Best donation crowdfunding platforms in the United States
The platforms US causes and charities actually use — and how the new 2026 tax rules change what a $100 gift is worth to donor and recipient alike.
On $100 via Credit card, Zeffy delivers $100.00 to the recipient.
“With card fees broadly similar across processors, the strongest US pick is the one that keeps the platform fee low and issues a clean, IRS-ready receipt — on a $100 gift, the difference between a 0% platform fee and a 5% one dwarfs any gap in card processing.”
Giving in the United States
Dominant payment methods, the local currency, regulators, and the tax regime — the context that decides which platform actually serves a campaign here.
The United States runs overwhelmingly on cards: roughly 83% of online donations are made by debit or credit card, with PayPal, ACH bank transfers and mobile wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo) splitting the rest. There is no low-cost national rail like Europe's iDEAL or SEPA, so the per-donation story is driven less by exotic payment methods and more by platform fees and one federal question: is the recipient a registered charity, or an individual?
That distinction decides almost everything about tax. Gifts to a 501(c)(3) public charity can be deductible for the donor; money raised by an individual for a personal cause — the classic medical or memorial campaign — is generally a non-taxable gift to the recipient but is not deductible for the giver. The major platforms split along the same line: GoFundMe dominates personal causes, while Donorbox, Givebutter, Classy (now GoFundMe Pro) and Zeffy serve registered nonprofits.
Oversight is federal and state at once. The IRS recognises and polices tax-exempt status; most states require charities to register before soliciting, enforced by state attorneys general and coordinated through NASCO. There is no single federal privacy law for donor data — state regimes such as California's CCPA/CPRA apply instead — so platforms vary widely in where and how they store supporter information.
Top platforms for the United States
Ranked by how much of every 100 donated reaches the recipient under the local method (switch it to see the ranking move). We exclude platforms without Trustpilot reviews; the full catalogue is on the index.
| # | Platform · best for | Recipient gets · per 100 | Trustpilot | Countries | Residency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | $100.00 card rate* | 4.5/5 | 4 ctry | CA |
| 2 |  | $97.80 1.9% + $0.30 | 4.1/5 | 6 ctry | — |
| 3 |  | $97.50 card rate* | 3.3/5 | 1 ctry | US |
| 4 |  | $96.80 card rate* | 4.1/5 | 1 ctry | — |
| 5 |  | $96.80 2.9% + $0.30 | 3.3/5 | 20 ctry | US |
| 6 |  | $96.80 2.9% + $0.30 | 4.9/5 | 115 ctry | EEA |
| 7 |  | $95.80 card rate* | 2.3/5 | 5 ctry | — |
| 8 |  | $95.22 card rate* | 3.2/5 | 1 ctry | — |
| 9 |  | $94.55 5.15% + $0.30 | 4.0/5 | 23 ctry | — |
| 10 |  | $92.80 6.9% + $0.30 | 4.0/5 | 56 ctry | — |
Donation & taxes
The two questions readers most want answered — laid out as separate tracks so a donor and a fundraiser each find their own.
Tax is the reason many people land here. We split it cleanly: what a donor can deduct, and what a fundraiser might owe.
Researched · verified · 2026-06-02Is my gift tax-deductible?
Only gifts to an IRS-recognised 501(c)(3) charity can be deductible — and how you claim it changed for 2026. Gifts to an individual's personal campaign are never deductible.
- It must be a qualified charity. Use the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search to confirm 501(c)(3) status; gifts to individuals or personal GoFundMe campaigns are not deductible.
- Itemizers: a new 0.5%-of-AGI floor (2026). Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, itemizers can deduct charitable cash gifts only to the extent they exceed 0.5% of adjusted gross income, up to a 60%-of-AGI ceiling.
- Non-itemizers: a new above-the-line deduction (2026). Even if you take the standard deduction, you can deduct up to $1,000 (single) or $2,000 (married filing jointly) in cash gifts to qualifying charities.
- Keep your records. A bank record or written acknowledgement is required; gifts of $250 or more need a contemporaneous written acknowledgement from the charity.
| Gift type | Deductible? | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Cash gift to a 501(c)(3) — itemizer | Yes | Above 0.5% of AGI; up to 60% of AGI |
| Cash gift to a 501(c)(3) — non-itemizer | Yes (new for 2026) | Up to $1,000 single / $2,000 joint |
| Gift to an individual / personal cause | No | — |
- Cash-gift AGI ceiling
- 60% of AGI
- Itemizer floor (new)
- 0.5% of AGI
- Non-itemizer deduction (new)
- $1,000 / $2,000
Do I owe tax on what I raise?
Genuine gifts to an individual for a personal cause are generally not taxable income — but selling something, or running an ongoing activity, changes that. Registered charities follow separate rules.
- Genuine gifts aren't income. Money freely given out of generosity, with nothing of value provided in return, is generally a non-taxable gift to the recipient.
- Rewards or sales are different. If donors receive goods or services, the proceeds can be taxable income — and may be treated as a sale rather than a gift.
- A 1099-K isn't a tax bill. For 2026 a Form 1099-K is generally issued only above $20,000 and 200 transactions; receiving one does not by itself make the money taxable — you report and adjust it on Schedule 1.
- Gift tax falls on the donor, not you. The recipient owes no income tax on a gift; a donor giving any one person more than $19,000 in 2026 files a gift-tax return but rarely owes, thanks to the large lifetime exemption.
| Your situation | Likely treatment |
|---|---|
| Personal cause · genuine gifts | Not taxable income |
| Donors receive goods or services | May be taxable income / a sale |
| Registered 501(c)(3) charity | Exempt, with conditions |
| Ongoing business activity | Taxable income |
- 1099-K reporting threshold
- $20,000 + 200 txns
- Pure gift (no goods/services)
- No 1099-K required
- Annual gift-tax exclusion
- $19,000 per donor
This isn't tax advice. Crowdfunding situations vary and the 2026 rules are new — confirm your case with the IRS or a tax professional before you file.
Local payment methods
How donors in the United States actually pay — and why the method matters as much as the platform.
The default US method. Percentage-based fees (typically ~2.2–2.9% + $0.30), so larger gifts cost more in absolute terms.
Popular for one-off online gifts; widely trusted, with a fee structure broadly in line with cards.
Lower-cost bank-to-bank rail favoured for recurring gifts; settlement is slower than card.
Fast-growing on mobile checkout; each wraps a card, so card fees still apply.
Common for informal, peer-to-peer giving and offered by a growing share of nonprofits.
In the US the recipient-gets figure moves less with payment method than in euro markets — cards dominate and processing rates are similar. The bigger levers are the platform fee and whether the recipient is a 501(c)(3), which decides the donor's deduction.
Frequently asked
Platform and tax questions, together — because most people arrive with one of each.
Which platforms work in the United States?
All the platforms in the table above operate in the US. GoFundMe leads for personal and emergency causes, while Donorbox, Givebutter, Classy (GoFundMe Pro) and Zeffy focus on registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits with recurring giving, events and receipting tools. The ranking weighs the platform fee and receipt automation heavily, since card processing rates are similar across providers.
Are donations tax-deductible in the United States?
Only gifts to an IRS-recognised 501(c)(3) charity, and only if you handle the deduction correctly. For 2026, itemizers can deduct cash gifts above a 0.5%-of-AGI floor (up to 60% of AGI), and non-itemizers can deduct up to $1,000 (single) or $2,000 (married filing jointly). Gifts to individuals or personal campaigns are not deductible.
Will I be taxed on money I raise?
Genuine gifts to an individual for a personal cause are generally not taxable income. It changes if donors receive goods or services in return, or if you're effectively running a business. A Form 1099-K (issued for 2026 above $20,000 and 200 transactions) doesn't by itself make the money taxable — you report and adjust it. Registered charities are exempt under their own rules.
What's the cheapest way to receive donations here?
Because cards dominate and processing rates are similar, the biggest lever is the platform fee. A 0% platform fee versus 5% is a far bigger difference on a $100 gift than any gap in card processing — so a low-fee, receipt-automating platform delivers the most to the cause.
Other countries
Same methodology, different jurisdiction.
Rankings are produced by a public editorial methodology — open to peer review. We disclose ownership, scoring weights, and every change.