GlobalGiving
Donors and companies wanting to give to vetted grassroots nonprofits worldwide, and smaller international NGOs seeking a due-diligence stamp and access to US donors and corporate giving programs.
A Washington, DC-based nonprofit fundraising marketplace, founded in 2002 by two former World Bank executives, connecting individual donors and companies with vetted grassroots nonprofits worldwide.
- Headquartered in
- US
- Funding model
- Fixed platform fee
- Platform fee
- 5%
- Payment processing fee
- 3% + $0.00
- Recipient gets
- $92.00 / $100
- Data residency
- US
- Countries
- 0
- Languages
- 1
- Last updated
- 2026-06-03
Our overall editorial assessment. Full weights are published in the methodology.
The review
GlobalGiving is a nonprofit fundraising marketplace founded in 2002 in Washington, DC, by two former World Bank executives. It connects individual donors and companies with grassroots nonprofits around the world, positioning itself as an intermediary that channels donations and corporate giving to locally led organizations rather than running campaigns of its own.
GlobalGiving is itself a registered US nonprofit, and its defining feature is vetting: it performs due diligence on every organization in its community to confirm charitable purpose, transparency, and valid registration with local authorities. Funds raised are passed through to the vetted partner organizations, and the platform sustains itself through a support charge on donations plus payment processing.
The platform's strength is reach and trust: a vetted-nonprofit model gives donors confidence and gives smaller international NGOs a credible channel to US and corporate donors they could not easily reach alone. The trade-off is that GlobalGiving is a curated marketplace with an application and due-diligence process, so it is not a route for an individual to launch a personal cause in minutes. For internationally focused nonprofits seeking legitimacy and corporate partnerships this is a benefit; for ad-hoc personal fundraising it is a barrier.
GlobalGiving has facilitated giving to tens of thousands of projects across a large number of countries since its founding, with corporate-giving and disaster-relief programs layered on top of its core marketplace. Donations are processed in US dollars under US data and regulatory frameworks, which internationally based organizations should weigh against region-native alternatives.
What’s good, what’s not.
- ✓Rigorous due-diligence vetting of every nonprofit, a strong trust signal for donors.
- ✓Global reach connecting donors and companies with grassroots nonprofits worldwide.
- ✓Established track record since 2002 with more than a million donors.
- ✓Corporate-giving and disaster-relief programs beyond individual donations.
- ✓Itself a registered US nonprofit, aligning incentives with the charitable sector.
- −Application and due-diligence process is a barrier for individuals or fast, ad-hoc campaigns.
- −US dollar settlement and US data residency may not suit some internationally based organizations.
- −Marketplace-intermediary model means less direct control over donor relationships than self-hosted tools.
- −A support charge plus payment processing applies on top of each donation.
Where each $100 actually goes.
Fees vary by payment method. We default to Credit card because that’s the dominant method in the United States.
0 countries · 1 languages · 11 payment methods.
Better-fit alternatives to GlobalGiving.
Our curated shortlist — the platforms we’d actively recommend instead of GlobalGiving for fundraising in the United States, with the figures behind the call. For the full, neutral index of every side-by-side, see Compare with below.
GlobalGiving keeps donor data in US; WhyDonate is EEA-resident and GDPR-native, so personal data never leaves the region.
Zeffy lets more of each donation through than GlobalGiving — $100.00 reaches the recipient per 100, against $92.00.
JustGiving lets more of each donation through than GlobalGiving — $97.80 reaches the recipient per 100, against $92.00.
See how GlobalGiving stacks up head-to-head.
Frequently asked questions
What does GlobalGiving charge?
GlobalGiving charges a 5% platform fee and 3% + $0.00 in payment processing per donation.
Where is GlobalGiving based?
GlobalGiving was founded in — and is headquartered in US. Data residency is US.
Which countries does GlobalGiving operate in?
GlobalGiving operates in 0 countries including major European markets and English-speaking markets.
Is GlobalGiving suitable for nonprofits?
GlobalGiving’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.