capped at eight, which may constrain teams with numerous recurring reporting formats.

Alternatives

For a wider comparison, browse Nonprofit Crowdfunding Software. Ketto offers a free Bronze plan with automated story creation and an Android/iOS app, but a 3% payment gateway fee applies, alongside GST on its success fee. LaunchGood is another free-plan option with no platform fee, while card processing is 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction and checkout tips are optional. Milaap may suit fundraisers seeking a free fundraiser with zero platform fees and voluntary tipping, while actual payment processing charges still apply.

AdoptAClassroom.org is an alternative for eligible U.S. educators, with donations issued as online credit for marketplace or Teacher Choice purchases. Fundiful offers a free private-label crowdfunding option with no startup costs or monthly fees and no Fundiful percentage fee; card processor fees may apply. M-Changa has free fundraiser setup, but permits one active fundraiser per phone line and sets minimum balances for withdrawals.

FundRazr offers a no-platform-fee option with payment processing of 2.9% + $0.30 and says 95% of donors cover fees. ImpactGuru offers an Assisted plan priced at 3.00 USD per once on the amount raised, with customised story support and limited dashboard access.

Verdict

Choose JustGiving if your eligible charity needs supporter-led pages, branded campaigns and direct donation forms in one service, and can use Checkout to make its fee structure work. Look elsewhere if your priority is avoiding transaction or Gift Aid charges across donation routes, or if the Grow revenue-based price step would outweigh the reporting and supporter features you need.