GiveNow vs MyCause, Raisely, DonorBox, GoFundMe and Chuffed
(Last Updated: October 2025)
Choosing the right online fundraising platform is one of the most important decisions for not-for-profit organisations and charities. This is because the platform you choose can have a strong impact on your donor journey, the amount of funds raised, as well as the percentage of donations you keep after the platform fees.
In Australia, there are now a number of digital giving options available, from international platforms like DonorBox, Raisely and Funraisin, to local solutions such as GiveNow and MyCause. While they may look similar on the surface, each platform has different feature sets, fee structures and levels of transparency.
This guide takes an honest look at some of the leading charity donation platforms used in Australia, highlighting how they differ and what to consider when choosing the right one for your organisation.
(Note: Information below is accurate at the time of writing. Fees and features may change; for the most up-to-date information, please confirm directly with each provider.)
1. GiveNow
Website: about.givenow.com.au
Fees for charity & not-for-profit organisations:
GiveNow platform fees (1.5 - 3.5% based on choice of plan, with the option for donor to cover the fees), and transaction fees charged by our payment provider (0.26% (DGR) - 0.99% (non-DGR) for Visa/Mastercard, 1.43% for Amex and no cost for direct debit).
Who can register:
Any incorporated not-for-profit or charity organisation in Australia.
About GiveNow:
GiveNow is Australia’s longest-running all-in-one online donations platform, launched in 2001 as a part of Our Community Group, and a sister enterprise of SmartyGrants, Funding Centre and Institute of Community Directors. The team is based in North Melbourne and all payments are transacted locally in Australia, which is also where all data is managed and stored.
GiveNow remains the lowest cost option for Australian charities, with no sign up or subscription fees, no lock-in contracts and no hidden charges. The platform fee is minimal between 1.5% and 3.5%, and the transaction fees (vary between 0% -1.43% with no fixed fee) are much lower compared to mainstream providers like Stripe and PayPal (1.7 - 3.7% plus fixed fee of 30c or 50c).
GiveNow provides tools for:
- One-off and recurring donations
- Peer-to-peer fundraising (CrowdRaisers)
- Membership registration and renewal
- Event ticketing
- Grants search
- Other ways to give (goods & services)
GiveNow is ideal for small to medium sized community organisations that are seeking a simple, local and cost effective solution with minimal admin and technical requirements.
2. MyCause
Website: www.mycause.com.au
Fees for charity & not-for-profit organisations:
MyCause platform fees (5%), plus Braintree/PayPal transaction fees (1.6% Visa & Mastercard and 2.5% AMEX). Additional fees for campaign set up, support and account management.
Who can register:
Any individual, business or charity.
MyCause VS GiveNow:
MyCause and GiveNow are both Australian-owned crowdfunding and charity fundraising platforms. While MyCause supports direct charity donations, much of its activity comes from individuals fundraising for community and personal causes. GiveNow instead supports only registered not for profit organisations who want to collect donations directly and via peer-to-peer pages created by organisation supporters.
Charities can customise donation pages and access donor data, but fee structures are less transparent and can vary per organisation based on the support needed. There is also no membership registration feature.
3. Raisely
Website: www.raisely.com
Fees for charity & not-for-profit organisations:
Raisely platform fees (varies between 4 - 22+%, depending on whether the organisation opts for “optional tips” plan offered to donors or a plan paid by the organisation), plus transaction fees from a payment partner such as Stripe (which is at minimum 1.4% + 30c per transaction) or PayPal (which is at minimum 1.1% + 30c per transaction) that an organisation must register for themselves.
For organisations looking for additional features (e.g. emails, donor management, single sign-on), Raisely Pro Plan has a monthly fee of $195, or $1,172 upfront for the annual plan.
Who can register:
Any incorporated not-for-profit or charity organisation.
Raisely VS GiveNow:
Raisely assists charities seeking a comprehensive fundraising platform with sophisticated fundraising needs. Raisely offers a modern, highly customisable fundraising platform built for global use. It provides extensive campaign-building tools, templates and automation features, allowing charities to tailor the entire fundraising experience to their branding.
The platform is best suited to larger organisations with in-house design and technical capabilities, and a larger fundraising team. The full cost (both platform and transaction fees, incurred by donors and organisations) is higher than GiveNow’s.
4. DonorBox
Website: www.donorbox.org
Fees for charity & not-for-profit organisations:
Standard Plan: 2.95 - 3.95% platform fees, plus transaction fees from Stripe (which is at minimum 1.4% + 30c per transaction) or PayPal (which is at minimum 1.1% + 30c per transaction).
Pro Plan: US$150 per month subscription, 1.75 - 2% platform fees, plus transaction fees from Stripe (which is at minimum 1.4% + 30c per transaction) or PayPal (which is at minimum 1.1% + 30c per transaction).
Who can register:
Any incorporated not-for-profit or charity organisation.
DonorBox VS GiveNow:
DonorBox is a US-based international online fundraising platform that helps nonprofits and charitable organisations collect donations through customisable donation forms. It supports one-time and recurring donations, accepts multiple payment methods, and integrates easily with other website and CRM platforms.
While feature-rich, DonorBox’s pricing is quite high and therefore suited for larger and international charities that require complex features and integrations.
5. GoFundMe
Website: www.gofundme.com/en-au
Fees for charity & not-for-profit organisations:
1.9% platform fees + $0.30 per transaction for one-off donations, and 5% platform fees for recurring donations.
Who can register:
Any individual, business, or charity.
GoFundMe VS GiveNow:
Launched in 2010, GoFundMe is the world’s largest social fundraising platform, with over $9 billion raised from more than 120 million donations. The GoFundMe platform is donor focused, and is designed for individuals to fundraise for personal or charitable causes, with a streamlined process to create a fundraiser and start collecting donations.
However, it does not have as many features for charities users who are looking for ongoing donations, for example, donor and crowdraiser management and embedded website forms.
6. Chuffed
Website: chuffed.org
Fees for charity & not-for-profit organisations:
Flat fee model: 0 - 4.9% platform fee depending on pricing model, plus 2.0% + 30c payment processing fees. A Shared Fee and Keep 100% Fee models are also available.
Who can register:
Social enterprises, which includes non-profits, charities, social enterprise, community groups and individuals making change.
Chuffed VS GiveNow:
Chuffed offers simple, powerful tools to help fund organisations that fight for social justice, accepting donations from over 150 countries in 11 currencies and offers tax-deductible receipting in Australia, UK, US, and Canada.
However, for Australian not-for-profits seeking the lowest possible fees, local data storage, and comprehensive features (membership, events, and grants), GiveNow may be better suited.
A summary of the comparison:
| Platform Name | Platform Fees | Transaction Fees | Set Up Cost | Subscription Cost | Ideal For |
| GiveNow | 1.5%-3.5% (donor can opt in to cover platform fees) | 0.26 - 0.99% Visa/Mastercard, 1.43% Amex, free for direct debit | None | None | Small to medium Australian charities seeking simple, local, cost-effective solutions. |
| MyCause | 5% | 1.6% Visa/Mastercard, 2.5% Amex | Variable (additional fees apply) | None | Donor-led campaigns and individual fundraisers for causes. |
| Raisely | 4% - 22+% (covered by donor or by the organisation) | Stripe (1.4% + 30c per transaction min) or PayPal (1.1% + 30c per transaction min). | None | Pro Plan: $195, or $1,172 upfront for the annual plan | Large organisations with in-house design and technical capabilities. |
| DonorBox |
Standard Plan: 2.95% - 3.95% Pro Plan: 1.75% - 2% |
Stripe (1.4% + 30c per transaction min) or PayPal (1.1% + 30c per transaction min). | None | Pro Plan: US$150/month | Large and international charities requiring complex features and integrations. |
| GoFundMe | 1.9% for one-off donations and 5% for recurring donations | $0.30 per transaction | None | None | Individuals fundraising for personal or charitable causes. |
| Chuffed | Flat fee model: 4.9% (covered by donor or by the organisation) | 2.0% + 30c per transaction | None | None | Social enterprises, community groups, and international campaigns focused on social justice causes. |
Choosing the Right Platform
When it comes to online fundraising, there’s no one size fits all solution. The right choice depends on your size, audience, and priorities.
- If your goal is keeping costs low and maximising every donation, GiveNow offers the most transparent and affordable option.
- If you’re running large scale events or want more custom design, Raisely or Funraisin may provide flexibility at a higher cost.
- For peer-to-peer campaigns for personal / individual support in time of need (not a community organisation), MyCause is well established, though fees can vary.
- DonorBox may appeal to organisations with an international focus but is less aligned to Australian charity regulations.
Why choose GiveNow?
Because we are Australia’s first and most experienced all-in-one fundraising platform. Since 2001, we’ve supported over 6,000 grassroots charities to raise more than $230 million.
GiveNow is designed specifically for small to medium-sized community organisations. The platform brings donations, peer-to-peer fundraising, events, memberships and grant search together in one simple place, which reduces admin and requires no technical expertise.
Because we are 100% local and secure. Our team, transaction process and data storage are based entirely in Australia. Unlike many other providers, we never store donor credit card details, making the platform safer to use.
Because we have the lowest fee in Australia. Our platform fees are 1.5% – 3.5% depending on the plan, and 90% of donors choose to cover this fee. There are no subscription charges, hidden extras or lock-in contracts.
Our team also offer the best and the most human support, including phone, email, group and 1:1 online sessions, plus a wide range of free fundraising resources and community offerings customised for small to medium-sized community organisations.
Register for your FREE organisation account today. We look forward to supporting your fundraising!