Best Donation Platforms for Nonprofits Exploring Their Options

In the world of nonprofit digital strategy, enabling online donations is one of the most impactful ways to increase fundraising potential. Whether your organization is deeply established with existing tools in place or just beginning to explore digital fundraising, making it easy for donors to give online is key.

At Bytes.co, we’ve worked with many nonprofit clients of varying sizes and missions, and nearly all of them have asked some version of the same core question: “How can we get more donations through our website?” The answer usually starts with user experience, making the act of giving as seamless and compelling as possible. For clients who don’t yet have a platform in place, the next question naturally becomes, “Which donation platforms for nonprofits are best for enabling and maximizing our donation potential?” 

This blog post is designed to answer those questions and serve as a reference for nonprofits navigating donation tools, especially during the discovery or sales phase of a website redesign. We’ll review the most popular nonprofit donation platforms our clients use and explore options for streamlined custom setups.

Why Online Donations Matter

Online donations offer more than just convenience–they create opportunities for connection, growth, and long-term sustainability. In today’s digital-first world, donors expect to support their favorite causes in just a few clicks.

That expectation is largely met through donation platforms that provide mobile-optimized forms, secure payment processing, and recurring giving options. These platforms reduce friction, making it easier for supporters to give and more likely that they’ll return to do so again.

Beyond ease of use, modern donation platforms for nonprofits help leverage donor data more effectively. From identifying which campaigns drive the most impact to segmenting donors for personalized communications or tracking recurring gifts, a robust platform can transform how an organization approaches fundraising. It’s not just about collecting funds–it’s about using technology to build and maintain meaningful donor relationships over time.

Popular Donation Platforms for Nonprofit Websites

Many nonprofits already have a donation platform in place by the time they begin a website redesign. In those cases, our role is to ensure that the platform integrates cleanly into the new website, delivering a seamless, on-brand experience that builds trust and drives conversions. Others come to us in the early stages of digital fundraising, actively exploring their options.

While we can integrate with virtually any donation platform, the donation platforms for nonprofits listed below are ones we see most frequently across our client base. 

Considerations When Choosing a Donation Method

Choosing the right donation method involves more than just picking a tool–it’s about understanding your organization’s current capacity, donor expectations, and long-term goals.

First and foremost, consider your budget. Are you able to pay the monthly subscription or transaction fees? If not, a simpler form-based approach might be more practical in the short term. You should also think about how important donor data is to your team. If you rely heavily on reporting, segmentation, or communication, investing in a platform that offers CRM features will be worth it.

You’ll also want to consider the internal resources available for setup and maintenance. Some platforms are easier to manage than others, and some require technical support or custom API work to get up and running.

Finally, think about your donors: Are they mostly older, long-time supporters who just want a quick, secure form? Or do you have younger audiences who are responsive to campaign-based giving and peer-to-peer tools? The donation experience should reflect your brand and your audience’s needs.

No Platform? Consider a Custom Donation Setup

Not every nonprofit is ready–or interested–in adopting a donation platform. In many cases, particularly with smaller organizations or those just starting out, budget, staffing, or simplicity might dictate the need for a more lightweight approach. That’s where a custom donation setup comes into play. We frequently implement donation forms using tools like Gravity Forms, a flexible form builder within WordPress, combined with Stripe or PayPal for secure payment processing.

This type of setup is often ideal for organizations that want to avoid recurring platform fees, maintain full control over their design, or keep things streamlined. The downside is that these custom setups typically lack donor relationship management features–there’s no built-in CRM or automation for things like receipts, recurring donations, or analytics.

However, when paired with third-party tools or manual workflows, these setups can still serve as a powerful entry point into online giving. We’ve helped several clients use this approach successfully and grow into more advanced tools when the time was right.

Donation Platform Integration Options

At Bytes.co, our primary role is to integrate the donation tools you choose into your website–cleanly, effectively, and in a way that aligns with your organization’s branding, accessibility, and usability goals. We don’t manage donations directly or offer fundraising strategy, but we do ensure that the online giving experience is intuitive, secure, and functional across all devices.

When working with third-party donation platforms for nonprofits, integration options vary depending on the platform’s capabilities. Typically, the client–sometimes in coordination with the vendor—takes the lead in providing the necessary embed codes, login credentials, or documentation for us to use. In some cases, the platform itself offers a form builder or styled widget; in those instances, the design and layout are handled by the vendor or the client, while our job is to embed and style it as seamlessly as possible within the site.

For clients who prefer a custom setup, we often use Gravity Forms paired with a payment processor like Stripe or PayPal. This approach allows for consistent styling of all forms on the website and gives clients full control of donation functionality without recurring platform fees. In every case, we prioritize usability and trust, ensuring the giving experience is mobile-friendly, accessible, and on-brand.

Conclusion: Final Thoughts

Online donations are not just about convenience–they’re about creating a meaningful connection between your mission and your supporters. Whether you’re using a full-fledged fundraising platform like FundraiseUp or a simpler setup with Gravity Forms and PayPal, what matters most is that the experience is trustworthy, accessible, and aligned with your organization’s goals.

While the choice of a donation platform is ultimately a business decision that depends on your broader fundraising strategy and budget, we’re here to help you integrate whatever tool you choose–securely, effectively, and in a way that feels like a seamless part of your website.

Need Help Integrating Your Donation Platform? Reach Out Today.