Before You Choose a Fundraising Platform: Read This Fundly Review

Fundly is an online crowdfunding service targeted at merchant accounts for nonprofit organizations. Similar in structure to Kickstarter or Indiegogo, Fundly offers nonprofits the ability to create an online profile and solicit donations directly from a community of donors. Since 2010, the company has helped over 50,000 campaigns raise over $325 million through its services. Fundly was acquired in 2015 by a data management company called NonProfitEasy.

Payment Processing

Fundly uses Stripe and WePay as its payment processors, requiring users to sign up for a merchant account with one of these companies. Through these processors, Fundly handles donations via all major debit and credit cards. Payments are processed from a landing page or a Facebook donation campaign created when a fundraising campaign is launched.

Online Fundraising Platform

Fundly’s main service is its online fundraising platform, which enables individuals and organizations to easily create customized fundraising campaigns. The platform offers tools for sharing stories, uploading photos and videos, and promoting campaigns across social media.

Crowdfunding Services

Fundly also provides crowdfunding services, allowing users to raise funds from a large number of people online. This method is effective for supporting causes, projects, or businesses.

Donor Management System

Fundly offers a comprehensive donor management system, enabling organizations to track and manage their donor interactions efficiently. The system includes features for recording donor information, tracking donations, and analyzing donor data.

Fundly Pro

For more extensive fundraising needs, Fundly Pro offers additional features such as peer-to-peer fundraising, event registration and ticketing, and customizable donation pages.

Mobile App

To support mobility and convenience in fundraising, Fundly provides a mobile app. This app allows users to manage their fundraising campaigns from anywhere, offering real-time updates and facilitating donor engagement on the go.

Low Complaint Total

Our research indicates less than 10 negative Fundly reviews on common consumer protection forums. Notably, these reviews do not classify Fundly’s services as scams or ripoffs. Overall, the feedback on Fundly is largely positive, with non-profit organizations highlighting its robust functionality and user-friendliness. Most reviewers agree that Fundly serves as a valuable tool for nonprofits of varying sizes, presenting minimal risk for those using it as a primary or supplementary fundraising platform. Some complaints were noted, focusing on unauthorized charges, subpar customer service, and data reporting problems, but these do not form a consistent pattern. If you have an experience with Fundly you’d like to share, we encourage you to contribute your review in the comments below.

Fundly Lawsuits

No outstanding class-action lawsuits or Federal Trade Commission (FTC) complaints against Fundly have been discovered in our search. Clients seeking non-litigious means to resolve their dissatisfaction with the company are advised to report their issues to relevant supervisory organizations.

PaymentPop Rating for Fundly

Positive Feedback

There are no positive reviews published about Fundly on the PaymentPop website.

Fundly BBB Rating

Fundly currently has an “F” rating with the Better Business Bureau and has not received BBB accreditation. The company has received 4 complaints in the past 36 months. Only 2 of these 4 complaints were resolved by the company to the satisfaction of the merchant. The remaining 2 were resolved to the dissatisfaction of the merchant or received no final response. Fundly has a 1 out of 5 star rating based on 2 user reviews on the Better Business Bureau website.

In addition to the 4 complaints filed against Fundly with the BBB, they have received 1 informal review. The review detailed poor customer service and issues with the technology:

Clients in this situation would do well to pick a provider with a track record of excellent customer service.

A “C” Rating

Due to Fundly’s low complaint total complaint volume but its lack of a response to some of the complaints filed against it, we have adjusted the BBB’s rating from an “F” to a “C” overall. However, business owners should regard the BBB’s information with skepticism in general.

Fundly Pricing Overview

Fundly offers a crowdfunding solution with a pricing model that includes a platform fee and a transaction fee, which varies based on the payment processor used, either WePay or Stripe. The platform fee is 4.9% per transaction. For transactions processed through WePay, there’s an additional fee of 3%, while Stripe transactions incur a 2.9% fee plus $0.30. Consequently, the total cost for using Fundly amounts to either 7.9% or 7.8% plus $0.30 per transaction.

International Campaign Pricing

Fundly has tailored pricing for international campaigns. In the UK, the rate is set at 2.40% plus £0.20 per transaction. For Australia, domestic donations to campaigns are charged at 1.75% plus $0.30, whereas international donations are subject to a 2.90% fee plus $0.30. This standard rate of 2.90% plus $0.30 also applies to campaigns based in the US and Canada.

Evaluating Fundly’s Fee Structure

While Fundly’s transaction fees are higher than those of many payment processors and donor management systems, it’s notable that the platform does not impose monthly minimum fees, PCI compliance fees, early termination fees, or require long-term equipment leases. This straightforward and predictable fee structure might be particularly advantageous for nonprofits seeking a simple and flexible fundraising platform. Despite the apparent high cost, Fundly’s pricing model might offer valuable benefits for specific organizational needs, contrasting with more traditional merchant account providers.

User Feedback on Contract Terms

To date, there have been no significant public complaints regarding Fundly’s contract terms, suggesting general satisfaction with its pricing strategy. Considering the balance between the platform’s higher transaction fees and its commitment-free model, Fundly receives a “B” rating in this evaluation.

No Sales Issues

Fundly appears to market itself primarily through online advertising and through referrals amongst its users. The company’s payment processing service is built into its online profiles, which eliminates the need for Fundly to employ independent sales agents. As a result, there are no Fundly reviews that describe unethical conduct by Fundly’s sales team.

No Deceptive Advertising

As an additional point in the company’s favor, it does not appear to list any deceptive rate quotes on its website. We have therefore assigned it an “A” rating at this time. If you suspect that Fundly has misrepresented your pricing, however, you can always obtain a third-party statement audit to eliminate hidden fees.

Fundly rates as a low-risk, user-friendly credit card processing and fundraising tool for nonprofits, according to all third-party sources. While its per-transaction costs are higher than those of its competitors, Fundly distinguishes itself by offering these services without additional monthly fees or long-term contracts.

This structure makes Fundly a solid option for nonprofit organizations interested in exploring online or social fundraising without committing any upfront resources. Nonprofits can leverage Fundly’s platform to test new fundraising strategies with minimal financial risk, ensuring a flexible and cost-effective approach to expanding their donor base and increasing contributions. Overall, Fundly provides a reliable and accessible solution for nonprofits aiming to enhance their fundraising efforts.