How much does CharityFundraiser cost?

CharityFundraiser is free to start. There is a flat 2% platform fee on funds raised — never on donor tips — with no setup fee, no monthly subscription and no long-term contract. Standard Stripe/PayPal payment processing applies, and a cover-the-fee toggle lets donors absorb it.

What does CharityFundraiser replace?

It replaces multiple separate vendors — auction software (like OneCause or Handbid), donation/peer-to-peer platforms (like Givebutter or ClassyLive), email/SMS marketing, donor CRM, direct mail, and a separate volunteer-management tool — all under one login and one dashboard.

Is there a contract or monthly fee?

No. There is no long-term contract and no monthly subscription. You only pay the flat 2% platform fee when funds come in.

How does CharityFundraiser compare to Givebutter and OneCause?

CharityFundraiser is all-in-one like both, with transparent flat 2% pricing and no donor-tip prompts (unlike Givebutter) and no five-figure annual contract (unlike OneCause). It also ships features neither offers: an AI Coordinator Playbook (auto Run of Show + auctioneer talking points), a real-time volunteer audit trail, and an automated 3-touch donor renewal cadence.

Who built CharityFundraiser?

CharityFundraiser was founded by Larry Scala, a nonprofit auctioneer, emcee and consultant with 30+ years of experience serving organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Clubs and Ducks Unlimited. He is a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, holds a B.S. in Engineering and an MBA, and has run his web development firm Web-Tech Services since 1996.

What is CharityFundraiser?

CharityFundraiser is an all-in-one fundraising platform for nonprofits. It combines online and live silent auctions, peer-to-peer campaigns, donation pages, event ticketing, donor CRM, and AI campaign coaching in a single tool built specifically for 501(c)(3) organizations.

Is CharityFundraiser free for nonprofits?

Yes — there is no setup fee and no monthly minimum. Nonprofits only pay a small percentage on funds raised plus standard payment processing fees. There is a discounted nonprofit rate for verified 501(c)(3) organizations.

What is the best silent auction software for schools?

CharityFundraiser is built for school PTAs, sports teams, and educational foundations. It includes mobile bidding without app downloads, bulk item uploads from Excel, donor receipts, and live big-screen scoreboards — all priced for small school budgets.

How does Text-to-Give work on CharityFundraiser?

Donors text a keyword like GIVE to your dedicated number. Our platform automatically replies with a one-tap donation link tied to your campaign. Donations confirm via reply SMS, and the donor record is created or updated in your CRM in real-time.

Can I run a virtual or hybrid gala on CharityFundraiser?

Yes. The platform supports fully online events, in-person galas with check-in QR codes, and hybrid events. Live-stream scoreboards, paddle-raise / fund-a-need software, and big-screen Show Director are all included.

Does CharityFundraiser integrate with QuickBooks and Stripe?

Yes. Stripe Connect powers direct-to-organization payouts, and QuickBooks Online integration auto-syncs donations as transactions for clean reconciliation at year-end.

How is CharityFundraiser different from Givebutter or OneCause?

Most platforms specialize in one channel (donations OR auctions OR P2P). CharityFundraiser combines them in one tool with first-class AI campaign coaching included, eliminating the need for 3–5 separate vendor subscriptions.

Is there a mobile app for bidding?

No app is required. Bidders use any phone's web browser. The mobile-first interface supports proxy bidding, outbid alerts via web push and SMS, and one-tap buy-now.

CharityFundraiser — All-in-one fundraising platform for non-profits

CharityFundraiser.com is an all-in-one fundraising platform built for non-profit organizations, schools, churches, hospital foundations, animal rescues and arts groups. One login and one dashboard run your online and live auctions, branded donation pages, peer-to-peer campaigns, ticketed events, raffles, golf tournaments, fund-a-need / paddle raises, donor CRM, text-to-give, email & SMS outreach, live scoreboards, AI tools and volunteer management.

Transparent pricing

Free to start. You only pay when funds come in.
Flat 2% platform fee on funds raised — never on donor "tips".
No setup fee. No monthly subscription. No long-term contract.
Standard Stripe / PayPal payment processing applies; a cover-the-fee toggle lets donors absorb it.
501(c)(3) status auto-applied on signup; Stripe Connect pays your organization directly.

What it replaces

CharityFundraiser consolidates the tools non-profits usually buy separately — auction software (such as OneCause or Handbid), donation and peer-to-peer platforms (such as Givebutter or ClassyLive), email/SMS marketing, donor CRM, direct mail and a standalone volunteer-management tool — into a single platform with one flat fee.

Core capabilities

Online silent auctions: mobile bidding, proxy bids, buy-now, reserve prices, anti-snipe auto-extend
Live (stage) auctions: big-screen scoreboard, fund-a-need / paddle-raise tier prompts
Branded donation pages: recurring giving, cover-the-fee, tribute / in-memory-of, employer matching
Peer-to-peer fundraising with personal pages and team leaderboards
Event ticketing with tiered packages, sponsorships and QR check-in
Raffles, golf tournaments with hole sponsorships, fund-a-need asks
Text-to-Give SMS keyword routing and a shared inbox
Donor CRM with auto-classification (Major / Mid / Grassroots / Lapsed / Prospect) and pledge tracking
Stripe Connect direct payouts, PayPal, QuickBooks sync, custom domains, white-label multi-tenant SaaS
Installable PWA with offline-capable door scanner and POS apps

What makes it different (features competitors do not ship)

AI Coordinator Playbook — auto-generates the Run of Show, auctioneer talking points and a smart pre-event checklist.
Volunteer audit trail & efficiency reports — see exactly which volunteer scanned guests and rang up the most POS sales.
Renewal Calendar — automated 3-touch anniversary cadence (Email → SMS → direct-mail postcard) that compounds repeat giving.
Donor of the Year leaderboard with 1-click direct-mail thank-yous.

How it compares to Givebutter and OneCause

Like Givebutter, CharityFundraiser is modern and all-in-one — but it charges a transparent flat 2% and never shows donors a "tip" prompt. Like OneCause, it has deep auction and event tooling — but with no five-figure annual contract. And it adds three things neither competitor offers: the AI Coordinator Playbook, a real-time volunteer audit trail, and the automated 3-touch donor renewal cadence. See the full feature-by-feature matrix at charityfundraiser.com/compare.

Who built it

CharityFundraiser was founded by Larry Scala, a nonprofit auctioneer, emcee and consultant with 30+ years of experience. He has volunteered his time for organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Arlington and Fort Worth, The Art Station, the Junior League of Arlington, the Dravet Syndrome Foundation, the Miracle League of Arlington, and Ducks Unlimited across Texas, plus many school fundraisers. He is a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate (left the Air Force as a Captain in 1987), holds a B.S. in Engineering from the University of Connecticut and an MBA from Tarleton State University, and has run his web-development firm Web-Tech Services since 1996. Read more at charityfundraiser.com/about.

Get started

Start fundraising free at charityfundraiser.com/signup-org, explore every feature at charityfundraiser.com/features, or try the live demo at charityfundraiser.com/demo. Contact us at charityfundraiser.com/contact.

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CharityFundraiserElite Fundraising Platform

Handbid alternative

Handbid vs CharityFundraiser

Handbid is silent-auction bidding app — strong ux, narrow scope. CharityFundraiser combines auctions, donations, P2P, events, CRM, AI coordinator tooling, volunteer management, and direct mail in one platform — with flat 2% on funds raised — unlimited events included..

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“If you're comparing Handbid and CharityFundraiser: Handbid is the better fit for tight focus on the bidding-app experience, but CharityFundraiser wins on price and breadth — flat 2% on funds raised — unlimited events included, plus auctions, donations, p2p, events, crm — one login instead of five.”
— CharityFundraiser editorial · Handbid comparison, 2026

Quick verdict

When each one wins.

When Handbid wins

Tight focus on the bidding-app experience

Polished silent-auction bidding app
Mature anti-snipe and proxy bidding

When CharityFundraiser wins

Auctions, donations, P2P, events, CRM — one login instead of five

Bidding-only — needs separate platforms for donations, P2P, CRM, email
Per-event license fees stack up if you run multiple events/year
No volunteer audit trail
No AI Coordinator Playbook
No direct mail (Lob) integration

Feature-by-feature

Handbid vs CharityFundraiser, line by line.

Capability	Handbid	CharityFundraiser
Silent auctions with mobile bidding
Live (stage) auction tools
Donor CRM
Online donation pages
Peer-to-peer fundraising
Email marketing built-in
AI Coordinator Playbook
Volunteer audit trail
Per-event license fee	$895-$1,995	$0
Unlimited events
Pricing	Per-event license fees ($895-$1,995 per event)	Flat 2% on funds raised — unlimited events included.

Data compiled from public Handbid pricing pages and product documentation as of 2026. Email hello@charityfundraiser.com with corrections.

See more comparisons

vs Givebutter vs OneCause vs Zeffy vs Classy vs Donorbox vs BidPal vs CharityAuctionsToday vs ClassyLive vs BiddingForGood vs DonorPerfect vs WildApricot vs GoFundMe Pro

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