The Business Case for Fee Cover: Raise More, Save More, and Fund What Matters

Jason Durocher

If you’ve ever looked at your annual processing fees and wondered how much more impact you could make without them, you’re not alone. In today’s fundraising environment, reducing costs and maximizing net revenue are essential—and that’s exactly where fee cover solutions like Complete Cover™ and donor cover come in. 

With the upcoming Release 25.6 of Complete Cover and donor cover for Luminate Online® and TeamRaiser®, organizations will have new options to reduce or eliminate processing fees on online transactions. But beyond just savings, these features offer a smarter way to fund your mission and retain more of every gift. 

Let’s explore how. 

Complete Cover: Designed to Eliminate Processing Fees  

Complete Cover is a Blackbaud-exclusive solution that ensures your organization pays zero processing fees on eligible transactions under $3,000, regardless of whether the supporter opts in or out of the contribution prompt. 

So, who pays for the processing fees? Blackbaud does. The optional contribution from the supporter helps offset platform costs, but even if they choose to give nothing extra, your organization still receives the full amount of the transaction. 

This means: 

• No transaction fees for your organization 
• No guessing about whether a donor opted in 
• No friction at the point of payment 

Complete Cover puts your net revenue first—every time. 

Donor Cover: Familiar, Flexible, and Supporter-Controlled 

Donor cover gives supporters the option to add a small amount to help cover processing fees. It’s a widely recognized model that builds transparency and empowers donors to increase the impact of their gift. 

When donor cover is enabled: 

• Donors see a suggested percentage they can adjust or remove 
• If they opt in, your organization receives more net revenue 
• If they opt out, you pay standard processing fees for the transaction 

It’s simple, donor-friendly, and configurable based on eligibility rules built into Blackbaud donation forms. 

How Much Can You Save? 

Organizations already using fee cover features in other Blackbaud products saved a combined total of almost $4.3 million in platform fees in 2024. These savings were reinvested into staff, programs, technology, and growth—turning what used to be a line item expense into a source of reclaimed value. 

With fee cover now expanding to Luminate Online and TeamRaiser, similar results are within reach. 

Let’s say your organization processes $500,000 annually in eligible online transactions. At a typical processing rate of 3% + $0.30 per transaction, that’s approximately $14,750 in fees. 

With Complete Cover enabled, those fees turn into savings for your organization. 

How Does Fee Cover Work? 

Real-World Impact: A $100 Gift Across Three Donation Forms 

To help visualize how this works, imagine three different donation forms in use at your organization. Each form receives two $100 donations. One donor chooses to cover the fees (if prompted), and one does not. 

Assumed Processing Fee: 3% + $0.30 = $3.30 per $100 gift 

Donation Form A: No Fee Cover Enabled 

• Donor 1 gives $100 → You receive $96.70 
• Donor 2 gives $100 → You receive $96.70 

Total Disbursement: $193.40 
Total Cost in Fees: $6.60 
Total Savings: $0  

Donation Form B: Donor Cover Enabled 

• Donor 1 opts out of covering fees → You receive $96.70 
• Donor 2 opts in and covers $3.30 → You receive $100.00 

Total Disbursement: $196.70 
Total Cost in Fees: $3.30 
Total Savings: $3.30  

Donation Form C: Complete Cover Enabled 

• Donor 1 opts out of contributing → You receive $100.00 
• Donor 2 opts in and contributes to platform → You receive $100.00 

Total Disbursement: $200.00 
Total Cost in Fees: $0 
Total Savings: $6.60 

As you can see: 

• With no fee cover, your organization pays processing fees for every transaction 
• With donor cover, savings depend on whether the donor opts in 
• With Complete Cover, you always receive 100% for gifts under $3,000  

Turning Cost Savings into Operational Value 

Many organizations are beginning to think about fee cover as part of a larger financial strategy, not just for individual campaigns, but for their overall operations.  

Here’s another example: 

Let’s say that you raise $750,000 in online donations this year. Processing fees average about 3%, so by implementing Complete Cover across all your donation forms you’ll save close to $22,500. That’s a significant reinvestment opportunity! Whether you apply those funds toward technology, programs, or staffing, fee cover features help you free up dollars that used to be lost to transaction fees.  

Want to see Fee Covers in action? 
Join us for a live webinar: 

Introducing Donor Cover & Complete Cover: New Ways to Maximize Your Net Revenue 
📅 Thursday, September 25 at 11:00 a.m. ET  

Discover how Donor Cover and Complete Cover can help you reduce or eliminate processing fees, simplify the donor experience, and keep more of every gift. 

Register Now → 

Supporters Want to Help—Not Opt Out 

A common concern we hear is: “Won’t a fee cover prompt turn donors away?”  

Here’s what we’ve seen: 

• Donors actually want the option to contribute more—not less—when it’s framed transparently 
• The donor contribution is optional and fully adjustable 
• Even when donors opt out, you still pay no fees 

Complete Cover is designed to support your bottom line without creating barriers for your donors.  

Still have questions about how fee cover works in practice?  

Check out our Fee Cover FAQ page for answers to the most common donor and organization scenarios. 

Related Articles:

Donor Cover and Complete Cover Are Coming to Luminate Online and TeamRaiser

Overcoming Fee Cover Concerns: What to Know About Donor Experience

Migrating from Custom Fee Covers to Native Features in Luminate Online & TeamRaiser

In the next post, we’ll tackle the most common questions we receive about fee covers—from tax receipts and refund handling to why some transactions show donor cover and others don’t. 

You can explore Blackbaud University Fee Cover Training to get a deeper look at how donor cover and Complete Cover features work together to support your goals.