Event registration software for nonprofits helps automate the process of registration and managing patrons, making it easier for nonprofits to reach a larger audience and improve the guest’s experience at every step of their journey.
The best event registration software for nonprofits will include features like:
- Payment processing so nonprofits can accept donations and sell tickets online or at the door.
- Marketing and event management tools help organizers communicate their message, ultimately growing their community of donors and advocates which help spread the cause.
- Real-time reports to help nonprofits gain deeper insights and make informed marketing decisions.
Event registration software can be used by any nonprofit or charitable organization including schools, charities, foundations, social advocacy groups, sports leagues, and many more.
This article lists 5 popular event registration software for nonprofits, charities and fundraisers. Below we’ll share prices and features that set them apart.
Ticketstripe
Loved by organizers for how easy this event registration software is to use, together with the time & money saving features, nonprofits of all sizes have trusted Ticketstripe with their events for over a decade.
Setting up your online ticket sales is done in three easy steps:
- Add your event details
- Connect to Stripe merchant
- Add a variety of tickets and donations
Reach more people and sell more tickets with these essential free features:
- Mobile friendly, private-branded event pages are optimized for search engines and easily shareable
- Unlimited ticket types to accommodate all your unique event needs, i.e. early bird, adult/child, group and table tickets, private and promotional, tiered sponsors and many more
- Suggested & Flexible donations let you specify donation tiers and/or let the donor enter a custom donation
- Input the Fair Market Value for your tickets and donations which can be displayed on the purchaser’s receipt
- Ticket Bundles give you the ability to package items for Sponsor tickets and automate group/table ticket management. Table ticket purchasers can easily share individual seat tickets with attendees and organizers appreciate the automated data collection.
- Peer-to-Peer fundraising functionality helps you leverage the fundraising power of community
- Two day rolling deposits with Stripe means you receive funds on a daily basis
- Integrate offline cash/check or external credit card payments, as well as tickets sold at the door with the ticketing software to keep your customer data centralized in one location for easy access or export
- Real-time insights and campaign pixel tracking let you know where the sales are coming from
- The Box-Office app lets you accept cash or credit card payments at the door and scan attendee’s digital or paper tickets, making for a contactless and fast check-in when they arrive
Pricing: Ticketstripe’s event registration software is always free for organizers, with no monthly fees or contracts.
For paid tickets or donations, Ticketstripe offers nonprofits a discounted service fee of 1.50% + 50 cents per ticket, which is passed on to the ticket buyer by default, making it free for the organizer.
The software also lets you connect your own Stripe or PayPal account. Stripe is recommended because Stripe’s credit card processing fees are lower than PayPal’s and offers the widest variety of payment options for your guests. Stripe charges 2.9% + $.30 cents per transaction (nonprofit discounts available). And, when you connect with Stripe, you can pass all fees to the ticket buyer/donor, ensuring your cause receives the full amount of your ticket or donation value.
Best for: While Ticketstripe’s software is used by organizers worldwide to sell tickets to all types of events, the software was built for and continues evolving based on feedback from nonprofit organizations to serve their specific needs, such as group and table ticket management, vendor functionality, offline sponsor user integration, and much more. In summary, Ticketstripe is the ideal event registration software for nonprofits looking for:
- A simple to use event ticketing software
- Free for organizers and low service fees for ticket buyers
- Flexible donations and event management tools
Cons: At this time Ticketstripe does not offer “build your own seating charts” functionality.
“We hit our target with ticket sales! Your platform was a big reason why we succeeded. The mobile app made it easy to check in and track folks. We knew exactly how much money was collected... I’ll definitely recommend your site to others and will use it for events in the future.” — Joe Puzino
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Eventbrite
Eventbrite is a popular event registration software for organizers who can afford to wait until after the event to receive their funds. Along with event creation and ticketing tools, Eventbrite Boost allows you to market with email campaigns and social media ad tools.
Pricing:
- The Essentials Plan, which does not work for most organizers, gives you only 1 Ticket Type at 2% + $0.79 per paid ticket + Eventbrite’s Payment Processing Fee of 2.5% per order.
- The Professional Plan gives you unlimited Ticket Types at 3.5% + $1.59 per paid ticket + Eventbrite’s Payment Processing Fee of 2.5% per order.
Best for: Nonprofits looking for a large variety of general options and integrated marketing tools.
Cons: Most functionality is generic to benefit the common denominator of event organizers, while missing the mark for nonprofits’ needs. Additionally, they are one of the most expensive solutions for online ticket sales.
Ticketleap
Ticketleap offers all the standard event registration features a nonprofit organizer needs along with a reserved seating chart builder which lets you create your own venue with drag-and-drop seats, rows and blocks.
If you use their payment processor you’ll get paid 3-5 business days after your event ends by direct deposit or check. If you need funds sooner, you can apply for their FastPay option to collect revenue on a weekly basis leading up to your event.
Pricing: 2% + $1 per paid ticket + 3% credit card processing fee.
Best for: Events that want to offer reserved seating and who are savvy enough to build their own seating chart.
Cons: Ticketleap controls your funds and payouts are held until after the event.
Donorbox
Donorbox launched their event registration software in Q2 2022, which comes with unlimited ticket types, the ability to determine tax-deductibility by manually inputting fair-market value and tax rates, automatic receipt sending, and custom ticketing forms.
Pricing: Platform fee of 2.95% + the processing fees of either Stripe and PayPal.
Best for: Nonprofits looking for the ability to determine tax-deductibility when setting donations options.
Cons: Ticketing functionality is in very early stages and lacks most functions widely available from other event registration providers.
RSVPIFY
What sets rsvpify apart from other event registration softwares for nonprofits? Their event website & RSVP security feature! You have the ability to require a password before a site visitor can view your event website or register and can limit respondents to only guests you have invited.
Pricing: Service Fees are 1.95% + 90 cents per ticket + Stripe fees
Best for: Experienced and software savvy nonprofit organizers looking to host private events with a wide range of customization options.
Cons: While their platform offers a lot of event customization options and themes, it quickly becomes overwhelming. There is definitely a steep learning curve to start using their software.
We hope this listicle helps you choose the right event registration software for your nonprofit’s needs. Ticketstripe is passionate about helping nonprofits step into their next chapter. Have a question? We’d love to connect with you!
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