Stripe vs.
Sponsor A Purpose
Discover why nonprofits choose Sponsor A Purpose
Not a Stripe alternative: Sponsor A Purpose runs on Stripe
This is not really a competitive comparison. Sponsor A Purpose processes donations through Stripe, so the payment rails are the same. The question is whether you want to build the donation forms, receipts, donor records, segmentation and reporting yourself on top of Stripe's API, or have them already built. So this is not really a list of Stripe alternatives. The payment rails are the same either way; what differs is whether the fundraising system on top is already built.
What SAPu offers
The same Stripe rails
Processing at 2.2% + $0.30 with 0% platform fees
Nothing to build
Forms, receipts, records and reporting included
No 80% donation rule
Tickets and memberships do not put your rate at risk
It replaces your whole stack, not just Stripe
A CRM here, a donation form there, email somewhere else. Sponsor A Purpose brings all of it into one connected platform.
Cost and what you get free
Stripe publishes its rates and charges no monthly or setup fee, at 2.9% + $0.30 for standard domestic cards. Their nonprofit discount exists but has to be applied for and requires at least 80% of your Stripe volume to come from tax-deductible donations, which tickets, memberships, tuition and auction payments do not count toward. Our 2.2% + $0.30 has no donation-share requirement and applies from day one.
| Feature | Sponsor A Purpose | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Published processing rates | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: yes |
| No monthly or setup fees | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: yes |
| Free core CRM | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: no |
| Nonprofit rate without a donation-share requirement | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: no |
Donor CRM
Stripe gives you customers and charges in a payments dashboard. There is no supporter profile, no giving history, no segmentation, no notes and no tasks, because that is not what Stripe is for. Every gift here lands on a donor record instead.
| Feature | Sponsor A Purpose | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Donor records with full giving history | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: no |
| Segmentation and custom fields | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: no |
| Notes on contact records | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: no |
| Tasks and activities | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: no |
Giving and payments
Stripe processes payments as well as anyone, and recurring giving, Apple Pay, Google Pay and ACH run on both sides. Their developer API and payment customization go far beyond ours. What they leave to you is the nonprofit layer: ready-made donation forms, automated IRS-compliant receipts, DAF giving and employer matching gifts.
| Feature | Sponsor A Purpose | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Payment processing | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: yes |
| Recurring giving | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: yes |
| Apple Pay, Google Pay and ACH | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: yes |
| Donation forms ready to use | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: no |
| Automated IRS-compliant tax receipts | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: no |
| DAF giving built into the widget | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: no |
| Corporate matching gifts | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: no |
| Developer API and full payment customization | Sponsor A Purpose: no | Stripe: yes |
Communication and automation
Stripe sends payment receipts. Fundraising email campaigns and prebuilt donor journeys run off the donor record here, so the thank-you and the second ask do not need an export and a separate tool.
| Feature | Sponsor A Purpose | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Fundraising email campaigns | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: no |
| Prebuilt donor journeys | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: no |
Grants
Stripe does no grant work. Grant discovery on IRS 990 funder filings, deadline and pipeline tracking and AI-assisted writing are add-ons here.
| Feature | Sponsor A Purpose | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Grant discovery on IRS 990 funder data | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: no |
| AI grant writing | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: no |
Volunteers
Stripe has no volunteer side. Volunteers, fosters and partners sit on the same record set as donors with us, with volunteer management as a $29 a month add-on.
| Feature | Sponsor A Purpose | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Volunteer management | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: no |
Services and support
Stripe is payment infrastructure for every kind of business; we work only with nonprofits. Website design and hosting, growth consulting and appointment scheduling are paid services we offer and they do not.
| Feature | Sponsor A Purpose | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment scheduling | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: no |
| Website design and hosting (service) | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: no |
| Nonprofit-only focus | Sponsor A Purpose: yes | Stripe: no |
Sponsor A Purpose vs. Stripe: common questions
The same processor, with the fundraising system attached
Stripe handles the payment either way. Sponsor A Purpose is what turns that payment into a donor record, a receipt, a segment and a second gift.