Fundraising Platform Comparison

Recent press has covered some of the misgivings around group collecting, with concerns over excessive fees and hidden costs for charities to extract generous donations. Here we provide a fundraising platform comparison and information on how Collection Pot provides transparent fees.

How can you ensure your donations are going to the right place and can group collecting be improved to be better for everyone? Collection Pot is a UK-based business on a mission to make group collections fun, simple and secure, and they are making great progress in providing an alternative solution to how people accept donations online.

Collecting in the office

Workplace collections are higher than they ever were before the pandemic and this is alongside charitable collections too. Collection Pot believes it’s important for everyone to understand how charges are made when they start to raise funds.

CEO Wendy Carter believes that many generous contributions are made without looking at the different fees between platforms.

“We totally understand why there is an interest in the media ‘naming and shaming’ some donation platforms, but no one should be made to feel foolish for donating to a cause they feel passionate about. It can be so easy to use the online fundraising platform you’ve used every time, but there are different rates and sometimes it can be easy to misunderstand the fees.”

“With Collection Pot we aim to make it simple; it is totally free to create an account, free to create unlimited Collection Pots and as no one should pay to receive their gift, withdrawing a Collection Pot is also completely free. We charge no fees for charities to be listed, or monthly subscriptions and no fees for processing Gift Aid. The only cost to anyone contributing to a collection is the payment processing fee and for that, we have an industry-low transaction fee of 1.9% + 20p.”

The table above is related to charges for ‘crowd funding’, not charitable collections. Accurate as of February, 2023.

Collection Pot = 1.9% + 20p = 40p
JustGiving = 2.9% + 25p = 54p
GoFundMe = 2.9% + 25p = 54p
Crowdfunder = 1.9% + 23p + (3% platform fee) = 73p

Alongside other platforms, Collection Pot offers the facility for contributors to add a voluntary top-up or tip to their contribution. This is a totally optional amount that Collection Pot uses to cover the card processing costs, before investing the remainder into new feature developments, keeping customers’ funds secure and maintaining our personal approach to customer service.

Personalised, simple and fun way to collect money online for any occasion

Adam Stevens, Chief of Operations, comments: “when we started the Collection Pot platform, we wanted to offer a service that was fun, safe, and ethically fair. We pride ourselves on great service, which means we pick up the phone! We continue to invest in security for the collectors, and listen to feedback from our customers. Users told us that they didn’t want to show individual contributions, so we removed that option, that way there’s no shaming and all Pots are private”.

“When it’s time to spend a Pot, there are over 60 gift card options including high street stores, local businesses and city retailers, together with an option to withdraw the balance quickly and securely using your debit card”.

“We have operating costs like any other business, and aim to keep them as low as we can. We believe that the overall experience of securely making online donations, or the pleasure of being able to withdraw a balance instantly is far superior to the days of receiving coins in an envelope”.

“When it comes to any group collection, fees will always be an emotive issue. In the end, what might matter most, is choosing a platform that has its customers at heart”.

Elaine Keep

Elaine Keep is an accomplished content writer with over 15 years of experience in the field of marketing and content creation for many leading brands, where she shares her passion for research and helping others through her articles. You can also find her in 'mum mode', walking in the countryside or enjoying the dreamy combo of a new non-fiction book with a tea and chocolate bar to hand.

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