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Zeffy email marketing is free, genuinely and at any list size, and this site earns nothing by telling you so. Zeffy is a fundraising platform for nonprofits that includes newsletters and emails alongside donation forms, events, and a donor database. There is no paid tier above it. What funds it is an optional tip donors can add at checkout, which Zeffy says about two in three donors leave.
What Zeffy email includes
Unlimited emails to unlimited contacts, a drag-and-drop editor, segmentation of your contact database, sign-up forms for the newsletter, and tracking on sends. Because the email sits on top of the donation and event tools, a donor’s giving history and their email record are the same record, which is the part that costs money everywhere else.
How it is free
Zeffy charges nonprofits nothing and covers card processing itself. At checkout, donors see an optional contribution to Zeffy. Enough of them leave one to fund the platform. The trade is that your donors are asked for something on your donation page, which some organisations are comfortable with and some are not.
What it lacks
- No sales funnels with upsells or order bumps.
- No course or membership delivery.
- No automation beyond fundraising-oriented follow-up.
- It is built for registered nonprofits, so it is not an option for a social enterprise or a community group without charitable status.
Who it fits
Small and mid-sized nonprofits whose email is about donations, events, and updates. If that describes you, Zeffy replaces a paid email tool and a donation platform at once, and nothing on this site beats free.
What to pair it with
If you also sell tickets to a paid workshop, run a training course, or need a landing page funnel with a sequence behind it, systeme.io covers that free to 2,000 contacts and takes no platform fee. Run donations in Zeffy and programmes in systeme.io; the two lists stay separate, which is the only real friction.
Affiliate link. Zeffy pays us nothing and is still the pick for donor email.
Frequently asked questions
Is Zeffy really free?
Yes. Zeffy states every feature is free and that it covers transaction and card fees, funded by optional tips donors add at checkout.
Does Zeffy have email marketing?
Yes. Unlimited emails to unlimited contacts, with a drag-and-drop editor and segmentation built on the donor database.
What is the catch with Zeffy?
Your donors are shown an optional tip for Zeffy at checkout, and the platform is limited to registered nonprofits and fundraising use cases.
Can Zeffy replace Mailchimp for a nonprofit?
For donor and supporter email, yes, at any list size. For sales funnels, courses, or non-charitable use, no.
Related: Mailchimp alternatives for nonprofits, marketing automation for nonprofits.