Blackbaud
Fundraise Up vs Blackbaud Forms
Donors deserve a better giving experience. Upgrade from Blackbaud complex donation forms to a modern platform offering industry-leading online revenue, enterprise-grade reliability, and built-in compliance.
23% higher conversion for one-time donations
When tested against Blackbaud donation forms.
Own 100% of your donor data
Control your data with no hidden costs or contracts.
95% customer satisfaction
Superior technical support without the price tag.
Fundraise Up vs Blackbaud comparison
 | Blackbaud | |
|---|---|---|
| Donation forms embedded with no code, zero redirects |  | Donation forms with page redirects, which introduce donor friction |
| Donation ask amounts | Personalized |  |
| Ease of use | | Requires customization with professional services and developers |
| AI-powered transaction cover fees | | Blackbaud customers have raised concerns about how BBMS cover fees are presented |
| AI-powered upgrade to monthly giving | | |
| Donor data ownership | You own your donor data | Blackbaud Merchant Services (BBMS) restricts donor data transfer by charging nonprofits high fees when they move donor payment tokens from BBMS |
| Security and compliance | Advanced
| Minimum
|
| Platform stability |
| Blackbaud donation forms have experienced outages during Giving Tuesday |
| Localized support for global donors | | Limited |
| No contracts | | Multi-year contracts are required |
| Integrations and APIs | Included | Additional cost |
| Analytics and insights | Included | Additional cost |
| Onboarding | Included | Additional cost |
| Donor migration | Included | Additional cost |
| Customer support | Included. 95% CSAT | Additional cost |
Case study
Want to see a real‑world example?
See how Partners In Health upgraded from Blackbaud system to Fundraise Up, benefiting from two-click Upgrade Links, making it incredibly easy for supporters to increase their recurring donations.
in additional annual recurring revenue
average increase in gift amount
How does Fundraise Up deliver value?
Loved by donors. One form to drive top revenue
- Our checkout smartly optimizes payment methods based on donor preferences.
- Leading nonprofits increase their conversion rates by an average of 29%, with many nonprofits achieving up to 40% when using AI suggestions.
- Eliminate guesswork with AI-powered donation suggestions that determine the ideal amount to ask of each donor.
- Our checkout smartly optimizes payment methods based on donor preferences.
- Leading nonprofits increase their conversion rates by an average of 29%, with many nonprofits achieving up to 40% when using AI suggestions.
- Eliminate guesswork with AI-powered donation suggestions that determine the ideal amount to ask of each donor.
| Blackbaud | |
|---|---|---|
| Donation forms embedded with no code, zero redirects | | Donation forms with page redirects, which introduce donor friction |
| Interactive website widgets | Engaging library of 20+ tested web components that convert website visitors into donors — goal meters, donate buttons, social proofs, to tributes, etc. | Requires customization with additional cost for professional services |
| Personalized donation ask amounts | AI-powered personalized ask amounts eliminate the guesswork by determining the optimal amount to present. Each amount is tailored specifically to the individual donor and nonprofit organization | Donation ask amounts are based on donor data analysis and only available on some donation forms |
| Payment methods | Our Checkout on the donation form is designed to detect and display relevant payment options helping donors to complete donations in seconds. SEPA, Direct Debit, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Venmo display based on the donor’s location, mobile device, and browser | Donation forms do not optimize for donor devices and location |
Blackbaud Complete Cover™ fees
- Fundraise Up AI intelligently determines when to request fee coverage based on donation size and donor behavior patterns.
- On average, 82% of donors choose to cover transaction fees, increasing donation revenue for nonprofit programs.
- This smarter approach optimizes both conversion rates and fee coverage, leading to higher overall donation revenue.
- Fundraise Up AI intelligently determines when to request fee coverage based on donation size and donor behavior patterns.
- On average, 82% of donors choose to cover transaction fees, increasing donation revenue for nonprofit programs.
- This smarter approach optimizes both conversion rates and fee coverage, leading to higher overall donation revenue.
| Blackbaud | |
|---|---|---|
| AI-powered personalized transaction fee coverage | | |
Grow sustainable revenue
- Your donor data stays yours. BBMS locks you into their ecosystem and charges hidden fees when you want to switch.
- Donor-centricity is a must. Our intuitive Donor Portal lets supporters manage recurring plans, upgrade donations, and access receipts, greatly reducing support calls to nonprofits and freeing up staff resources.
- Donors can pay for recurring gifts with their preferred digital wallets. In contrast, Blackbaud digital wallet options are limited for recurring giving.
- Your donor data stays yours. BBMS locks you into their ecosystem and charges hidden fees when you want to switch.
- Donor-centricity is a must. Our intuitive Donor Portal lets supporters manage recurring plans, upgrade donations, and access receipts, greatly reducing support calls to nonprofits and freeing up staff resources.
- Donors can pay for recurring gifts with their preferred digital wallets. In contrast, Blackbaud digital wallet options are limited for recurring giving.
| Blackbaud | |
|---|---|---|
| Donor data ownership | You own your donor data | BBMS limits donor data ownership, especially for recurring donors by charging high fees |
| AI-powered upgrade to monthly giving | AI personalizes monthly donation suggestions based on each donor’s giving capacity and engagement. This smart approach increases revenue by 10-15% and doubles donor acquisition rates | |
| Smart payment recovery | AI-powered card updater prevents failed charges, while smart retry logic uses machine learning to recover more payments | |
Advanced security and compliance
- Blackbaud requires nonprofits to verify their donation forms and pay additional fees to maintain PCI DSS Level 1 v4.0.1 compliance.
- We eliminate this hassle by handling PCI compliance responsibility at no cost, protecting your donor data with industry-leading security standards through our built-in PCI DSS Level 1 v4.0.1 compliant donation forms.
- Blackbaud requires nonprofits to verify their donation forms and pay additional fees to maintain PCI DSS Level 1 v4.0.1 compliance.
- We eliminate this hassle by handling PCI compliance responsibility at no cost, protecting your donor data with industry-leading security standards through our built-in PCI DSS Level 1 v4.0.1 compliant donation forms.
| Blackbaud | |
|---|---|---|
| Compliance | Advanced
|
|
| Handle spikes in donation traffic with ease |
| Donation forms have experienced outages during Giving Tuesday |
Reduced technical overhead with zero-contract pricing
We succeed when you succeed. Our customers are our long-term partners — with success-based pricing tied directly to the organizational results.
Our 100% transparent pricing has no contracts, no hidden fees, or lock-in periods, maximizing your program budget.
- Access essential integrations and APIs at no extra cost.
- Get all premium fundraising digital tools included in our pricing.
- Access essential integrations and APIs at no extra cost.
- Get all premium fundraising digital tools included in our pricing.
| Blackbaud | |
|---|---|---|
| No contracts | | Multi-year contracts are required |
| Integrations and APIs | Included | Additional cost |
| Analytics and insights | Included | Additional cost |
| Onboarding | Included | Additional cost |
| Donor migration | Included | Additional cost |
| Customer support | Included. 95% CSAT | Additional cost |
Ready to convert more donors?
Request demo
What customers say after switching to Fundraise Up from Blackbaud
Frequently
Asked Questions
How do Fundraise Up donation forms differ from Blackbaud forms?
Fundraise Up has been pioneering AI-driven donation forms since 2017, delivering industry-leading conversion rates through smart personalization and donor-centric design. Our proven track record shows 29% higher conversions — with many customers achieving up to a 40% increase on average.
While Blackbaud just released an optimized donation form (Sept 2024), they are playing catch-up to our 8 years of AI innovation. Their all-in-one system adds unnecessary complexity, forcing nonprofits to navigate multiple form options.
In contrast, Fundraise Up provides a focused, best-in-class platform that is specifically optimized for maximizing online donations — no complexity, just results.
What is the difference between payment processing through Fundraise Up and BBMS?
A key differentiator is Fundraise Up commitment to data ownership — nonprofits maintain 100% control of their donor data. BBMS white-labels its payment solution and locks organizations into their ecosystem. When nonprofits want to switch platforms, Blackbaud charges thousands of dollars to migrate recurring donors.
Additionally, BBMS offers limited payment methods and global redirects, restricting donor accessibility and convenience. Their optimized form does not support recurring PayPal donations.
Does Fundraise Up integrate with Blackbaud CRM and Raiser’s Edge NXT CRM?
Yes. Integrate Fundraise Up data with Blackbaud CRM or Raiser’s Edge NXT in real-time using one of our partners.
What makes Fundraise Up donation forms highly configurable compared to Blackbaud standard form?
Fundraise Up donation forms are rigorously tested and optimized for maximum conversions. Through continuous data-driven testing of layouts, colors, images, sizing, payment options, and many more attributes, we ensure nonprofits achieve better conversion rates, more revenue, and minimal friction.
For instance, our testing revealed that requesting mailing addresses upfront in the checkout reduces conversion rate by 3.4%!
Blackbaud offers customizations through professional services at an additional cost, but shifts the testing responsibility to the nonprofit.
How does Fundraise Up approach transactional fee coverage?
Fundraise Up uses AI-powered adaptive cost coverage to intelligently determine when to request fee coverage from donors. This system analyzes donor behavior, location, and other factors to optimize both conversion rates and fee coverage, resulting in increased donation revenue.
The results speak for themselves — 82% of donors opt to cover transaction fees, increasing revenue for your fundraising program.
How does Blackbaud pricing compare to Fundraise Up?
We succeed when you succeed. We only get paid when we deliver results, earning your business through consistent product improvements and measurable outcomes, not through upfront payments or contract commitments.
Blackbaud requires upfront subscription and implementation fees while locking organizations into contracts before demonstrating any value.
Fundraise Up regards customers as long-term partners, regardless of size. Our philosophy centers on customer success — our revenue depends entirely on our product’s performance and ability to deliver results.
Blackbaud offers products, like CRM, events management, marketing automation, etc. Why does Fundraise Up not offer these?
From our inception, we chose to be best-in-class rather than all-in-one. Through our laser focus on delivering an exceptional donor experience and increasing revenue with our carefully curated platform, we continue to lead on innovation in this space.
How does AI compare between Fundraise Up and Blackbaud?
While Blackbaud only began testing AI-powered ‘intelligent ask amounts’ (available only in optimized form) in September 2024, Fundraise Up has been leveraging AI for 8 years with proven results.
What sets us apart:
- AI has been purpose-built into our platform from the beginning, not added as an afterthought
- Our AI engine delivers more accurate donation amount suggestions by analyzing live engagement data and anonymous donor patterns
- Our machine learning system has been refined through seven years of testing
What security protocols does Fundraise Up offer that differentiate it from Blackbaud?
We maintain the highest industry standards for security, privacy-first AI, and compliance. Certified by independent auditors, we have certifications in ISO 27001, SOC II Type 2, and PCI Level 1 v4 compliance, and we adhere to all major privacy regulations, including GDPR, CCPA, PIPEDA, and Quebec Law 25.
PCI DSS Level 1 v4 compliance: Fundraise Up forms are PCI v4 compliant out-of-the-box. Blackbaud requires nonprofits to either verify their forms for PCI compliance version 4 or pay a substantial service fee for verification.