Raisely for Nonprofits
Free AI-powered fundraising platform that automatically optimizes donation amounts to increase giving by 12%, helping your nonprofit raise more with the same traffic through machine learning that continuously improves results.
What It Does
Spending hours building beautiful donation forms only to see the same predictable results? Unsure whether to suggest $50 or $100 donation amounts, so you just guess and hope for the best?
Raisely uses artificial intelligence to solve one of fundraising's most persistent challenges: finding the optimal donation amounts that maximize both conversion rates and gift sizes. While you're creating campaigns and engaging donors, Raisely's Intelligent Amounts feature is continuously running thousands of experiments to discover which donation suggestions work best—then automatically shows those winning combinations to more visitors.
The result? Your nonprofit raises 12% more per donation session without any additional marketing spend, email campaigns, or traffic. The same donors, the same campaigns—just smarter suggestions powered by machine learning.
Best For
Organization Size
- Small to mid-sized nonprofits (1-50 staff)
- Grassroots organizations with limited budgets
- Charities seeking zero-cost fundraising solutions
Best Use Cases
- Peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns
- Event fundraising and ticket sales
- Organizations wanting to optimize donation amounts
- Nonprofits running recurring giving programs
Ideal For
- Development Directors optimizing fundraising
- Marketing Managers running online campaigns
- Executive Directors seeking cost-effective solutions
Key Features for Nonprofits
AI Intelligent Amounts
Machine learning that optimizes donation suggestions automatically
Continuously tests different donation amount sets with different visitors, learning which combinations drive more conversions and larger gifts. Increases per-session fundraising by 12% without manual A/B testing.
- Shares intelligence across all Raisely campaigns
- Works automatically—enabled by default for new campaigns
- Learns from thousands of campaigns to benefit your organization
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
Empower supporters to fundraise on your behalf
Create campaigns where individual fundraisers get personalized profile pages to track their progress, share with networks, and engage supporters directly.
- Customizable fundraiser pages with progress bars
- Team-based fundraising with leaderboards
- Social sharing tools to amplify reach
One-Click Giving
Reduce friction with digital wallet support
Accept donations through Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and traditional credit cards—all optimized for mobile devices where most donors give.
- 100% mobile-responsive donation forms
- Instant checkout with saved payment methods
- Reduces abandonment by minimizing form fields
Event Management
Sell tickets and manage event fundraising seamlessly
Run galas, auctions, walks, and other fundraising events with integrated ticketing, registration management, and live progress tracking.
- Tiered ticket pricing and early bird discounts
- Attendee management and check-in tools
- Real-time fundraising thermometers for event displays
Recurring Giving
Build sustainable revenue with monthly donors
Easily set up and manage recurring donation programs to create predictable revenue streams and increase donor lifetime value.
- Automated recurring payment processing
- Donor self-service portal for updating payment details
- Customizable giving frequencies (weekly, monthly, yearly)
Velora Suite Integration
Part of integrated nonprofit cloud platform
As part of the Velora suite (alongside Aplos and Keela), Raisely offers native integrations for accounting and donor management workflows.
- Single Sign-On across Aplos, Raisely, and Keela
- Automatic data sync between fundraising, CRM, and accounting
- Unified reporting across all platforms
How This Tool Uses AI
Raisely's AI capabilities are focused specifically on one powerful use case: optimizing donation amount suggestions through machine learning. Here's what's actually AI-powered and what's not.
What's Actually AI-Powered
Intelligent Amounts: Machine Learning Optimization
Type of AI:
Multi-armed bandit algorithm (a type of reinforcement learning) that balances exploration (testing new amount combinations) with exploitation (showing winning combinations more often)
What it does:
Shows different sets of donation amounts to different visitors (e.g., one person sees $30/$50/$100, another sees $50/$100/$200). Continuously measures which combinations lead to more conversions and higher average donations, then shows successful combinations to more visitors.
How it learns:
Uses data from all Raisely campaigns (thousands of nonprofits) to identify patterns, then refines suggestions based on your specific campaign's performance over time. For new campaigns, it starts with collective intelligence; after a few hundred donations, it optimizes specifically for your donors.
Practical impact:
Instead of guessing whether to suggest $25, $50, or $100, the AI discovers that your donors respond best to $40/$75/$150 suggestions—and automatically uses those amounts. Result: 12% increase in per-session fundraising on average.
What's NOT AI (But Still Useful)
- •
Donation Forms:
Mobile-responsive, customizable forms are well-designed but not AI-generated
- •
Campaign Analytics:
Progress tracking, donor reports, and fundraising metrics are standard analytics, not AI-driven insights
- •
Peer-to-Peer Features:
Individual fundraiser pages, team leaderboards, and social sharing are traditional platform features
- •
Payment Processing:
Integration with credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay is standard payment gateway functionality
AI Transparency & Limitations
Data Requirements
New campaigns: Intelligent Amounts starts with collective data from all Raisely campaigns, so it works immediately—but it's not yet personalized to your donors.
After 100-200 donations: The AI has enough data to start optimizing specifically for your campaign and donor behavior patterns.
After 500+ donations: Fully optimized with strong confidence in what works best for your specific audience.
Human Oversight Still Required
You can toggle Intelligent Amounts on or off—useful if you're running a campaign with specific suggested amounts for a reason (e.g., "$25 sponsors one child's meal").
The AI optimizes for total fundraising (conversion × amount), but you still set the base amounts it can test. If you only want to suggest $10-$500 range, you can constrain it.
Intelligent Amounts doesn't write your campaign copy, design your page, or craft your fundraising story—those human elements still matter significantly.
Known Limitations
Low-traffic campaigns: If your campaign gets fewer than 50 visitors per month, there isn't enough data for the AI to learn meaningfully. The AI works best with moderate-to-high traffic.
Cultural/geographic variance: The collective intelligence is trained primarily on English-speaking donors. If you serve international audiences, results may vary.
Context-specific appeals: The AI doesn't understand your mission context. If you're asking for "$50 to sponsor a child," but the AI suggests $75, you'll need to decide if optimization or mission messaging matters more.
Data Privacy
Shared learning, private data: The AI learns patterns from aggregate data across all campaigns (anonymized), but your specific donor information remains private and is not shared.
Data ownership: You own all your donor data and can export it at any time in CSV format.
No training on personal data: The AI uses behavioral patterns (e.g., "visitors shown $50 donated more often"), not individual donor profiles or personal information.
When AI Adds Real Value vs. When It's Just Marketing
✅ Genuinely Useful AI
Donation amount optimization: Would take months of manual A/B testing and statistical analysis to discover what the AI learns automatically
Shared intelligence: Benefits from thousands of other campaigns' data—impossible to replicate on your own
Continuous improvement: Keeps learning as donor behavior evolves over time
❌ AI You Don't Need
Very small campaigns: If you get fewer than 500 donations per year total, manual testing of 3-5 amount sets would work fine
Fixed-amount appeals: If your campaign has a specific ask (e.g., "$50 sponsors one animal"), optimization doesn't apply
One-time events: If you're running a single event and won't repeat it, there's not enough time for the AI to learn meaningfully
Bottom Line
Raisely uses AI for one specific, high-impact application: optimizing donation amounts to maximize fundraising results. It's not using AI for every feature, which is actually a good sign—it means they've focused on where machine learning genuinely adds value. The 12% average increase in per-session fundraising is measurable and significant, making this a practical AI application rather than just marketing hype.
Real-World Nonprofit Use Case
From Guesswork to AI-Optimized Fundraising
The Scenario: A regional environmental nonprofit runs an annual peer-to-peer fundraising walk with 200+ individual fundraisers and typically raises $75,000. Their development director has always suggested donation amounts of $25, $50, $100, and $250 based on industry best practices—but had no idea if these were actually optimal for their donors.
The Implementation: They switched to Raisely for their next walk campaign and enabled Intelligent Amounts (which is on by default). The AI immediately started testing different amount combinations with different visitors, drawing from collective data across thousands of Raisely campaigns.
What the AI Discovered: Within the first 100 donations, the AI learned that this nonprofit's supporters responded better to $40, $75, $150, and $300 suggestions—slightly higher than their previous amounts but not so high as to discourage giving. The AI also discovered that mobile visitors (70% of their traffic) converted best with three options instead of four, reducing decision paralysis.
The Results: Without changing anything else about their campaign—same email outreach, same social media strategy, same donor base—they raised $84,500 (a 12.7% increase). The average donation increased from $58 to $66, and conversion rates improved slightly because the simplified mobile experience reduced form abandonment.
The Best Part: This optimization happened automatically. The development director didn't need to run manual A/B tests, analyze spreadsheets, or make educated guesses. The AI did the work while she focused on engaging donors and supporting volunteer fundraisers.
This is the power of AI applied to a specific, measurable problem: turning guesswork into data-driven optimization that improves results without requiring additional resources.
Pricing
100% Free for Nonprofits
No contracts, no subscriptions, no fundraising fees
Raisely is completely free for nonprofits and charities worldwide. There are no setup fees, no monthly subscriptions, no per-campaign charges, and no percentage taken from your donations.
All Features Included
AI Intelligent Amounts, peer-to-peer fundraising, event management, recurring giving, custom branding, integrations—everything is free with no tier restrictions
Optional Donor Tips
Raisely sustains itself through optional tips that donors can choose to leave at the time of donation. Tips are voluntary and unobtrusive—donors easily opt out if they prefer.
Only Payment Processing Fees
Standard payment processor fees apply (credit card and PayPal transaction fees), which you'd pay with any fundraising platform
Unlimited Campaigns
Create as many fundraising campaigns, events, and donation pages as you need—no limits on usage or donors
Note: Pricing information is subject to change. Please verify current pricing and terms directly with Raisely at raisely.com/pricing.
Nonprofit Pricing Model
💚 Already 100% Free for All Nonprofits
Unlike many fundraising platforms that offer "nonprofit discounts" on paid plans, Raisely is built from the ground up to be completely free for nonprofits and charities.
No Registration Required for Pricing
There's no special nonprofit discount to apply for—the platform is free by design for all charitable organizations
No Verification Process
Simply create an account and start fundraising—no need to submit 501(c)(3) documentation or wait for approval
Part of Velora Nonprofit Cloud
As part of the integrated Velora suite (with Aplos accounting and Keela CRM), Raisely is positioned as a nonprofit-first solution with free fundraising at its core
How Sustainable is "Free Forever"?
Raisely is backed by ASG (acquired 2023) and integrated with the Velora nonprofit cloud suite. The optional donor tip model provides sustainable revenue while keeping the platform free for nonprofits. Since launching, the platform has maintained its free model through multiple acquisitions and ownership changes.
Bottom line: While no "free forever" promise is guaranteed, Raisely's position within the broader Velora ecosystem and its proven track record suggest the free model is likely to continue long-term.
Learning Curve
Beginner to Intermediate
Easy to start, moderate complexity for advanced features
Time to First Value:
- Initial setup: 1-2 hours (create account, customize branding, build first donation page)
- First campaign: 30-45 minutes (clone a template, customize copy, publish)
- Proficiency: 1-2 weeks of regular use for comfort with all core features
- AI optimization: Intelligent Amounts works automatically—no learning required
Technical Requirements:
- Comfort with website builders (similar to WordPress or Squarespace page builders)
- Basic understanding of online fundraising concepts (campaigns, recurring giving, peer-to-peer)
- No coding required for standard features
- Optional: JavaScript knowledge for advanced customization
Support Available:
- Comprehensive Knowledge Base with step-by-step guides
- Email and chat support (users praise responsive Australian team)
- Well-written documentation (noted in reviews as a strength)
- Video tutorials and walkthroughs for common tasks
💡 Pro Tip
Start with a simple donation page to get comfortable with the platform, then expand to peer-to-peer or event fundraising once you understand the basics. The Intelligent Amounts AI works automatically from day one, so you don't need to learn anything special to benefit from optimization—just let it run.
Integration & Compatibility
CRM & Donor Management
- Keela - Native integration (Velora suite)
- Salesforce - Via Zapier
- Zoho CRM - Via Zapier
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 - Via Zapier
- Pipedrive - Via Zapier
Accounting & Finance
- Aplos - Native integration (Velora suite)
- Xero - Via Zapier
- Wave - Via Zapier
- QuickBooks - Via Zapier
Payment Processing
- Credit/Debit Cards - Built-in processing
- PayPal - Built-in integration
- Apple Pay - One-click giving
- Google Pay - One-click giving
Analytics & Marketing
- Google Analytics - Pixel tracking
- Google Tag Manager - Event tracking
- Facebook Pixel - Campaign tracking
- Hotjar - User behavior tracking
Platform Availability
- Web-based: Works on all modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
- Mobile apps: iOS and Android apps available for donors
- Responsive design: 100% mobile-optimized donation forms (critical since 70%+ of donations come from mobile)
Data Portability
- Full CSV export: Download all donor data, donation history, and campaign analytics anytime
- Real-time data sync: Via Zapier or native Velora integrations for automated workflows
- API access: Available for custom integrations and data retrieval
- Custom code/templates: JavaScript customizations may need to be recreated if migrating platforms
Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
Genuinely increases fundraising
AI Intelligent Amounts delivers measurable 12% improvement in per-session fundraising—not just a marketing claim
100% free with no hidden costs
No contracts, subscriptions, or fundraising fees—truly free for nonprofits of all sizes
Excellent documentation and support
Users consistently praise well-written guides, responsive local Australian support team, and intuitive UX
Part of integrated nonprofit ecosystem
Native integration with Aplos (accounting) and Keela (CRM) as part of Velora suite provides seamless workflow
Highly customizable
Allows custom styling, JavaScript features, and advanced customization without requiring developer
Mobile-optimized
100% responsive design with one-click giving via Apple Pay and Google Pay for smooth mobile experience
⚠️ Cons
Update velocity slowed after acquisition
Some users note that platform updates and new feature releases have been slower since the 2023 acquisition
Some advanced feature limitations
Users report limitations in some advanced features and occasional challenges with PayPal recurring donation management
AI requires moderate traffic to optimize
Intelligent Amounts needs at least 50+ visitors per month to learn effectively—very small campaigns may not see benefits
Fewer native CRM integrations
Most CRM connections require Zapier (except Keela native integration); no direct Blackbaud, DonorPerfect, or Bloomerang integrations
Learning curve for advanced customization
While basic features are easy, advanced customization (JavaScript, complex workflows) requires technical knowledge
Donor tip model may feel awkward
Some nonprofits feel uncomfortable asking donors to tip the platform, though tips are optional and unobtrusive
Alternatives to Consider
If Raisely doesn't feel like the right fit, consider these alternatives:
Give Lively
Philanthropist-funded free platform with values alignment
Best if:
- You prioritize a platform funded by philanthropists with no donor tip model
- Your organization aligns with progressive causes (gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, environmental justice)
- You need stronger native CRM integrations (Salesforce built-in vs. Zapier)
Lacks AI optimization features but offers same-business-day support and text-to-donate.
Zeffy
100% free with more diverse fundraising features
Best if:
- You need more fundraising types beyond donations (auctions, online stores, memberships)
- You want an all-in-one platform for multiple revenue streams
- AI optimization is less important than feature breadth
Relies on 15-17% donor tips for sustainability; no AI features but broader feature set.
Donorbox
AI-powered with Jay·AI assistant and 22+ payment methods
Best if:
- You want AI beyond donation optimization (conversational assistant, email drafting)
- You need cryptocurrency, stock, or DAF donation options (22+ payment methods)
- You're willing to pay for premium AI features (not 100% free)
More comprehensive AI toolset but paid plans; serves 100K+ nonprofits.
Fundraise Up
Enterprise AI optimization for large-scale fundraising
Best if:
- You're a larger nonprofit raising $500K+ annually online
- You want more sophisticated AI checkout optimization and personalization
- You have budget for premium platform with white-glove service
More advanced AI but higher cost; better for established programs with significant online revenue.
Why You Might Choose Raisely Instead
Raisely's sweet spot: Free AI-powered fundraising that actually delivers measurable results (12% increase) without requiring large donor bases or technical expertise. Best for small-to-mid nonprofits that want intelligent optimization without platform fees, especially those already using or considering Aplos/Keela (Velora suite).
The AI Intelligent Amounts feature alone can increase annual fundraising by thousands of dollars—making it the standout choice if you have enough traffic to benefit from optimization (50+ visitors/month) and want a completely free platform that gets smarter over time.
Getting Started
Your First 48 Hours with Raisely
1Sign Up and Create Your First Campaign (15-30 minutes)
Visit raisely.com and sign up for a free account. Choose a campaign template (donation page, peer-to-peer, or event fundraising) to get started quickly.
Pro tip: Start with a simple donation page template to understand the platform basics before diving into peer-to-peer or event features. The AI Intelligent Amounts works automatically—no configuration needed.
2Customize Your Campaign Branding (30-60 minutes)
Upload your nonprofit's logo, choose brand colors, and customize the campaign copy. Write a compelling story that explains why donors should give and what their donations will accomplish.
Pro tip: Don't overthink the suggested donation amounts—let the AI figure out what works best. Start with a reasonable range (e.g., $25, $50, $100, $250) and let Intelligent Amounts optimize from there.
3Set Up Payment Processing and Test Donations (15-20 minutes)
Connect your payment processor accounts (credit card gateway and PayPal). Run a few test donations using Raisely's test mode to ensure everything works smoothly before going live.
Pro tip: Enable Apple Pay and Google Pay for one-click mobile giving—this significantly reduces abandonment on mobile devices where most donors give.
4Launch and Monitor AI Optimization (Ongoing)
Publish your campaign and share it with supporters via email, social media, and your website. Monitor the analytics dashboard to watch the AI Intelligent Amounts feature learn and optimize in real-time.
Pro tip: After 100-200 donations, review your analytics to see how much the AI has increased your average donation compared to your initial suggested amounts. Most nonprofits see noticeable improvement within the first month of consistent traffic.
Quick Win: See AI in Action
Want to see immediate value from Raisely's AI? Try this simple experiment:
- Launch your campaign with Intelligent Amounts enabled (default setting)
- Track your first 50 donations and note the average gift size
- Compare against your historical average donation for similar campaigns
- Watch as the AI continuously optimizes—check again after 100, 200, and 500 donations
What you'll learn: Whether AI donation optimization delivers measurable results for your specific donor base. Most nonprofits see the 12% improvement within 2-3 months of consistent campaign traffic, with results compounding over time as the AI learns more about your donors.
Need Help with Implementation?
Setting up fundraising platforms can feel overwhelming when you're already managing donor relationships, program delivery, and limited staff resources. If you'd like expert guidance getting started with Raisely, optimizing your campaigns, or integrating with your existing CRM and accounting systems, we're here to help.
One Hundred Nights offers implementation support for nonprofit technology, from quick setup assistance to full-service onboarding, integration configuration, and staff training.
Contact Us to Learn MoreFrequently Asked Questions
Is Raisely really free for nonprofits?
Yes, Raisely is completely free for nonprofits with no contracts, subscriptions, or fundraising fees. The platform uses an optional donor tip model where supporters can choose to leave a small tip at the time of donation to help sustain Raisely. Tips are voluntary and unobtrusive—donors easily opt out if they prefer. Only standard payment processor fees apply (credit card and PayPal transaction fees).
How does Raisely's AI Intelligent Amounts feature work?
Intelligent Amounts is a machine learning feature that automatically tests different donation amount sets with different visitors. For example, one visitor might see $30, $50, $100 while another sees $50, $100, $200. The AI continuously learns which amounts drive more conversions and larger donations, then shows the most effective sets more often. It shares intelligence across all Raisely campaigns, acting like a massive A/B test that improves results by 12% on average.
Does Raisely integrate with my CRM?
Yes, Raisely integrates with major CRMs through Zapier including Salesforce, Zoho CRM, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and Pipedrive. As part of the Velora nonprofit cloud suite (alongside Aplos and Keela), Raisely also has native integrations with these platforms for seamless accounting and donor management workflows. You can also export donation data as CSV files for manual import into any system.
What happened to Raisely after the acquisition?
Raisely was acquired by ASG in 2023 and is now part of the Velora suite (launched September 2025), which includes Aplos (accounting), Raisely (fundraising), and Keela (donor management). The platform remains free and continues to operate independently while offering integrated capabilities with the other Velora products including Single Sign-On and data sharing. Some users note that update velocity slowed after the acquisition, but core functionality remains strong.
What are the limitations of Raisely?
While Raisely is feature-rich, some users note that update velocity slowed after the 2023 acquisition. The platform has some limitations in advanced features and PayPal recurring donation management reported by some users. The AI Intelligent Amounts requires at least 50+ visitors per month to learn effectively, so very low-traffic campaigns may not see optimization benefits. However, the core fundraising capabilities remain strong, and the integration with Velora suite products provides additional functionality for accounting and donor management.
Is Raisely suitable for small nonprofits?
Yes, Raisely is excellent for small nonprofits. The completely free pricing removes financial barriers, and the platform is designed to be user-friendly without requiring technical expertise. The AI Intelligent Amounts feature works automatically without manual configuration, making it accessible even to organizations with limited staff resources. As long as you get moderate traffic (50+ visitors per month), you'll benefit from AI optimization.
How does Raisely compare to Give Lively or Zeffy?
All three are 100% free fundraising platforms. Raisely's key differentiator is the AI-powered Intelligent Amounts feature that increases fundraising by 12% through machine learning—neither Give Lively nor Zeffy offer comparable AI optimization. Give Lively is philanthropist-funded with strong values alignment screening and native Salesforce integration. Zeffy relies on voluntary donor tips (averaging 15-17%) and offers more diverse fundraising features like auctions and memberships. Raisely is strongest for organizations that want AI optimization and integration with the Velora nonprofit cloud suite (Aplos accounting and Keela CRM).