What are the 5 best fundraising platforms for fire departments and EMS nonprofits?

Protective gear expires. Ambulances need repairs. Stations age. For many fire departments and EMS nonprofits, these costs arrive faster than grants and public budgets can cover them.

The challenge is even greater for volunteer-led teams. Almost 70% of U.S. firefighters are volunteers, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Fire departments also handle far more than fires: 64% of reported calls involve EMS or rescue services.

The right fundraising platform can help close funding gaps without creating more administrative work. It should support equipment and station campaigns, recurring donations, community events, peer-to-peer fundraising, and clear financial reporting.

The 5 platforms below offer different tools, costs, and strengths for fire departments and EMS nonprofits looking to raise more from their communities.

Overview: 5 best fundraising platforms for fire departments and EMS nonprofits

Pricing can change. Confirm the current plan, payment processing rate, and payout rules before selecting a platform.

5 Best fundraising platforms for EMS and fire departments

1. BetterWorld: Best overall fundraising platform for fire departments and EMS nonprofits

BetterWorld is the best overall choice for EMS and fire departments that run several types of fundraisers during the year. You can use one system for equipment campaigns, station projects, annual dinners, silent auctions, giveaways, recurring gifts, and peer-to-peer fundraising.

Pricing

Its free plan includes all fundraising tools, unlimited campaigns and teammates, donor management, integrations, and real-time reporting.

The platform fee is 0%, while standard payment processing ranges from 1.5% to 2.9% plus $0.30. BetterWorld reports that more than 95% of donors choose to cover fees when asked.

Pros

• Covers both year-round giving and event fundraising
• Works well for volunteer-led teams that need simple workflows
• Separate campaigns make equipment and station funds easier to report
• A BetterWorld case study reports that American Hose Company raised more than $100,000 in two years while using a fraction of its former staff hours.

Cons

• Designed for U.S.-based nonprofits, so it may not suit organizations running fundraising operations worldwide.
• The free plan includes optional donor contributions at checkout, so teams that want full control over how fees appear may prefer the Flex plan.

2. Zeffy: Best for organizations focused on avoiding platform and processing fees

Zeffy is a strong choice for eligible nonprofits that place cost above advanced customization or integrations. The platform includes donation forms, recurring gifts, events, auctions, peer-to-peer campaigns, raffles, memberships, an online store, and donor management.

Pricing

It charges nonprofits no platform or payment processing fees. The company covers its costs through optional donor contributions.

Pros

• The nonprofit keeps the full campaign amount
• Offers a broad set of tools for small and volunteer-led groups
• Supports ticket sales, raffles, auctions, and membership payments

Cons

• Donors see an optional contribution request at checkout of up to 17%.
• U.S. organizations need an EIN and must meet Zeffy’s nonprofit requirements
• Teams should check their integrations and reporting against their current systems before moving data.

3. Givebutter: Best for social fundraising and supporter engagement

Givebutter works well for departments that want campaign pages, peer-to-peer teams, events, auctions, supporter feeds, email, and donor records in one system. Its sharing tools can help firefighters, EMS members, auxiliaries, and community partners promote campaigns.

Pricing

When tips are enabled, Givebutter charges no platform fee and covers processing through its guarantee. With tips disabled, the fee is 3% plus standard processing of 2.9% and $0.30 for cards.

Pros

• Strong public-facing campaign experience
• Good tools for member-led sharing and community events
• Auction and event activity connects with donor records

Cons

• The 0% model depends on optional donor tips
• Its wide range of communication and CRM tools may require more setup than a basic fundraising page.

4. Donorbox: Best for donation forms and recurring giving

Donorbox is a good fit for a fire or EMS nonprofit that mainly needs branded donation forms, recurring gifts, crowdfunding, memberships, and donor management. Its forms can be added to an existing department, association, or foundation website.

Pricing

The Standard plan charges 2.95% for donation forms and crowdfunding. Event ticketing, memberships, and supporter-led peer-to-peer gifts carry a 3.95% platform fee, plus payment processing.

Donorbox Pro costs $150 per month and reduces platform fees to between 1.75% and 2%.

Pros

• Strong recurring donation and form experience
• Useful for annual funds, memorial gifts, and equipment designations
• Supports card, ACH, PayPal, and other payment methods

Cons

• One of the most expensive options on the list.
• Advanced features and lower platform fees require paid plans.

5. GoFundMe: Best for urgent equipment and emergency crowdfunding campaigns

GoFundMe is best when speed, public familiarity, and easy sharing matter more than a full nonprofit fundraising system. It can work for urgent gear replacement, station fire recovery, responder family support, or another time-sensitive appeal.

Pricing

GoFundMe does not charge a platform fee. Its current U.S. pricing lists a transaction fee of 2.2% plus $0.30 for certified nonprofit fundraisers.

Pros

• Familiar platform with a simple donor experience
• Good for one urgent public campaign
• No fee to create or manage a fundraiser

Cons

• Limited event, auction, donor management, and fund-reporting tools
• Campaign data may not connect cleanly with the organization’s long-term donor records.

What fundraising tools do fire departments and EMS nonprofits need?

The best setup covers daily support and large, restricted needs without several systems. Look for:

1. Donation forms and recurring giving for annual fund drives, memorial gifts, and steady operating support.
2. Equipment and capital campaign pages with a goal, progress bar, updates, and a plan for funds raised above or below target.
3. Peer-to-peer tools that let members, volunteers, auxiliaries, and local teams raise under one approved campaign.
4. Event, auction, ticketing, and raffle tools for dinners, open houses, and prize fundraisers. Review state and local charitable-gaming rules before selling raffle entries.
5. Donor and receipt records that connect online gifts, checks, tickets, bids, and recurring payments.
6. Campaign-level reporting that shows gross revenue, fees, refunds, net funds, payouts, and restricted project totals.
7. Permissions and integrations so administrators control access and finance staff can export or sync clean data.

What should fire departments and EMS look for in a fundraising platform

Choose a platform that passes these practical tests:

1. Can it run your three most common fundraisers without extra software?
2. Can you separate equipment, station, operating, and emergency funds?
3. Can finance leaders export a clean transaction report?
4. Can several volunteers work in the account with suitable permissions?
5. Are all fees clear to the organization and donor?
6. How quickly are funds deposited?
7. Who owns and controls the payment account?
8. Can data move into your CRM, accounting system, or municipal records?
9. How is the support provided?
10. Can you get a demo before signing?

Raise more for your fire department or EMS mission with BetterWorld

BetterWorld gives fire departments, rescue squads, EMS nonprofits, auxiliaries, and first responder foundations everything they need to raise more—all in one place.

With a 0% platform fee, unlimited campaigns, unlimited teammates, built-in donor management, integrations, and real-time reporting, BetterWorld removes the limits and extra costs that can slow fundraising teams down.

For volunteer-led and resource-stretched teams, BetterWorld makes fundraising easier to manage, easier to track, and easier to grow.

Request a BetterWorld demo now!

FAQs

1. What security features should a fundraising platform provide?

Look for PCI-compliant payment processing, encrypted data, multifactor authentication, individual staff accounts, role-based permissions, and documented procedures for security incidents.

2. When is the best time to sign up for a fundraising platform?

Sign up before you need to launch a major campaign. Give your team enough time to create pages, connect the bank account, test donations, set user permissions, and train volunteers. Avoid waiting until the week of an equipment appeal or fundraising event.

3. When is the best time to switch fundraising platforms?

The best time is after a major campaign ends and before the next one begins. Choose a quieter fundraising period, so your team can move donor data, rebuild forms, test payments, update links, and prepare recurring donors without rushing.

4. Should we cancel our old platform before launching the new one?

No. Keep both platforms active for a short transition period. Test the new forms, confirm deposits, update website links, and address recurring donations before closing the old account. This reduces the risk of missed gifts or broken donation pages.

5. How can fire and EMS organizations switch platforms without disrupting donations?

Start by auditing current campaigns, exporting donor data, reviewing recurring gifts, rebuilding donation forms, and testing payment processing. Then update campaign links, train team members, and monitor the new system after launch.

Use The Nonprofit’s Guide to Switching Fundraising Platforms Without Disrupting Donations for a complete migration checklist.