GiveSmart vs. Event.Gives: Features and Pricing Comparison

Step into a comprehensive exploration of GiveSmart's pricing and plan features within the dynamic world of fundraising technology. This in-depth blog juxtaposes the platform's capabilities and expenses with Event.Gives for a well-rounded comparison. Regardless of your experience level in fundraising, our intention is to provide you with the knowledge necessary to make a well-informed choice for your fundraising ventures. Join us on this journey as we navigate the nuanced terrain of GiveSmart's pricing strategies and the spectrum of features available across its plans, arming you with valuable insights to navigate the fundraising realm with clarity.

Strengths of Event.Gives

When it comes to hosting live events, Event.Gives shines as a premier platform that seamlessly integrates technology for your attendees. Its user-friendly interface caters to all attendees, making bidding and donating comfortable and intuitive. This attendee-centric design ensures a confident experience, while its streamlined setup, professional appearance, and live-streaming capabilities contribute to a successful event, even accommodating remote guests. 

Event.Gives goes the extra mile with complimentary pre-event consultation and coaching, imparting valuable strategies to boost donations during your event. Additionally, their affordable day-of support options provide organizers with peace of mind, offering dedicated assistance for smooth event execution, both remotely and on-site.

Strengths of GiveSmart

GiveSmart stands out as a formidable contender in fundraising technology, boasting an array of strengths that empower nonprofits to elevate their events and campaigns. With a versatile and user-friendly interface, GiveSmart provides a seamless experience for organizers and attendees. Its intuitive platform allows for easy event setup, enabling nonprofits to launch auctions, raffles, and donation campaigns quickly. Moreover, GiveSmart's emphasis on customization allows organizations to tailor their events to match their branding and objectives, fostering a stronger connection with their audience.

Another notable strength of GiveSmart lies in its comprehensive suite of features. From mobile bidding to online donation capabilities, GiveSmart's all-in-one platform simplifies event management, reducing the need for multiple tools. The platform's integration with live-streaming technology further enhances engagement, allowing remote participants to participate in the event actively. GiveSmart's commitment to data analytics and reporting equips nonprofits with actionable insights into donor behavior, enabling them to refine their strategies and optimize fundraising efforts. Overall, GiveSmart's combination of usability, customization, and robust feature set positions it as a compelling solution for nonprofits seeking effective fundraising technology.

Unique Features for Event.Gives

Event.Gives offers features closely aligned with Greater Giving's Expert+ plan, including capabilities for live and silent auctions. However, Event.Gives introduces distinctive elements:‍

1. Ticket Scanner

One distinctive feature that sets Event.Gives apart from GiveSmart for fundraising events is Event.Gives’ advanced ticket scanner capability. Event.Gives offers a seamless ticket scanning process, allowing event organizers to manage attendee entry and enhance the event experience effortlessly. This feature ensures a smooth and line-free check-in process, contributing to a more organized and enjoyable event for attendees and organizers.

2. Consignment Items Integration

Event.Gives has a consignment integration with GoCharity, where you can seamlessly add items from the consignment storefront to your event with a button click. This quick and easy process allows you to add items and sell duplicate items to attendees who were outbid during the auction, which could double or triple your fundraising revenue. While GiveSmart accommodates consignment items, their platform lacks an integrated consignment item store.

3. Instant Payout

Event.Gives' instant payout feature is a notable distinction from GiveSmart for fundraising events. By utilizing Stripe as their payment processor, Event.Gives offers the flexibility to configure settings for immediate fund transfers into your bank account, ensuring timely access to raised funds in the lead-up to and during your event. In contrast, while GiveSmart allows regular payout requests, they do not have instant payout as an option. Event.Gives' instant payout mechanism thus provides a streamlined and efficient approach to fund accessibility, setting it apart as an advantageous choice for fundraising events.

4. Printable Items

Event.Gives has templated printables built to pull all the custom information you provide about your items or events to save you time and money. You can export item cards that pull the photo, QR code for the item, and item description from your event as a ready-to-print file. The platform also allows you to export paddle numbers using your brand color, including the name and table number for each guest and the QR code to the items and donate page again as a print-ready file. The GiveSmart software allows you to export the QR code, but you need to make your own item cards.

Unique Features for GiveSmart

The GiveSmart plans are robust options for live events and distinguishes themselves through the following features:

1. Max Bid

GiveSmart empowers bidders to set maximum bids, automatically placing new bids until reaching their specified limit. This is a strategic feature that increases engagement in silent auctions and can make an impact on funds raised. While Event.Gives is developing this feature, it's not yet available. 

2. Thank You Letters

One of the standout features of GiveSmart is its built-in thank you letter feature, which offers a convenient way to express gratitude to donors directly through the platform. This personalized touch allows nonprofits to send heartfelt thank-you letters to their supporters, enhancing the donor experience and strengthening relationships. Unlike Event.Gives, GiveSmart's thank you letter feature streamlines the process, saving time and ensuring that donors receive timely acknowledgment for their contributions. This simple yet impactful tool reflects GiveSmart's commitment to facilitating meaningful interactions between nonprofits and their supporters, adding an extra layer of appreciation to the fundraising journey.‍

3. Peer-to-Peer

GiveSmart offers peer-to-peer functionality, for donation pages and traditional peer-to-peer fundraising, where Event.Gives does not have the ability for supporters to create personal campaign pages to fundraise on an organization’s behalf. One thing to note is that the peer-to-peer features are an add-on plan that is an additional $295. While Event.Gives does not have the full realm of peer-to-peer functionality, you can set up donation pages on behalf of your supporters to use as a campaign, and you can hold vote-to-donate events. 

GiveSmart Pricing Compared to Event.Gives Pricing

Nonprofit organizations invest unwavering efforts in fundraising to support their causes, and selecting the right fundraising software is of paramount importance, with platform costs taking center stage. As previously highlighted, GiveSmart's Expert plan closely mirrors Event.Gives' platform, particularly because GiveSmart's Champion plan excludes consulting and 1:1 customer support.

The financial aspect of fundraising platforms carries significant weight in the decision-making process for nonprofits. Event.Gives' platform comes at no cost, but it involves fees tied to processed transactions, whereas GiveSmart's approach entails a baseline fee in addition to credit card fees. Given the differing pricing structures of the two companies, understanding their comparison can be intricate. Valuable insights from pricing data shared by previous GiveSmart customers are accessible on galapricing.com, simplifying direct comparisons.

Here is an overview of the feature comparisons and a pricing breakdown shown on slide 4. 

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Ready To Make Your Event A Success?

Both platforms have received praise from users and hold a strong reputation within the industry. As you consider the best platform for your upcoming event, your specific priorities will play a pivotal role in shaping your decision.

• If your organization utilizes extensive peer-to-peer fundraising, GiveSmart's approach stands out and may be the best option.
• Event.Gives offers a robust option for enhanced support during the event preparation phase for a cheaper price than GiveSmart.
• For those interested in leveraging the max bid feature, choosing GiveSmart is a prudent choice until Event.Gives incorporates Max Bid capabilities into their platform.
• Event.Gives particularly excels with its offerings of supplementary consignment items and printable templates, making it a more budget-conscious alternative.

When it comes to pricing, Event.Gives shines with its affordability and the flexibility of its fee structure, making it an attractive option for your fundraising event.

If you decide to work with Event.Gives, you'll have access to a team of event experts who will guide you through the planning process, from creating your event site to post-event reporting. With Event.Gives, you can rest assured that you have a team of experienced professionals supporting you every step of the way, ensuring that your fundraising event is a success!