Fundraising platform comparison
Big Nest vs Zeffy
Compare the same intended online donations while keeping group costs and optional donor contributions separate.
Your fundraiser
How much do you expect to collect online?
Average donation
Starting values are based on one anonymized school fundraiser. They’re a real-world example, not a universal average.
Side-by-side fundraiser result
Compare the same online donations
Big Nest
Verified pricingService fee · Service fee:
Zeffy
Verified pricingOnline donations
$20,000
$20,000
Your group receives
$20,288.52
$20,000
Your group pays
$0
$0
Donors pay extra
$799.84
Optional, not estimated
$288.52 difference in group receipts.
At least one optional donor-paid amount is not estimated.
Big Nest fee structure
2.2% + $0.30 per donation
Change how fees are handled
Zeffy fee structure
No platform or processing fees
View detailed calculations
Big Nest
How pricing works
Card processing
2.2% + $0.30 per donation
Paid by your group
Momentum annual plan
$399 per year
Paid by your group
Detailed calculation
179 online transactions averaging $111.73.
Transaction count and gift sizes are estimated from one anonymized real school fundraiser's card donation pattern.
- Donor-paid service charges
- $799.84
- Card processing: 2.2%
- $457.62
- Card processing: $0.30 per donation
- $53.70
Donor-paid amounts
Donors pay $799.84 beyond their intended donations.
Annual costs
Annual platform cost shown separately: $399
Pricing scope
United States, eligible nonprofit domestic online cards
- This estimate uses Stripe's US nonprofit rate for eligible domestic online-card donations. Stripe requires approved nonprofit status and at least 80% of payment volume from tax-deductible donations; membership, tuition, ticket, registration, and auction payments do not count toward that threshold.
- The Momentum annual plan is shown separately and is not deducted from one fundraiser.
Verified pricing: Uses Big Nest's published plan information and the Stripe nonprofit card rate modeled for qualifying parent groups.
Pricing sources
- Big Nest fundraising · Checked 2026-08-30Big Nest fundraising fee handling, use of the group's connected payment account, and the nonprofit processing rate modeled for qualifying groups.
- Big Nest pricing · Checked 2026-08-28Momentum annual plan price.
- Stripe nonprofit discount · Checked 2026-08-30Stripe nonprofit-discount availability and eligibility requirements. Big Nest publishes the 2.2% plus $0.30 domestic online-card rate modeled for qualifying parent groups.
Zeffy
How pricing works
Group fees
No platform or processing fees
Paid by your group
Optional donor tips
Chosen by donors; not estimated
Paid by participating donors
Detailed calculation
179 online transactions averaging $111.73.
Transaction count and gift sizes are estimated from one anonymized real school fundraiser's card donation pattern.
No fee line items are deducted from the intended donations.
Donor-paid amounts
Optional donor-paid amounts are not estimated.
Optional donor contributions to Zeffy are not estimated.
Pricing scope
United States, eligible nonprofit use
- Eligibility and available payment methods depend on Zeffy's current nonprofit terms.
- Zeffy says optional donor contributions are its only source of revenue. It presents donors with a suggested contribution at checkout, and donors can change or remove it.
- The observed current $100 checkout used for this research showed a $16.95 Zeffy contribution, displayed as 17% and preselected, for a $116.95 donor total. This is an observed example, not a universal Zeffy rate.
- Zeffy says the suggested percentage varies with transaction amount, so no fundraiser-wide donor contribution is estimated here.
Verified pricing: Zeffy publishes no platform or card-processing fee for groups.
Pricing sources
- Zeffy fee and contribution explanation · Checked 2026-08-29No platform or processing fees, optional donor contributions, and the variable suggested contribution percentage.
- Observed Zeffy checkout screenshot · Dated 2026-08-29 · Checked 2026-08-29Observed current $100 checkout showing a $16.95 Zeffy contribution displayed as 17% and preselected, a $116.95 donor total, contribution choices including 17%, 20%, 22%, and Other, and the ability to change or remove the contribution.
Big Nest receives $20,288.52. Zeffy receives $20,000.
Two different funding models
Zero group-paid fees are a legitimate result
In the modeled eligible nonprofit flow, Zeffy does not deduct platform or processing fees from intended gifts. For a group focused on collecting online donations with minimal direct cost to the group, that may be a strong fit.
Preselected contributions are part of the donor experience
Zeffy presents donors with a preselected contribution for itself at checkout. In an observed $100 checkout, the 17% contribution was $16.95 and brought the donor total to $116.95. It was optional, and the donor could change or remove it. Because Zeffy says the suggested percentage varies by transaction amount, the calculator does not apply 17% to the full fundraiser or predict donor choices. Big Nest's donor-paid amounts remain separate for the same reason.
Look beyond the payment result
The financial comparison does not score platform capabilities. Review the Big Nest pricing page and Zeffy pricing page , then compare how each platform fits the work your group plans to do throughout the year.
Related comparisons
Questions about this comparison
The modeled eligible nonprofit flow uses optional donor contributions rather than deducting platform or processing fees from your group.
No. An observed $100 checkout displayed a preselected 17% contribution, or $16.95, but Zeffy says the suggested percentage varies by transaction amount. The comparison does not apply 17% to the full fundraiser or predict donor choices.
Yes. Big Nest’s configuration disclosure lets you change its fee-handling choice without changing Zeffy or the shared fundraiser scenario.
No. Direct cost is important, but a group should also evaluate the workflows, support, and year-round capabilities it needs.
Compare cost and context.
Use the full matchup to review each platform's payment model with the same online fundraiser.