Your organization probably gets the occasional stock donation. Maybe a few checks from donor-advised funds. And now someone's asking if you accept Bitcoin. Your first thought? This feels complicated.
Here's the thing: it is complicated. But so was accepting credit cards online twenty years ago, and look where we are now.
The what
Cryptocurrency donations aren't some fringe experiment anymore. More than half of America's largest charities now accept crypto, and over $1 billion in cryptocurrency was donated to nonprofits in 2024 alone. Organizations like Save the Children, World Vision, and United Way are responding to where their donors actually are.
The donors showing up with crypto aren't who you might expect. Sure, there are tech entrepreneurs with Bitcoin fortunes. But there are also Millennials and Gen Z donors who see cryptocurrency as their primary investment vehicle. For them, donating crypto isn't exotic. It's just how they give.
The why
Think about the donors you wish you had more of: younger, digitally native, values-driven, and sitting on appreciated assets they'd rather give than sell. That's exactly who's holding cryptocurrency right now.
The math works powerfully in their favor. When someone donates crypto instead of selling it and giving cash, they avoid capital gains taxes entirely while still getting the full charitable deduction. For someone whose Bitcoin has appreciated significantly, that can mean the difference between giving $5,000 or giving $10,000 to your cause. Same asset, double the impact.
But here's what really matters: accepting crypto isn't about optimizing tax strategy. It's about meeting donors in their financial reality. When you make it easy for someone to give in the way that works best for them, you're not just facilitating a transaction. You're showing them their support actually matters to you.
Should you really care?
If someone walked into your office tomorrow offering to donate $10,000 in appreciated stock, you'd figure out how to accept it. Crypto donations work on the same principle, just with different mechanics.
The question isn't whether crypto is "the future." The question is whether you're willing to lose donors because you haven't caught up to their present. Not every organization needs to accept cryptocurrency tomorrow. But every organization should understand that this isn't going away, and the donors who care about it aren't asking out of curiosity — they're asking because they're ready to give.
Your next major donor might be holding Bitcoin instead of blue-chip stocks. When they're ready to make a gift, will you be ready to receive it?
Learn how your organization can accept crypto donations with Fundraise Up.
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