PayPal Fundraising Platform: Is It Worth It?

Using PayPal fundraising as a donation platform is an option, but not necessarily the best one. Here’s what it can and can’t offer to nonprofits.

PayPal is a well-known payment processor. It’s earned its reputation as a reliable payment method, and has been used to accept online donations in millions of campaigns around the world.

PayPal has plenty going for it:

There are over 375 million PayPal users worldwide.
55% of surveyed donors said they’d donate again if they could use PayPal.
In 2020, $17 billion was raised through PayPal donations.

However, PayPal isn’t meant to be an all-in-one donation platform for nonprofit organisations. We’re not suggesting you shouldn’t use the PayPal fundraising platform, just that if it’s your primary processing option, you should integrate with another online fundraising platform, like Raisely.

Let’s explore some of PayPal’s drawbacks and how Raisely can fill in the gaps.

PayPal Fundraising Doesn’t Let You Create a Donation Page

Fundraising campaigns need donation pages. Simply adding a donate button to your social media posts, emails, and website isn’t enough.

Donation pages are usually the hub of your fundraising campaign. It’s where you tell donors about your cause — what is it, why it matters, and why they should give. You can also add a FAQ section and a forum to answer any questions prospective donors might have.

You can add all sorts of cool fundraising tools to your donation pages, including:

Your branding
Donation forms and QR codes
Registration forms
Suggested donation amounts
Progress bars
Leaderboards
Countdowns
And so much more!

If you’re just using the PayPal fundraising platform, you’re missing out on all these add-ons that help you tell your story and showcase your impact.

PayPal Fundraising Payment Options Are Limited

Credit cards and debit cards are among the most popular payment methods for donations, but they’re hardly the only ones. With PayPal, donors are limited to using these card payments, a bank account, PayPal account, and Venmo.

Raisely’s platform expands your donation options. With Raisely, supporters can donate with a credit or debit card through third-party gateways such as PayPal, Stripe, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Plus, you can receive donations in 130+ currencies when using Stripe.

PayPal’s Platform Lacks Data Collection

Every nonprofit understands the importance of a mailing list.

If you’re just using the PayPal fundraising platform, you’re missing the vital opportunity to obtain information from your donors.

With Raisely, you can invite donors to provide their email address and other relevant information. You can ask for this information on the donation page itself, when someone makes a donation, or when purchasing tickets. Then, you can manage your donors using our free built-in CRM, and the data is yours to take wherever you want.

When donors agree to be added to your mailing list, you can keep them updated on future events, invite them to take surveys, let them know how their donations helped, and more. This continued communication helps you build your donor base, encourage recurring donations, and make your cause more visible.

PayPal Fundraising Doesn’t Let You Set Up Events

Imagine trying to pull off a successful walk-a-thon, car wash, or any online fundraising event without the ability to set up events or sell tickets beforehand.

Hosting fundraising events gives you the opportunity to acquire new donors, strengthen bonds with existing ones, and turn one-time donors into recurring givers. Events provide your loved ones, followers, and community members the ability to engage with your nonprofit in a meaningful way.

A fundraiser without an event is basically just a donation form asking for your credit card information. Unfortunately, PayPal fundraising lacks a ticket selling option.

But with Raisely, you can do it for free! There are multiple benefits to selling tickets to an event in advance. Here are a few:

You Can Create Ticket Tiers

If you’re hosting an event like a gala or charity golf tournament, you can create multiple custom ticket types, including:

Early bird: Provide an option for people to buy tickets well in advance at a discounted rate with a unique promo code.
General admission: Offer a standard price for tickets after the early bird period concludes.
VIP: These tickets offer a premium experience during your event, such as drink tickets, special seating, or meet-and-greets with a special guest.
Group: If your event requires team participation, you can offer discounts for groups if one member buys multiple tickets at once.

They Make Events Easier to Plan

Requiring guests to purchase tickets in advance makes it easier for you to plan the event itself. When you know your guest count ahead of time, you’ll have a better idea of how many volunteers you’ll need, how many thank-you bags to make, how much you should budget for food and beverages, etc.

If you plan an event for 20 people and 100 show up, you’ll be scrambling to keep up with demand. If you plan for 100 people and only 20 show up, you’ll end up with excess and potentially putting things to waste.

They Make Events Go Smoother

Want to host a car wash from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.? Without selling tickets, you could end up with long lines of cars waiting for suds, and then long periods without a single customer.

By selling tickets, drivers can schedule a window of time to get their car washed. Then, instead of 10 cars showing up at 9 a.m., they’ll be scheduled to show up at 9 a.m, 9:15 a.m., 9:30 a.m., etc.

You Can’t Easily Send Thank-You Messages

While it’s possible to include a thank-you message on PayPal’s fundraising platform, the process is seamless with Raisely — as it should be!

Never underestimate the impact of a thank-you message. Whether your “thank you” is an email, a pop-up message, or an entire page, it presents you with an opportunity to show your brand’s personality, both visually and verbally. You can include your logo and tagline, something kind or quippy, and leave a lasting impression.

Thank-you messages are often the last things donors see during this engagement with you. Some may see the words “thank you” and then close the window, but others will take the time to look at your logo, read your message, and commit it to memory.

You Can Fundraise With Raisely for Free!

PayPal is a great organisation. It’s earned a better reputation among consumers than many companies will ever enjoy. However, it wasn’t built with online fundraising in mind.

To PayPal’s credit, they offer lower transaction fees than most when accepting donations. Registered charity accounts are charged 1.99% + $0.49 USD per transaction and no monthly fee, compared to 2.89% and +$0.49 USD for business accounts. You can also enroll in the PayPal Giving Fund to enjoy additional benefits.

If you integrate the PayPal fundraising platform with Raisely’s, it’s free! There are no extra costs on top of your payment gateway transaction fee, whether you use PayPal or Stripe.Raisely exists to help nonprofits grow for the well-being of people and the planet. We don’t require any contracts, hosting, or setup fees. Also, our entire fundraising suite is free. It doesn’t get much better than that! Are you ready to create your next fundraising campaign and grow your cause?