Voluntary contribution: what happens if donors don't contribute
What Happens If Donors Don’t Contribute to Zeffy?
The short answer: Your nonprofit will always receive 100% of the donations made through Zeffy, even if a donor chooses not to leave a contribution to support us. Thankfully this works really well
Around 60% of donors choose to leave a voluntary contribution, and that’s what allows us to keep Zeffy completely free for over 50,000 nonprofits.
What if no one contributes?
That’s totally okay. Our model is made to support all charities, even those who don’t bring in any revenue.
In extremely rare cases - and we truly mean rare - a nonprofit might raise very large amounts via credit card with little or no donor contributions.
When that happens, Zeffy ends up covering unusually high processing fees. If that were to happen to your organization (but again, super unlikely!), here’s what we would do:
We’d personally reach out and explain the situation
We’ll work with you to understand what’s going on and find a solution that works for Zeffy and your organization. Sometimes, that may include setting a temporary credit card payment limit on the form, while still allowing larger gifts by ACH or bank transfer (which don’t have the same costs for us).
And we’d offer tips or support to help increase donor awareness of how Zeffy stays free
This is not something nonprofits need to worry about.
But if this ever comes up, our goal is to support you, not to penalize you. We’ll have a conversation, offer clarity, and find a way forward that protects your fundraising and Zeffy’s ability to stay 100% free for everyone.