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Nonprofit Fundraising
Platform Fees Explained

Nonprofit fundraising platforms use several different pricing models to fund their software, infrastructure, and customer support. The fee model matters because pricing structure directly affects how many supporters complete checkout — and that changes how much money your fundraiser actually raises.
View Chance2Win PricingSee the Raffle Platform
Built to match Chance2Win’s clean, conversion-focused brand: clear fees, strong trust cues, simple next steps.


Transparent pricing over tip friction


Purpose-built for raffle fundraising


Hybrid ticket sales: online + in-person


Real phone support from experienced staff

The real question is not “Is the platform free?”
The real question is how many supporters complete checkout. Lower friction usually beats “free” messaging when the checkout flow adds hesitation.
90–95%
Typical completion rate with transparent pricing
~94%
Typical completion with a small supporter service fee
60–70%
Typical completion when a tip prompt adds another decision
$329
Chance2Win Premium starts here for an org-paid model

The Four Most Common Fundraising Platform Fees

Each model has trade-offs for your organization and your supporters. Here’s how they actually work in practice.

Platform Fees

Charges paid directly by the nonprofit to use the fundraising software. These can appear as monthly subscriptions, per-event pricing, or percentage-based fees.

Common formats
Monthly subscription · Event pricing · % of funds raised

Supporter Service Fees

Platform costs shifted to supporters via a small fee added during checkout. Your organization receives the full ticket price while supporters cover platform costs transparently.

Example purchase
Ticket bundle: $50 + service fee Organization receives:
$50

Payment Processing Fees

Charged by credit card processors like Stripe or Square — separate from the fundraising platform itself. These apply to virtually all online payments and are standard industry-wide.

Typical fees
Percentage per transaction + small flat fee

Tip-Based Pricing

Some platforms advertise “free” software supported by optional donor tips. Supporters are prompted at checkout to add a voluntary tip — often 10%, 15%, 20% or more — to support the platform.

Common tip prompts
10% · 15% · 20%+ (usually adjustable or removable)

How Pricing Models Affect Checkout Completion

Based on normalized analysis from tens of thousands of raffle transactions, different pricing structures produce very different results — not because of the fee amount, but because of how the checkout experience affects supporter behavior.

Analysis based on normalized data across thousands of nonprofit raffle campaigns on the Chance2Win platform.
Pricing Model Incremental Abandonment Typical Impact
Organization-paid pricing 0% ✓ Normal purchase behavior
Supporter service fee (~12%) ~1% Minimal impact
Service charge 11–14% 1–2% Slight friction
Tip prompt around 15% ~25% Major hesitation
Tip prompts 17–30% 30–40% Severe abandonment

Organization-paid pricing
Incremental Abandonment
0%
Typical Impact

✓ Normal purchase behavior

Supporter service fee (~12%)
Incremental Abandonment
~1%
Typical Impact

Minimal impact

Service charge 11–14%
Incremental Abandonment
1–2%
Typical Impact

Slight friction

Tip prompt around 15%
Incremental Abandonment
~25%
Typical Impact

Major hesitation

Tip prompts 17–30%
Incremental Abandonment
30–40%
Typical Impact

Severe abandonment

💡
The biggest difference between fundraising platforms is often not the fee percentage. It’s how the checkout experience influences supporter behavior. A platform with a lower headline fee but aggressive tip prompts can quietly cost your organization thousands in lost ticket sales.

What This Looks Like on a $50,000 Raffle

Even when two platforms appear similar on paper, checkout design can dramatically influence your final results. Here’s how the same fundraiser plays out across three different pricing models.
BEST OUTCOME

Organization-Paid Pricing
$50,000
Clean, frictionless checkout. Supporters see exactly what they expected to pay. No surprises, no hesitation.

✓ Baseline — full goal reached

GOOD OUTCOME

Supporter Service Fee Model
~$49,500
Transparent upfront fee at checkout. Supporters understand what they’re paying. Minimal impact on completion rates.

~$500 below goal (~1% drop)

AT RISK

Tip-Prompt Platforms
~$32,500
Aggressive tip prompts late in checkout cause significant abandonment. Supporters feel surprised and uneasy — many don’t complete the purchase.

~$17,500 below goal (30–35% drop)

The lesson: A platform with a “free” headline can cost your organization far more in lost revenue than a straightforward paid model. When evaluating platforms, always ask to see real checkout flows — not just the pricing page.

Why Fee Structure Matters More Than Fee Percentage

When nonprofits start comparing platforms, the instinct is to sort by the headline fee percentage. It’s a reasonable starting point. But in practice, it’s rarely the most important number.

Raffle buyers approach checkout expecting to pay the advertised price. When unexpected fees or tip prompts appear late in the process, a meaningful share of supporters decide not to complete the transaction.

This isn’t unique to raffles — it’s well-documented consumer behavior. The “checkout abandonment” problem is why e-commerce companies invest heavily in streamlined payment flows. The same principle applies directly to fundraising.

Simple, predictable checkout flows consistently produce stronger fundraising results. The platform that lets your supporters buy a $50 ticket for $50 — or with a clearly disclosed fee upfront — will almost always outperform a platform that surprises them at the end.

📞 From the Raffle Hotline

“Which platform has the lowest fee?”

It’s one of the most common questions nonprofit organizers ask us. And it’s a fair one. But after supporting thousands of raffle fundraisers, what organizations consistently discover is this: the visible fee is only one piece of the equation. Platforms with complicated or surprise-heavy checkout flows can quietly reduce ticket sales through abandoned purchases — often far more than the fee savings were ever worth.

Choose How Your Fundraiser Pays Platform Fees

Chance2Win gives nonprofits two clear pricing paths. This keeps the buying experience predictable and lets organizations choose the model that best fits their budget and fundraising goals.
Supporter-paid

Zero Fee

$0, Zero, Zilch, Nada
Best for organizations that want a completely free platform cost on the organization side.
  • CheckmarkOrganization pays nothing
  • CheckmarkSupporter service fee shown clearly at checkout
  • CheckmarkOrganization keeps the full ticket price
  • CheckmarkMinimal measurable checkout friction
Example bundle: 10-ticket bundle at $50 + service fee. Organization still receives the full $50 ticket revenue.

Payments Processed through

Choose Zero Fee
Organization-paid

Premium Plan (Most Popular)

Starting at $329.00

Best for organizations that want the cleanest possible checkout and the highest completion rates.
  • CheckmarkNo services fees shown to supporters to Organization can opt to collect service fees
  • CheckmarkClean checkout process
  • CheckmarkHighest purchase completion rates
  • CheckmarkGreat fit for larger raffles and higher-value prizes
Example bundle: 10-ticket bundle at $50. Supporter pays $50. Organization receives $50.

Easily connects to



Choose Premium

Why Organizations Trust the Chance2Win Team

We didn’t build a generic fundraising platform and bolt on raffle features. We built the raffle platform first — and have been refining it for nearly two decades alongside the nonprofits who use it every day.
20
Years in Online Raffle Fundraising
The Chance2Win team helped pioneer online raffle fundraising nearly 20 years ago. Over the past decade, the platform has supported thousands of nonprofit campaigns and events of every size.
Purpose-Built Infrastructure
Built specifically for nonprofit raffles — not adapted from generic fundraising tools
Hybrid Online + In-Person
Accept cash, check, and online tickets in one unified system
Transparent Pricing
Two clear options. No hidden fees, no surprise prompts at checkout
Reliable Reporting
Real-time sales tracking, ticket management, and drawing tools
Real Human Support
Actual people answering your questions — by phone, not just chat bots

Raffle Mastery: The Complete Book to Running Profitable Nonprofit Raffles

120+ pages of real-world raffle strategy drawn from nearly 20 years of experience supporting thousands of nonprofit fundraisers. Ticket pricing psychology, bundle tactics, promotion strategies, compliance checkpoints, and the common mistakes that kill raffle revenue.
  • CheckmarkTicket pricing strategies that increase average order value
  • CheckmarkBundle psychology — why the right packages outperform discounts
  • CheckmarkHybrid event playbooks for in-person + online sales
  • CheckmarkCommon compliance mistakes and how to avoid them
Download Free Ebook
Normally $19. Free when you join our occasional nonprofit raffle newsletter.

Fundraising Platform Fees FAQ

These answers are written for search intent, supporter clarity, and conversion. The language stays plain on purpose.

K
L

Are fundraising platforms really free?

Some fundraising platforms advertise themselves as free because the organization does not pay the platform directly. Instead, they rely on donor tips during checkout, often in the 15% to 29% range. The prompt may be technically optional, but it still adds friction and can reduce completed purchases.
K
L

What percentage do fundraising platforms take?

It depends on the pricing model. Tip-prompt platforms often suggest 15% to 29% tips. Supporter service fee models often land in the 10% to 15% range. Organization-paid platform pricing is usually a flat fee. Each model funds software, payment processing, security, and support differently.
K
L

What is a donor tip fundraising platform?

A donor tip fundraising platform funds its software through optional tips shown during checkout. Supporters are asked to leave a percentage tip to help cover platform costs. These tools are often marketed as free to nonprofits because the organization is not billed directly, but the checkout still asks the supporter to carry the cost.
K
L

Which fundraising platform has the lowest fees?

The lowest fee depends on how the organization wants costs handled. Some nonprofits prefer supporter-paid service fee models because the organization pays nothing while keeping the full ticket price. Others prefer organization-paid platform pricing because it removes all extra charges at checkout and can maximize completed purchases. The strongest choice is the one that supports total funds raised, not just the lowest headline fee.

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    With Chance2Win you can sell raffle tickets online, manage entries automatically, run compliant raffle drawings, and maximize completed purchases.
    • CheckmarkSell raffle tickets online
    • CheckmarkManage entries automatically
    • CheckmarkRun compliant raffle drawings
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