Fee-Free Donations with Zeffy

Typical donation processors keep 3–5% of every gift (a $100 donation arrives as $95–97). Zeffy charges nonprofits nothing — 100% of each donation reaches you, including card fees. Zeffy is funded by optional tips donors add at checkout. Free For Charity uses Zeffy for its own fundraising (you can see it live on our donate page), and we recommend it to every charity we support.

Is the model legit?

The honest trade-off: your donors see a pre-filled “contribution to Zeffy” field at checkout, which they can set to zero. Some donors find it surprising, so tell them 100% of their gift reaches you. FFC has processed real donations on Zeffy since 2024 — payouts arrive as promised, with no fees withheld.

Step 1 — Create your account

Sign up at zeffy.com using an email at your domain (get one free).
Verify your nonprofit (EIN + bank details for payouts).
Create your first form: a simple donation form with suggested amounts, monthly giving on, and your logo.

Step 2 — Put it on your FFC-hosted site

Zeffy forms work perfectly on the static sites FFC builds. Two patterns (your FFC volunteer can add either — just send us the form link):

Embedded form: the donation form renders directly on your donate page.
Pop-up button:a “Donate” button that opens the form in a modal — this is what freeforcharity.org uses site-wide.

Step 3 — Receipts, payouts, and records

Zeffy issues automatic tax receipts to donors (configure your EIN and signature once).
Payouts land in your bank account; no minimums that matter in practice.
Export donor data anytime (CSV) — it’s your donor list, keep a copy with your records.

Beyond the basic form

Zeffy also does event tickets, raffles (where legal), memberships, peer-to-peer campaigns, and e-commerce — all at 0% fees. Start with one donation form; add the rest when a real need appears.

Want help setting it up or embedding it? Contact us— it’s usually a same-week volunteer task.