Fundraising Platform Fees, Explained (and How to Keep More)

When you raise $1,000, how much actually reaches your cause? Often less than you'd expect. Fundraising fees come in two layers, and understanding them helps you keep more.

The two fees on every donation

• Payment processing fee: charged by the card processor (e.g., Stripe) — typically around 2.9% + $0.30 per donation. This is mostly unavoidable across platforms.
• Platform fee: what the fundraising site itself takes. This varies wildly — from 0% to 5%+ — and it's where you can actually save.

Why small donations get hit hardest

That flat $0.30 is a big chunk of a $10 gift (about 3% on its own) but barely noticeable on $100. If you expect lots of small donations, fees matter even more.

Watch for "free" platforms

Some platforms advertise 0% fees but recover the cost by pre-checking a "tip" or asking donors to cover fees. That can work — but read closely so you understand what your donors actually pay.

How to keep more of every dollar

• Pick a platform with a low, transparent platform fee.
• Use a "donor covers fees" option so contributors can optionally pick up the processing cost — many will.
• Encourage slightly larger gifts (the flat fee hurts less per dollar).

KindRise keeps platform fees low (0.75% per transaction, or 0.50% on the subscription plan) and lets donors optionally cover fees — so your cause can keep close to 100%. See how it fits into a community fundraising plan.