Masjid donation fee calculator
Jumu'ah giving, Ramadan campaigns, and monthly sadaqah all pass through a platform that keeps a percentage. Put your numbers in and see what it costs the masjid over a year.
Every year
$0
- Total taken from your donations
- $0
- Card processing, which nobody avoids
- $0
- What a page of your own would keep
- $0
Free consultation, then one fixed quote.
How the math works
Two charges come out of every donation. Card processing is the unavoidable one, roughly 2.9 percent and 30 cents, and it applies wherever your donation form lives. The platform fee sits on top and is the part the board can actually do something about.
The average donation matters. Masajid collect a lot of small gifts, and at a $25 average the 30 cent transaction fee alone is more than one percent of everything raised. A Jumu'ah QR code that brings in hundreds of small donations is wonderful for the community and expensive at checkout.
Monthly giving times your platform fee, plus 2.9 percent and 30 cents on every donation, times twelve. The avoidable line is the platform fee on its own.
What the platforms charge
| Platform | What it takes | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Givebutter | 3 percent when donor tips are switched off, plus processing | Free to use if you leave the tip prompt on, which asks your congregation to cover it instead. |
| Donorbox | 2.95 percent on the standard plan, plus processing | Drops to 1.75 percent on a plan that runs about $150 a month. |
| LaunchGood | A percentage per campaign plus processing, with an optional donor tip | Built for Muslim causes and strong for one off campaigns rather than everyday masjid giving. |
| Zeffy | No platform fee | Paid for by a tip prompt shown to your donors, defaulted at 15 to 17 percent of their gift. |
| Your own donation page | Card processing only, about 2.2 to 2.9 percent and 30 cents | No platform fee, no tip prompt, and zakat, sadaqah, and building fund tracked separately. |
Rates are drawn from each platform published pricing pages.
The question boards ask about zakat
Fees on zakat come up at almost every board meeting we sit in on. Zakat is owed in full to those entitled to it, so when a platform keeps three percent of a zakat donation, someone has to decide whether the masjid covers that difference from general funds or whether the collection is simply short. Scholars differ on how to treat it, and that ruling is not ours to give.
What we can tell you is the operational answer. Separating zakat from sadaqah at the point of donation, tracking each fund on its own, and knowing exactly what left in fees makes the conversation with your imam and your board a short one. Most hosted platforms treat every dollar the same, which is where the confusion starts.
And below a certain size, a hosted platform really is the cheaper answer. If the fees do not add up to a build, we will say so plainly rather than sell you something the masjid does not need.
Questions people ask
What do donation platforms charge a masjid?
Most take between 1.75 and 5 percent on top of card processing, which is around 2.9 percent and 30 cents per donation. On $150,000 of annual online giving, a three percent platform fee is $4,500 a year before processing is counted.
Can the masjid pass fees to donors instead?
Most platforms offer a checkbox asking the donor to cover fees, and a good share of people tick it. It genuinely helps. It also means your donors carry a cost that a page of your own would not create in the first place.
How should we handle fees on zakat?
That is a question for your imam or scholar, not for us. The practical part we can help with is separating zakat from other funds at the point of donation and reporting exactly what was collected and what was deducted, so whoever makes the ruling has clear numbers to work from.
Is a custom donation page worth it for a masjid?
It depends on your giving volume. Once platform fees pass a few thousand dollars a year, a page of your own usually pays for itself inside two years and keeps paying after that. Under that, stay on a hosted platform, and we will tell you so.
What does a masjid donation page cost to build?
It depends on recurring giving, fund designation for zakat and sadaqah, receipts, and a dashboard your volunteers can actually use. You get one fixed itemized quote after a free consultation, ready to set against what the calculator showed you.
Keep more of what your community gives
We build for masajid and Islamic organizations across Indiana and beyond. Tell us how your masjid collects donations today, and we will give you an honest read on whether building your own is worth it.