EcoCrowd
German environmental and sustainability nonprofits - associations, foundations, and gGmbHs - seeking community-backed funding for SDG-aligned projects through a curated monthly donation pool.
A German donation-crowdfunding platform run by the Deutsche Umweltstiftung, channeling community donations to sustainable, SDG-aligned projects from German nonprofits through a monthly pooled-funding vote.
- Headquartered in
- DE
- Funding model
- Fixed platform fee
- Platform fee
- 8%
- Payment processing fee
- 1.9% + €0.35
- Recipient gets
- €89.75 / €100
- Data residency
- —
- Countries
- 1
- Languages
- 1
- Last updated
- 2026-06-08
Our overall editorial assessment. Full weights are published in the methodology.
The review
EcoCrowd is a German donation-crowdfunding platform operated by the Deutsche Umweltstiftung (German Environmental Foundation), based in Berlin. It focuses on environmental and sustainability causes, accepting projects that contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and is open to nonprofit organizations based in Germany such as associations, foundations, and charitable gGmbHs, while commercial companies are excluded.
The platform runs a distinctive community-funding model rather than open-ended individual campaigns: supporters contribute to a shared monthly funding pool, and a community vote each month directs the pooled donations to a selected project. Donations can be made by PayPal or bank transfer, starting from one euro, and project submission is handled through a monthly selection round.
EcoCrowd's main strength is the credibility and mission focus that come from being run by an established environmental foundation, which curates projects around clear sustainability criteria. The trade-off is that the pooled-vote model means not every submitted project is funded each month, and the platform's domestic, German-language orientation makes it less suited to international or cross-border fundraising.
Beyond its core funding mechanism, EcoCrowd works as a curated showcase: each month it presents a small slate of sustainable projects to its donor community and lets supporters decide where the collected donations go. The narrow environmental remit and limited payment options keep it specialized, but well aligned with German climate, nature, and sustainability initiatives.
What’s good, what’s not.
- ✓Operated by the Deutsche Umweltstiftung, an established German environmental foundation.
- ✓Sharp focus on sustainability and UN Sustainable Development Goal-aligned projects.
- ✓Distinctive monthly donation-pool model with a community vote on which project is funded.
- ✓Accepts PayPal and bank transfer, with donations starting from one euro.
- ✓Foundation-led curation lends funded projects added credibility and visibility.
- −Open only to nonprofit organizations based in Germany; commercial companies are explicitly excluded.
- −The monthly pooled-vote model means not every submitted project receives funding.
- −Interface and content are in German, oriented to a domestic audience rather than cross-border fundraising.
- −Limited payment options - PayPal and bank transfer - without cards or local European rails.
Where each €100 actually goes.
Fees vary by payment method. We default to Credit card because that’s the dominant method in Australia.
EcoCrowd doesn’t process payments in AUD. Pricing is shown in EUR, its native currency.
1 countries · 1 languages · 3 payment methods.
Better-fit alternatives to EcoCrowd.
Our curated shortlist — the platforms we’d actively recommend instead of EcoCrowd for fundraising in Australia, with the figures behind the call. For the full, neutral index of every side-by-side, see Compare with below.
WhyDonate lets more of each donation through than EcoCrowd — A$97.80 reaches the recipient per 100, against A$89.75.
Zeffy lets more of each donation through than EcoCrowd — A$100.00 reaches the recipient per 100, against A$89.75.
GoFundraise lets more of each donation through than EcoCrowd — A$98.22 reaches the recipient per 100, against A$89.75.
See how EcoCrowd stacks up head-to-head.
Frequently asked questions
What does EcoCrowd charge?
EcoCrowd charges a 8% platform fee and 1.9% + €0.35 in payment processing per donation.
Where is EcoCrowd based?
EcoCrowd was founded in — and is headquartered in DE. Data residency is unspecified.
Which countries does EcoCrowd operate in?
EcoCrowd operates in 1 countries including major European markets and English-speaking markets.
Is EcoCrowd suitable for nonprofits?
EcoCrowd’s primary audience is individual fundraisers and groups; nonprofits can use the platform but may find specialized alternatives better suited.
Rankings are produced by a public editorial methodology — open to peer review. We disclose ownership, scoring weights, and every change.