Betterplace.org – Platform statistics 2026
Betterplace.org – Pros & Cons
About Betterplace.org
What it is
betterplace.org is Germany's largest online donation platform, founded in Berlin in 2007. Since a 2024 restructuring it is run by betterplace.org gGmbH, a non-profit company owned by gut.org gemeinnützige AG. People give money to projects run by German charities. Donors get nothing back: no repayment, no interest and no reward. The homepage shows €373.9 million donated to 28,114 projects in 185 countries (30 October 2026).
How it works
You pick a project and donate by card, PayPal, SEPA direct debit, Apple Pay, Google Pay or bank transfer. Legally, betterplace.org itself receives the donation and passes it on to the charity, which is why betterplace, not the project, issues the German tax receipt. Since 26 June 2026 a simplified receipt for gifts up to €300 is attached to the confirmation email. The maximum per online donation is €20,000. You can also set up a monthly donation.
Who can raise money
Only organisations registered in Germany and recognised as charitable by a German tax office may collect. They prove it with a current tax-exemption notice, which betterplace re-checks from time to time. Projects must list concrete, costed needs. Private people can run a fundraising campaign (a birthday, a run, a live stream) for a project already on the platform, but cannot collect for themselves here; private causes go to the sister site GoodCrowd.
Fees
There is no commission and no set-up or monthly fee. betterplace keeps 2.8% of every donation to cover payment and bank fees, chargebacks and the cost of fighting misuse (it was 2.5% until 1 April 2025). At checkout donors are asked for an extra, voluntary contribution to betterplace itself; the amount is suggested in advance, so check it and change it if you want to give less or nothing.
What reaches the project
At least 97.2% of each donation, and 100% in campaigns where a company sponsor pays the costs. The charity can ask for its money to be paid out 15 days after it arrives, whether or not the target has been reached. Money that can no longer be passed on (project ended, organisation inactive) stays with betterplace for its own charitable work; it is not returned to donors.
Track record
€373.9 million donated since 2007, up from €367.9 million at the end of August 2026. In 2024 donors gave €41 million through 656,428 donations, an average of €62.48 each. The 2024 accounts were audited without qualification and showed a loss of €198,470. betterplace checks that a charity is recognised, not whether a project is effective, and publishes no figures on projects removed or confirmed misuse. Public review score 4.7 out of 5 (851 reviews, August 2026).
Status and regulation
Operating (checked 30 October 2026). A donation platform needs no investment licence and betterplace has none. It is a tax-privileged charity under German law, recognised by the Berlin tax office (notice of 18 October 2024), and it has signed Germany's civil-society transparency commitment. Payments are processed by Stripe and PayPal.
Our view
We do not rate betterplace.org: it is giving, not investing. You get no money back and no reward, only a tax receipt if you pay tax in Germany. What matters for a donor: at least 97.2% of the gift reaches the charity, the recipients are checked tax-recognised charities, and a donation with a tax receipt cannot be refunded.
Regulation
License / Regulation: No investment licence — not needed, as donors give money away rather than invest. betterplace.org gGmbH is a tax-privileged charity under German law, recognised by the Berlin tax office (Finanzamt für Körperschaften I) by notice of 18 October 2024.
Functionality
For Investors
For Fund Seekers
Useful Information
No. A donation is a gift. The terms give you no claim to get it back, and not even a legal claim that it is passed to the project you chose. Donations with a tax receipt cannot be refunded; donations without a receipt over €20 are refunded only if you can be identified. Money that can no longer be passed on stays with betterplace for its charitable work.
Donating is free, but betterplace keeps 2.8% of each donation for payment and fraud costs. At checkout you are also asked for a voluntary contribution to betterplace itself. The amount is suggested in advance, so check it before you pay.
At least 97.2%, and 100% where a company sponsor pays the costs. betterplace charges no commission.
Keep what you raise. A charity can ask for donations to be paid out 15 days after they arrive, whether or not the target is reached, and can change its target at any time.
Only organisations registered in Germany and recognised as charitable by a German tax office. Private people can run a fundraising campaign for a project already listed, but cannot collect money for themselves.
No. There is no interest, no repayment and no reward. German taxpayers get a donation receipt that lowers their income tax; since 26 June 2026 a simplified receipt for gifts up to €300 comes with the confirmation email.
It checks that the charity is recognised and re-checks this from time to time, and projects must list costed needs. It does not judge whether a project is effective, and it publishes no figures on removed projects or misuse. You can report a suspicious project to its support team, anonymously if you wish.
