Is my organization eligible to use Zeffy?

✅ Who can use Zeffy?

To use Zeffy, your organization simply needs to meet these two requirements

1️⃣ Be a non-profit or registered charity in the US, Canada, the UK, or Australia

2️⃣ Have a bank account in your organization's name

Organizations using Zeffy include registered charities, non-profits, animal welfare organizations, student groups, sports teams, PTOs/PTAs, museums, theatre companies, veterans organizations, scout troops, political campaigns, and many more.

If you'd like more specific information about your organization's eligibility, please continue below.

🚫 Who cannot use Zeffy?

• Individuals - Zeffy is built for organizations, not personal accounts. If you are not a nonprofit or charitable organization, you cannot use Zeffy to collect payments or sell tickets. Any personal bank accounts connected to Zeffy will be flagged and result in account closure.

• For-profit businesses – Unless you are fundraising on behalf of a verified nonprofit (see FAQ below), for-profit businesses are not eligible to use the platform.

• Organizations without a bank account in their organization's name - Entities without a bank account in their organization's name cannot use Zeffy. It is not possible to connect a personal bank account to the platform, even if you are a nonprofit.

• Organizations outside the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia – Zeffy is not currently available in Africa, Europe (except the UK), Central and South America, or Asia.

• Australian organisations which do not detain a fundraising license - Zeffy is technology only, the organisation is the fundraiser. Each organisation is solely responsible for complying with Australian fundraising regulations, including obtaining required state registrations and permits.

• Organizations on Stripe's restricted list – Zeffy partners with Stripe for payment processing. If your organization falls under Stripe's Restricted and Prohibited Business List, your account may be rejected. Check the list before signing up if you have any doubts.

More information by country:

🇺🇸 United States

• You must have an EIN - you do not need to be a 501(c)(3), but an EIN is mandatory

• You must have a bank account in your organization's name

You do not need 501(c)(3) status to use Zeffy. Any registered nonprofit type is welcome, including:

• 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), 501(c)(5), 501(c)(6), 501(c)(7), 501(c)(8), 501(c)(9), 501(c)(10), 501(c)(11), 501(c)(12), 501(c)(13), 501(c)(14), 501(c)(15), 501(c)(16), 501(c)(17), 501(c)(18), 501(c)(19), 501(c)(21), 501(c)(22), 501(c)(23), 501(c)(26), 501(c)(27), 501(c)(29)

Still waiting for your 501(c) status?

As long as you have an EIN and a bank account in your organization's name, you can start using Zeffy. During onboarding, select "Other nonprofit organization" when asked to indicate your organization type.

Once your official status comes through, update your organization type in your account:

1. Log in and click your name in the bottom left corner of your dashboard

2. Go to Settings → Organization information

3. Update your nonprofit type

4. You'll be asked to confirm your EIN so it can be added to tax receipts - as a 501(c) organization, you can then generate tax receipts automatically. Learn more about tax receipts →

🇨🇦 Canada

• You must be a nonprofit organization (note that you do not need to be a registered charity to use Zeffy)

• You must have a bank account in your organization's name

In Canada, organizations that operate on a not-for-profit basis can use Zeffy even without a registered charity number, as long as they have a bank account in the organization’s name. This includes community groups, associations, student clubs, sports teams, cultural organizations, and many other types of nonprofits.

Completing your verification as a Canadian organization →

Waiting for your charity status?

If you're in the process of obtaining your charity status from the CRA, you can still complete verification and start fundraising – as long as you have a bank account in your organization's name. Learn more about completing verification →

Once your charity status comes through, update your organization type in your account:

1. Log in and click your name in the bottom left corner of your dashboard

2. Go to Settings → Organization information and update your nonprofit type

3. You'll be asked to add your CRA charity number and can upload an electronic signature to enable tax receipt generation. Learn more about tax receipts →

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

• You must be a nonprofit organization

• You must have a bank account in your organization's name

You do not need a Registered Charity Number or Companies House CRN

If your organization doesn't have a CRN – for example, a university-affiliated student group or an unregistered community organization – you can still use Zeffy as long as you have a bank account in your organization's name.

You do not need to be eligible to claim Gift Aid with an HRMC number

If your organization doesn't have an HRMC number or is not eligible for Gift Aid, you can select "Organization not eligible for Gift Aid" during your account set-up.

Waiting for your HRMC number?

If you're in the process of obtaining your HMRC number, you can still complete verification and start fundraising. Once you receive it, update your organization type in your account:

1. Log in and click your name in the bottom left corner of your dashboard

2. Go to Settings → Organization information and update your nonprofit type

3. You'll be asked to add your HRMC number and will then be able to claim gift aid on your campaigns. Learn how to connect to Swiftaid to claim gift aid

🇦🇺 Australia

• You must be a not-for-profit organisation

• Your organization must be located in one of the following states: NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT, ACT

• You must have a bank account in your organisation's name

You need an Australian Business Number (ABN)

To sign up, you'll need your 11-digit ABN. You can be a registered charity with the ACNC, a charity with DGR status or another type of not-for-profit organisation (volunteer/unincorporated group)

Registered charities

If your organization is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), select "Registered Charity" during signup and enter your ABN.

Other not-for-profit organisations

If you're a community group, school, religious organization, or other not-for-profit that isn't registered with the ACNC, select "Other Charity or Organization" during signup. You'll still need an ABN and a bank account in your organization's name.

Getting started for Australian organizations →

🤔 General eligibility FAQ

What if my organization operates entirely as a not-for-profit, but has no formal status?

It depends on where you're based:

• 🇺🇸 US: An EIN is always required. Without one, you cannot use Zeffy, even if your organization operates entirely as a not-for-profit.

• 🇨🇦 Canada: You can use Zeffy without a registered charity number, as long as your organization has a bank account in its name.

• 🇬🇧 UK: You can use Zeffy without a CRN or HMRC, as long as your organization has a bank account in its name.

• 🇦🇺 Australia: You need an ABN to use Zeffy. As long as your organization has a bank account in its name, you can sign up even if you're not registered with the ACNC.

What if we operate under a fiscal sponsor?

You can use Zeffy as long as the nonprofit's information is used during account setup and their bank account is connected to Zeffy. If you are fiscally sponsored, your fiscal sponsor's EIN and bank account should be used for verification. ➡️ See our Fiscal Sponsorship FAQ for details.

What if I'm a private business raising money for a nonprofit?

It's preferable to use the nonprofit's information for verification. If you use your business information instead, you'll need to provide an official signed document confirming the agreement between your business and the nonprofit, including how and when funds will be transferred.

What if I'm raising money for a cause as an individual, not as an organization?

Zeffy is built for organizations, not individuals. If you're a group of people raising money for a specific cause or person (such as a retirement gift for a colleague), Zeffy is unfortunately not the right platform for that use case. You would need to be a registered nonprofit or have a bank account in an organization's name to qualify.

What if my organization lost its official nonprofit status?

If your organization no longer holds active nonprofit registration, it does not meet Zeffy's eligibility requirements. You would need to re-register your organization before reapplying.