| Donorbox | |
| Collapsible: | "y" |
| Collapsetext: | Screenshot |
| Commercial: | Yes |
| Type: | Crowdfunding |
| Language: | English |
| Location City: | San Francisco, California |
| Location Country: | United States |
| Launched: | 2014 |
| Founder: | Charles Zhang |
Donorbox is a technology company headquartered in San Francisco, California. Established in 2014, the company provides an online fundraising platform enabling individuals and nonprofit organizations to facilitate online donations. The platform is utilized by various types of organizations, including charities, religious institutions, schools, animal welfare groups, political campaigns, among others.
Donorbox was established by Charles Zhang in 2014, initially launching as a free WordPress plug-in incorporating PayPal and Stripe functionality.[1] [2] [3] For data security, the platform uses 256bit SSL/TLS encryption and is PCI compliant.[4] By 2018, the company expanded its payment options, adding Apple Pay for nonprofit organizations.
Donorbox requires no start-up costs, monthly fees, or contractual agreements. It offers features designed to streamline the donation process, such as Ultraswift Pay, which provides swift payment processing via various services including Mercado Pago, Venmo, PayPal Checkout, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. This feature minimizes the need to enter personal details and can be integrated into emails and web pages via a customizable Donate Button.
Other key features of Donorbox include a text-to-give option, allowing donations via text message, Repeat Donation, Peer-to-Peer and Crowdfunding capabilities, enabling supporters to create personalized campaign pages, encouraging donor engagement, and providing campaign insights. Donorbox also facilitates memberships, event management, and the automatic generation of tax-deductible receipts.
Donorbox is used in 96 countries[5] and territories, with a user base that includes organizations such as Truthout,[6] MAP International,[7] Habitat for Humanity, Code for America,[8] and National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.[9]
Donorbox was cited in the book Freedom of the Press as a simple solution to process and manage online donations.[10] In the book Fundraising for Dummies, the author, Beverly Browning recommended the platform for new organizations to easily receive donations.[11] The 42 Strategies website noted Donorbox's use of pre-filled custom amounts with descriptions, allowing donors to understand their contributions' impacts. Double the Donation acknowledged the simplicity of the site's user interface.[12] Natalie De Vincenzi of Lykke commented on the no-cost nature of the service.[13] WPDean highlighted the platform's design as being responsive and adaptable for mobile use. WP Villa also made reference to Donorbox in blog posts.[14]
In December 2018, Donorbox faced controversy when it temporarily suspended, then reinstated, the account of far-right activist Tommy Robinson.[15] [16] [17] In August 2019, the company updated its Terms of Service to prohibit promoting "unlawful violence" based on race, religion, and other characteristics.[18] [19] This followed a brief period during which the company removed its anti-hate speech clause, which saw an increase in its use among extreme right-wing groups.[20]
Far-right activist James Goddard and several other figures, such as Jolene Bunting and Raheem Kassam, have used the platform.[21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] Several users have been banned for violating the company's Terms of Service, including groups like the English Defence League and Der Dritte Weg, and individuals like Colin Robertson.[28] [29] [30]