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Event.Gives vs Givebutter: Which Platform is Right for Your Needs?

Written by
Quinn Wilder
April 3, 2024
5 mins
two female event organizers overlooking their event being set up

Choosing the right fundraising platform can be pivotal for your nonprofit’s success. In this article, we directly compare Givebutter vs Event.Gives, delving into features, user experience, and cost implications to guide your decision with clarity and confidence. Discover which platform offers the best value and aligns with your fundraising objectives as you read on.

Key Takeaways

  • Both Event.Gives and Givebutter offer robust peer-to-peer fundraising, auctions, and a user-friendly interface, but with differentiating exclusive features and support services tailored for nonprofit fundraising events.
  • Event.Gives provides clear online pricing, listing all fees upfront, which includes a pricing calculator for event organizers to estimate their costs effectively. Conversely, Givebutter operates on a 'tips' model, where platform fees are optional. Donors have the option to leave tips to support the service, aiming for transparency in cost without mandatory fees.
  • Deciding between Event.Gives and Givebutter should be based on a nonprofit’s specific priorities, such as flexibility for customization, real-time engagement tools, and their alignment with the organization’s fundraising strategy, event management needs, and budget.

Evaluating Event.Gives and Givebutter: A Feature-to-Feature Showdown

Both Event.Gives and Givebutter offer a plethora of features designed to streamline your fundraising efforts. From customizable online donation forms to secure payment acceptance, these platforms have gone the extra mile to cater to the needs of nonprofits. But how do they fare when pitted against each other? We’ll conduct a thorough feature-to-feature comparison to determine the superior platform.

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Face-off

Peer-to-Peer fundraising is a potent strategy, leveraging the networks of individual supporters to raise funds on behalf of your cause through effective fundraising campaigns. Both Event.Gives and Givebutter offer robust peer-to-peer fundraising capabilities, helping you reach your fundraising goals.

Event.Gives offers the following features:

  • Fundraisers can create personalized event pages complete with their unique stories and goals, fostering a strong sense of community among supporters.
  • The platform integrates social media features, which are instrumental in spreading the word about campaigns and leading to an expanded donor base.
  • Event.Gives simplifies the donation process by offering various payment options, making it easy for supporters to contribute.
  • Golf.Gives, an Event.Gives product, offers a specialized peer-to-peer fundraising platform tailored for golf tournaments and charity events, providing an engaging way to connect with donors and raise funds on the green.

On the other hand, Givebutter excels in offering:

  • A comprehensive suite of peer-to-peer fundraising tools
  • Strong donor relationship management
  • A user-friendly interface

The platform allows donors to give directly on a website through embedded donation forms and QR codes, ensuring a seamless and convenient donation process.

Simplifying the Auction Process

Auctions can serve as a powerful fundraising tool, providing an engaging and interactive way for donors to contribute. Givebutter has revolutionized the auction process with features that make bidding more straightforward and enjoyable. The platform offers two types of bidding options: standard bidding and automated bidding.

With standard bidding, participants enter a bid manually for a single time, creating an exciting competitive environment as individuals place their individual bid amounts. In the event of multiple participants setting the same maximum bid, Givebutter uses bid timestamps to determine the winner, ensuring a fair and transparent process. To participate in the bidding process, all that’s required is registration on the platform and a logged-in account, making participation accessible to all interested donors.

User Experience: Interface and Ease of Use

User experience is a critical factor to consider when choosing a fundraising platform. Both Event.Gives and Givebutter prioritize providing a user-friendly and intuitive interface. Event.Gives features a minimalist design that simplifies bidding and donations. Organizers can swiftly set up fundraising event websites and sell tickets through the platform, leading to a quality experience for all involved.

Givebutter, on the other hand, shines in its capacity for campaign creation, offering a tailored interface that makes setting up campaigns a breeze. Individual participants also have the opportunity to engage potential donors through user-friendly personal fundraiser pages, making the platform a versatile tool for various fundraising strategies.

Pre-Event and Day-of Support Services

women looking at her phone

Having reliable support services can drastically enhance the success of your fundraising events. Both Event.Gives and Givebutter offer a range of support services designed to ensure your event runs smoothly, including:

  • Assistance with event planning
  • Technical support during the event
  • Training and onboarding for your team
  • Dedicated customer support

These completely free services are designed to help you every step of the way, from the planning stages to the day of the event itself, ensuring everything runs smoothly within just a few seconds.

We’ll explore the specifics of these services to better understand their potential benefits to your nonprofit.

The Consultation Advantage

One standout feature of Event.Gives is its free consultation service available Monday through Friday, designed to cater to organizers’ event needs. This service aims to create a tailored success strategy by integrating the organizer’s firsthand insights with Event.Gives’ extensive experience in event management.

A dedicated team of ‘Fanatics’ forms part of Event.Gives’ consultation service, providing free pre-event consulting and coaching to guide event organizers towards a successful outcome. Furthermore, the Event.Gives support team is ready to help seven days a week, ensuring personalized assistance is always at hand to aid in the success of your fundraising events.

Support When It Counts

When it comes to day-of support, Event.Gives has integrated features to streamline the event check-in process, such as ticket scanners, while also enabling easy post-event checkout with mobile capabilities. However, there are key differences in their support availability. Event.Gives provides customer support seven days a week and specifically offers live support desk services on weekends for events. Givebutter, on the other hand, offers support from Monday to Friday, excluding specific holidays, which could influence the support available during event times.

Despite these differences, both platforms provide personalized support to event organizers, with dedicated success teams and a reputation for responsive and helpful assistance that contributes directly to the success of fundraising events.

Event.Gives offers affordable day-of support options that can be an essential asset for nonprofits in managing their events smoothly.

On the other hand, Givebutter’s mobile app offers the following features:

  • Facilitates raffle tickets scanning
  • Helps with accepting donations during the event
  • Showcases fundraising progress and track donations
  • Makes mobile giving straightforward.

Pricing Models Unveiled: Event.Gives vs Givebutter

While both Event.Gives and Givebutter are marketed as free to use, they operate on fee-based pricing models. This makes it crucial for nonprofits to understand the potential costs associated with each platform before making a decision.

In the next sections, we’ll break down these pricing models to help you understand their impact on your fundraising expenses.

Understanding Platform Fees

Platform fees are a crucial aspect of the overall cost when running a fundraising event. Event.Gives distinguishes itself with its clear online pricing structure, whereas Givebutter offers its core features without mandatory platform fees, suggesting donors may contribute optional tips to support the platform's maintenance instead. Event.Gives stands out with its transparent online pricing. They provide all fee details upfront and offer a pricing calculator for event organizers to estimate their costs effectively, ensuring transparency and allowing nonprofits to plan their budgets with precision.

As such, it’s crucial for nonprofits to be aware of all potential fees when selecting a fundraising platform, including transaction fees and any other charges that may apply.

Additional Donations and Their Impact

In addition to platform fees, it’s important to consider the management of additional donations. Givebutter facilitates the integration and tracking of offline donations, such as cash or checks, alongside online contributions. This enables a unified approach to managing all forms of donations. Nonprofits have the option to manually record offline donations or to process them through online donation forms, ensuring all contributions are accounted for in their fundraising strategy.

Moreover, Givebutter’s reporting tools provide the functionality to filter, sort, and export transaction reports and campaign data, aiding in the assessment of fundraising performance. Understanding the treatment of additional donations is essential for nonprofits to accurately evaluate the potential costs and net revenue from their fundraising activities.

The Unique Offerings: What Sets Each Platform Apart

man sitting at desk

For a nonprofit to choose the right fundraising platform, it’s crucial to consider what sets each platform apart. Both Event.Gives and Givebutter offer unique features that can greatly enhance your fundraising efforts.

In the next sections, we’ll dissect these unique offerings to help you differentiate between the two platforms.

Exclusive Event.Gives Features

Event.Gives offers a host of exclusive features that set it apart from other fundraising platforms. For instance, its real-time engagement tools, such as auctions and donations, add excitement and interactivity to live fundraising activities. The platform also offers unique fundraising capabilities such as vote-to-donate events, which can significantly enhance donor participation.

One of the critical distinguishing features of Event.Gives is its provision for instant payouts, providing nonprofits timely access to funds raised during their events. Further catering to event organizers, Event.Gives offers printable templates for item cards and paddle numbers, which include QR codes and custom event information to streamline the event experience.

Givebutter’s Standout Tools

Givebutter offers a range of standout tools that make it a compelling choice for nonprofits. The platform enables personalized donor engagement through its built-in thank you letter feature, allowing nonprofits to send customized thank-you notes directly through the platform. It also offers advanced fundraising tools, such as:

  • automated bidding systems
  • team fundraising features
  • trackable links
  • customizable individual fundraising pages
  • the ability to manage bid amounts

These features empower participants and make Givebutter a powerful tool for nonprofits.

Additionally, Givebutter offers the following features that contribute significantly to the platform’s effectiveness in engaging donors and running successful fundraisers:

  • Comprehensive contact management system
  • Advanced reporting tools
  • Direct texting capabilities
  • Automated messaging

Integrations and Compatibility: Working with Other Apps

The ability to integrate with other apps can greatly streamline nonprofit management and event planning. Both Givebutter and Event.Gives offer integration capabilities with essential services for event management, including:

  • Streaming platforms
  • Event registration apps
  • Marketing tools
  • Email automation systems

Such integrations enhance efficiency in nonprofit organization management by allowing organizations to leverage the benefits of various tools, including donor management, through a single platform, providing a comprehensive solution for their fundraising needs.

Making the Decision: Your Nonprofit's Priorities

Ultimately, the decision between Event.Gives and Givebutter should be guided by your nonprofit’s priorities and needs. While both platforms offer a range of beneficial features, their suitability will depend on factors such as your fundraising strategy, event management needs, and budget constraints.

Givebutter, for instance, offers a high degree of flexibility in designing campaigns or events, making it a suitable choice for nonprofits seeking customizable solutions. Take the time to consider how each platform’s offerings align with your specific priorities and needs – your perfect fundraising platform is out there waiting for you.

Summary

After an exhaustive evaluation of Event.Gives and Givebutter, it becomes apparent that each platform possesses a comprehensive suite of features adept at bolstering the fundraising efforts of nonprofit organizations. Event.Gives shines with its transparent pricing and specialized features for live event engagement, while Givebutter appeals with its tip-based pricing model and extensive donor engagement tools. Both platforms facilitate user-friendly experiences, enabling organizations to create, manage, and execute fundraising campaigns with relative ease. The platforms also offer nuanced tools and services, such as real-time engagement features and customizable campaign pages, which cater to various fundraising preferences and strategies.

When it comes to selecting the most suitable platform, nonprofits should weigh their unique requirements against the offerings of each service. Factors such as the need for immediate access to funds, the importance of seamless auction experiences, and the desire for comprehensive integrations with other applications should be thoroughly considered. Event.Gives and Givebutter both strive to provide valuable support to nonprofits through their distinct features and services, yet the decision hinges on the alignment of these features with the nonprofit's specific objectives and operational framework.

In conclusion, this detailed comparison equips nonprofit decision-makers with the necessary information to discern which platform—Event.Gives or Givebutter—will most effectively meet their fundraising objectives and support their mission. The final choice rests on a careful consideration of each platform's capabilities and how they match the nonprofit's strategic priorities and budgetary considerations.

Givebutter Pricing Compared to Event.Gives Pricing

Nonprofit organizations work tirelessly to raise funds for their cause and when considering which software to use, the cost of the platform is of course, a top consideration. Givebutter does not offer a Flexible Fees pricing model, meaning that the organization will pay all fees. 

Mobile bidding platforms can raise funds by 30-50%, surpassing the cost difference between plans. Event.Gives and Givebutter are both free to use. Both platforms have fee-based pricing models, with Event.Gives charging total 0 - 8% in fees, and Givebutter charging 2.9 - 7.9% in fees. With Event.Gives, you can have a free event if attendees cover all fees. Givebutter does not allow attendees to cover credit card fees, just platform. The total cost to your organization varies on how much you raise and how many attendees choose to cover fees. Previous customers have shared Givebutter pricing on galapricing.com, aiding in direct comparisons. NOTE: As with any pricing, please confirm pricing with Givebutter directly as costs may have adjusted and may continue to adjust in the future. 

Here is an overview of the feature comparisons and the pricing breakdown is shown on slide 3.

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Ready To Make Your Next Event A Success?

Both platforms have great reviews and are well respected in the industry, so as you consider what platform is best for your next event, it will come down to your top priorities. 

  • If your organization utilizes extensive peer-to-peer fundraising, Givebutter’s approach may be the best option.
  • For pre-event consulting and day-of-event support, Event.Gives is the winner.
  • If you are wanting to use the max bid feature, until Event.Gives unlocks Max Bid on their platform, you are better suited to use Givebutter. 
  • Event.Gives shines with table management and instant payout, offering a seamless end-to-end experience

In terms of pricing, Event.Gives' affordability and flexible fee structure make it a compelling choice. 

Navigating the intricate landscape of modern fundraising technology requires event organizers to carefully consider suitability and budget constraints. This comprehensive analysis delves into fundraising software, spotlighting two prominent contenders: Givebutter and Event.Gives. This examination, focusing on optimizing value through cost-effective solutions, meticulously dissects the structures of Givebutter Pricing, aiming to empower event organizers with well-informed decisions. By thoroughly evaluating the pricing models, features, and capabilities of both platforms, this comparison serves as an invaluable compass for those pursuing a harmonious blend of functionality and budget-consciousness. Our primary goal is to guide you toward a thoughtful choice that seamlessly aligns with your event goals while meeting your budget requirements.

Want to know more about Event.Gives? Book a demo, or join us for our monthly topic-based demos! 

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