Donation tools beyond ActBlue
ActBlue is the right answer for most Democratic campaigns. But "most" isn't "all" — and some races need a values-aligned processor that fits their situation better.
The short version: ActBlue is the dominant donation platform for Democratic campaigns, and if you're a Democratic candidate it's almost certainly your default. But nonpartisan races and certain committees often need something else — most commonly Anedot or Raise the Money for nonpartisan candidates, with Numero, Donorbox, and others filling specific needs. Each is a values-aligned option for the Democratic and nonpartisan side.
Why ActBlue isn't right for every race
ActBlue is built for Democratic and progressive campaigns and organizations. That's a feature, not a bug — it's why it's the backbone of small-dollar fundraising on the left. But it also means the brand is explicitly partisan.
For a lot of down-ballot races, that's no problem. But many school board, city council, and judicial races are formally nonpartisan. A candidate in one of those races may not want a donate page that routes through a partisan brand — even if their values are clear. For them, a nonpartisan processor is the better fit.
The values-aligned options
For nonpartisan candidates
Anedot and Raise the Money are the usual choices. Both handle candidate and committee donations, recurring gifts, and the basics you'd expect, without a partisan brand attached to the donate experience.
For Democratic campaigns that want an alternative
Numero is a newer, texting-native option in the Democratic ecosystem. Some campaigns use it alongside or instead of ActBlue depending on their program.
For advocacy organizations and PACs
Donorbox and similar nonprofit-oriented tools are often a better fit for 501(c) organizations and some committees, where the needs look more like nonprofit fundraising than candidate fundraising.
Match the processor to your committee type first (candidate vs PAC vs nonprofit), then to whether you need partisan or nonpartisan branding, then to the features your program actually uses (recurring, text-to-give, CRM sync). Don't overthink the rest.
Pick from a values-aligned shortlist
Each of these is built for, or comfortable with, Democratic and nonpartisan campaigns — so whatever you choose reflects the campaign you're running.
The tools you build on say something about the campaign you're running.
How Electbase fits in
Electbase is deliberately processor-agnostic. You pick the donation tool that's right for your race — ActBlue, Anedot, Raise the Money, Numero, Donorbox, or paste your own — and Electbase embeds it. We are a pipe, not a processor: we never hold or touch a contribution, so the funds and the compliance reporting stay with your processor where they belong. And the integration directory is curated for the Democratic and nonpartisan side.
Electbase works with the processor you already trust. Join the waitlist →