# Page 3 | GiveSmart Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Page 3 - Is GiveSmart the right Event Management solution for you? Explore 203 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/130794/GiveSmart/reviews --- GiveSmart 4.5 (203) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/130794/GiveSmart/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Page 3 - Reviews of GiveSmart ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 51-75 of 203 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use BK Brian K. Auction CoChair Education Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "The best campaign based fundraising tool on the market!" August 13, 2019 5.0 Overall, we were very happy with our decision to move forward with GiveSmart. We recently renewed and extended our initial agreement for an extra two years. Pros The flexibility and detail that is offered with in the GiveSmart interface to admins is truly custom. We were able to set up our auction event and run multiple raffles, instant buys, and silent auctions along with our oral auction. The seating/reservations module was an amazing addition to the transparency and planning of our event. In the end, the team support from Givesmart made this transition and the overall event set up so easy. Cons The donor receipts are one per item and are not very custom or adaptive. This created additional work that should be captured in the software package. Alternatives considered [OneCause](https://www.capterra.com/p/145329/Fundraising-Software/) Reason for choosing GiveSmart The service package flexibility to meet our needs and at least initially help us learn the GiveSmart platform really was the difference compared to what other platforms were willing to consider. The onsite team during the event was amazing and was the reason we extended or contract, we know even as our personnel changes for our event needs' that the customer service experience offered by GiveSmart will be there to help us through and ensures a successful event...for many years to come! Review Source JS Jessica S. Development & Marketing Manager Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "GiveSmart Review" August 12, 2019 4.0 Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County uses GiveSmart frequently for events and other giving campaigns. It is super easy to set up campaigns and run them yourself. The GiveSmart staff is incredibly helpful on event days. Pros User friendly Clean, presentable look Unlimited events Cons Setting up new users with passwords tends to be difficult for us Alternatives considered [OneCause](https://www.capterra.com/p/145329/Fundraising-Software/) Reason for choosing GiveSmart We were already using the software, and for a similar price it made the most sense to keep moving forward with GiveSmart. Review Source Jill K. Director of Advancement and Community Relations Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great product, great people. " November 1, 2017 5.0 It makes my online auction much easier. Pros The best thing about Gesture are the people who work there! We LOVE our account rep - she is super responsive. The folks that come out to work the auction are always wonderful too. The extra staff support is essential to our event! I also think the interface is very user-friendly and not overly complicated. Cons I wish there were an easier way to do a mass photo upload for items, and I wish that items said SOLD instead of CLOSED when they are purchased outright, and that they said NOT OPEN FOR BIDDING if they are something being auctioned in the future. Review Source Zach B. Development Coordinator Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Out of Box, Very Specific Tool" February 15, 2022 3.0 We were hoping to use it for more fundraising applications, but the team is looking for ways to stop using outside of random auctions we do. Pros They were an answer to allowing us to do online silent auctions during the pandemic. Cons There seems to be more and more walls we have hit with this product. Our team has found itself reaching out to support for what we deem as very basic functions that should be available to the product (being able to delete a custom page that was created on a campaign). There have been many glitches: charging donors multiple times or not notifying admins of gifts at all. Review Source DW David W. Founder and Executive Director Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "VERY PLEASED AFTER 10 YEARS" October 22, 2020 4.0 I have used since the early days of the company (ABC) for several different nonprofits I ran. The ease of use and customer support has been terrific and is THE main reason I come back year after year. Pros Ease of use. Intuitive. GREAT support. Love the addition of the "Champion" fundraising option Cons It is a little costly but still in line with other "similar" software Alternatives considered [OneCause](https://www.capterra.com/p/145329/Fundraising-Software/) Reason for choosing GiveSmart Ease of use and customer service Review Source kP katrina P. consultant Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "GiveSmart is a great tool!" September 30, 2022 4.0 GiveSmart provides a relatively easy to use auction and ticketing platform that looks good on desktop and mobile. Auction check out is plug n play! Pros The customer service is AMAZING--the chat support has walked me through a myriad of questions and helped me in real time set up campaigns and avoid mistakes. Cons The ticketing feature is not as user friendly as the auction feature and unfortunately information can't be transferred between the two. Review Source KL Kirby L. Event Chair Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Worth looking into" October 20, 2020 3.0 Pros I like that you can use it for multiple fundraising campaigns. I also liked the presentation view so participants can bid and watch simultaneously on one screen. Cons A little clunky. Not super user friendly. I needed guidance and tips and tricks for best practices but I don't feel like I really received that. I feel like there were a lot of features and customization options within the site that I didn't take advantage of because I didn't know how best to utilize them. I also didn't find the help pages that useful which was where I was directed to everytime I asked for help. They need to be more descriptive overall. I also didn't realize that our tax preferences weren't properly set up until after the event was over and it was too late to do anything about it. My nonprofit ended up eating the tax that should have been charged to the purchaser (according to the law) and we lost over $1000 having to pay that bill ourselves. I would suggest including this to planning agendas for future events. Or reset the default. Review Source CF Carrie F. Special Event Coordinator Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Overall, great product" October 14, 2020 5.0 The account managers have been a pleasure to work with. We've also utilized the in-person staff for our auction event. They were professional and helpful. Pros Ease of use, able to quickly set-up a new event and make changes as needed. Encompasses most of our fundraising needs Cons Limited P2P fundraising abilities, which they have started incorporating Reason for choosing GiveSmart We chose GiveSmart initially for the auction abilities. We have expanded our use of GiveSmart since then, with the new features that have been added. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Assistant Director of Alumni Relations Higher Education Used the software for: 2+ years ### "My experience with Gesture has been nothing but positive. " November 1, 2017 5.0 Pros I love the fact that the Auction is not limited to those who are physically at the event. The fact that there is a website that allows ANYONE to bid on auction items widens our bandwidth and allows for a much higher return. Additionally, the customer service is always impeccable. They are willing to answer any question or jump on a conference call to discuss questions or concerns and they always make sure to accommodate our needs. Review Source CC Cleve C. Retired Religious Institutions Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Covers All The Bases" October 16, 2020 4.0 Not a fan of the fact that someone on our dropped the fee for user support and had us go DIY but that's on us and I made it work anyway Pros Fairly easy to figure out. With enough lead time a and lab scenario deployments most folks can work it out. Cons Little cludgy trying to get the card readers and IPADs. Come on now, one stop shopping. E en if you use two vendors you can mask that with software so that we don't have to know. I have had many complaints from folks trying to purchase the online raffle tickets. Once they click the buy they get the message that KS for your purchase. They have actually added multiple tickets to their cart trying to figure out how to actually purchase the tickets. You should change the phrase to "you items have been added to your cart" and NOT thank you for the purchase. Or add verbiage that says now click the "Pay" button to continue. Alternatives considered [BiddingOwl.com](https://www.capterra.com/p/130932/BiddingOwl-com/) Reason for choosing GiveSmart Better pricing model and had seen it before Review Source BG Brandi G. Office Manager Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Everything I've been looking for" December 11, 2018 4.0 We have been looking for a mobile auction software service for a long time and finally found a good one within our price range. Although there are things that need to be worked on, overall i am happy with it and would recommend. Pros Online Auctions that you can make live before the event. onsite reps from the company that are very knowledgeable about the software and product. The site is easy to maneuver through and the reports are easy to find what you need. Cons There are things that you have to have the company set up for you that you should be able to set up yourself such as who should be receiving alerts for donations, etc. Also, since the tablets the reps bring to events run on data you'd think there wouldn't be any lag time but at each event we've had, they've kept shutting down which made for a back up at check in with guests waiting. At our first event, we were supposed to have 2 reps show up and only 1 did. We had to wait for a refund as we'd paid for 2. Review Source VM Val M. Executive Director Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great System" August 20, 2019 4.0 GiveSmart support is always quick and helpful. Overall GiveSmart works for us, but I wish it was a little more user friendly on the admin side for sponsorship groups and groups of tickets. Pros This system works very well for us for its silent auction capabilities. Easy to use and increased our revenue from a paper system. Also great for instant buys (wine pull, raffle tickets) and donations. Easy to use system for guests. Cons I wish there was more flexibility in the ticket purchasing side. Guests that are part of a group of tickets that have been pre-purchased are not able to go on to update their own information. This makes the check-in process longer as we try to capture the information that is needed (addresses). Did not like having to buy their specific swipers at such a high cost to use once a year. Review Source Doug T. Executive Director Used the software for: 2+ years ### "I think this was our 4th or 5th year with Give Smart. It has been a great tool to use for our auctio" May 11, 2018 5.0 I think we raised more money because we have it. Pros it is easy for me to use to develop our dash board and entering all the auction items. It is also easy for our guest to use their phones to bid and teh quick feedback. It also makes the check out of auction items go smoothly. Cons I can't think of any. We have used Give Smart for the past 4 or 5 years and have really like the product and there staff. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Program Director Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "They used to be really good, now just okay" March 31, 2020 4.0 They used to be great, they tried to expand, they couldn't handle the workload and the quality declined drastically. Pros Initially, the customer support and the features they offered were amazing, and priced very competitively. Cons They purchased at least one other company, and they experienced a lot of growing pains. The quality of the employees dropped insanely. We no longer work with them. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Development Manager Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great for Events" October 15, 2019 4.0 Pros This makes it easy to fundraise for special events like golf tournaments or galas. Cons There are some functionalities that cannot be changed- like being notified if a general donation (not ticket) is made and tabs/website layout. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Executive Director Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Should be the Best Based on Price" May 4, 2021 4.0 User experience is great - very straightforward. Pros This product is the luxury line and its pricing reflects such - we utilized it because we often ran 10-12 events/year and could easily replicate data, but it would not have been cost effective for a single event. Cons Customer service is tough to track down and not highly responsive for cost of product. Review Source aC andrea C. Events Manager Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "GiveSmart helped us streamline and go virtual!" October 13, 2020 5.0 GiveSmart is easy to use software that helped us transform fundraising events. In particular this year, when we have switched to a virtual format for our fundraising events, we relied on GiveSmart to make it happen Their team of dedicated staff is helpful with guidance and fixing problems. The system is easy to use and navigate and allows us to track and analyze financial and donor information post-event. Pros The ease of use, clear guidelines provided, and helpfulness of the account manager assigned to our project. Cons There are a few functions that would be helpful to add, and figuring out how to correctly apply sales tax can be a bit confusing. It is more expensive than other software, but the ease of use for both the admin and users makes up for the cost difference. You get what you pay for! Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Director Of Operations Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "GiveSmart for auctions" November 5, 2018 5.0 Easy to use, great interface, and exceptional customer service! Pros Very easy to use interface. For registration, was very efficient and helped keep our lines moving. For auction, extremely easy for silent auction check-out. Cons Might build in a mechanism that will recognize dupe CC entered for registrants. We had Guest X check-in with his CC and then Guest Y checked in and somehow he was checked in by mistake with Guest X's CC. Post-gala had to refund Guest X and charge Guest Y. Review Source AW Amy W. Director of Development Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "GiveSmart is a smart choice!" August 12, 2019 5.0 Pros GiveSmart is a great platform for events -- either DIY or staffed by their team. I've worked with them for many years in three different organizations. They are solid, professional and goal-focused. Cons There are some limitations with customization for displays, but that's minor, in my opinion. Alternatives considered [OneCause](https://www.capterra.com/p/145329/Fundraising-Software/) Reason for choosing GiveSmart My experience with GiveSmart is that it's worth the price. We used Gesture for a couple of years, but am thrilled that they are now part of the GiveSmart group. Review Source CL Carrie L. Auction Chairman Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Givesmart is the best!" August 13, 2019 5.0 We have had a great experience with Givesmart! They are knowledgeable and helpful with regards to every aspect of our events! Pros We love the online support as well we the staff that assists at our events! Cons I can’t pick anything that I liked least. It was such a great solution for our team! Review Source JC James C. volunteer Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "We love GiveSmart" October 13, 2020 5.0 As good (extremely good) as the software platform is, the GiveSmart people are even better! Best customer service I have ever experienced. Pros Easy to use. Extremely user friendly for donors/users. Thorough, meets all of our fundraising needs, including: online auctions, live auction, paddle raise, donations, pledges, raffles, dinner reservations & seating and more. Extremely robust reporting and analysis capability. Cons What's not to like? Although, we would appreciate a customized donor/user data import<>export between GiveSmart & Raiser's Edge. Reason for choosing GiveSmart The positive recommendations we received from other non-profit organizations gave us the confidence to try GiveSmart. Review Source SB Sophie B. Events Manager Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "GiveSmart for Nonprofit Events" August 13, 2019 5.0 Pros I have used GiveSmart for three events now and each time it has been easy to set-up, use on the day of the event, and pull reports post event. Cons Nothing really. It is super easy to use and each time I have had a questions I have found an answer on the help page. Review Source AM Annette M. Assistant Athletic Director/Business & Finance Higher Education Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "GiveSmart Review" August 23, 2019 4.0 It has been a great relationship for us. We had onsite support for our first event and she was fantastic (and kept me sane). They are usually timely with responses. The only difficult time was when we were sent the wrong cc swipers for an event. Luckily we were able to get it rectified prior to the event date but I kept getting pushback as it was something we were doing incorrectly instead of having the wrong equipment that GiveSmart gave to us directly. Pros +It incorporated everything we needed from ticket sales, to auction items to general donations Cons \-The display banner that showcases the donor names isn't customizable. You can change the color of the font or other display features. Alternatives considered [Charity Auctions Today](https://www.capterra.com/p/127254/Charity-Auctions-Today/) Reason for choosing GiveSmart GiveSmart had a flat pricing model as well as onsite support if needed. Also the cc option feed was easier through a University-setting. Review Source LP Lina P. Executive Director Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Gala 2019" August 16, 2019 2.0 Unfortunately, it wasn't a good experience as we had a lot of damage control we had to do due to the automated emails being sent out through this software. Pros I like the ease of use in uploading auction items. I also like the customer service we received when we had questions. Cons It sent out notices to our guests (when we were changing their seats on the seating chart, etc.) without our knowledge. It also sent out invoices and receipts without our knowledge at the end of the gala (there were some whom we were working on case-by-case basis). Also onsite registration was not easy to do through this software. Alternatives considered [OneCause](https://www.capterra.com/p/145329/Fundraising-Software/) Reason for choosing GiveSmart We thought the transition would have been easier from 501. Review Source PR Patricia R. Executive Director Museums and Institutions Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Affordable single use platform" August 14, 2019 4.0 We decided to try GiveSmart for a second year. We felt that we learned so much from the previous year that it would not hurt to try it one more year. We are a small organization with older donors so we are manipulating the software to work with out the online bidding. The live auction works great. Silent is a bit of work but we think we have it figured out this year. Pros Excellent reports. table seating. customer relations management. Cons Last year we were not familiar with the software an did not have enough training. We did not know that day of support was an option. Reason for choosing GiveSmart affordability Review Source Similar Products Featured