ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a small nonprofit, I’d avoid paying for an expensive “broadcast suite.” The most cost-effective setup is usually free streaming software + a nonprofit-focused donation platform that supplies browser-based overlays.

My top choices

1. OBS Studio + Streamlabs Charity — my recommendation

obsproject.com is free, open-source, and runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux. OBS itself doesn't process donations, but it can display donation alerts, goals, thermometers, and other widgets through its Browser Source feature. OBS Studio OBS Studio

streamlabscharity.com is particularly interesting for a nonprofit: it currently says it charges no platform or transaction fees and that charities receive 100% of fundraising proceeds, although payment processors can still have their own terms/fees. Streamlabs Charity

Why I'd choose it: you get professional-looking donation alerts and fundraising graphics without committing to a monthly software subscription.

2. OBS Studio + Tiltify — best for larger campaigns

tiltify.com is worth considering if you run campaigns with fundraising goals, incentives, milestones, multiple fundraisers, etc. You can feed its widgets into OBS as Browser Sources. OBS explicitly supports this type of third-party donation/alert integration. OBS Studio OBS Studio

I'd favor this when fundraising functionality is more important than minimizing complexity.

3. Streamlabs Desktop — easiest all-in-one option

streamlabs.com is built on the OBS engine and has donation/tip pages, alerts, widgets, and overlays built in. Its current free tier includes streaming, basic widgets, and a basic tip page; paid tiers add things such as multistreaming and additional themes/features. Streamlabs Streamlabs

This is probably the better choice if your volunteers aren't particularly technical and you'd rather pay nothing initially while having a simpler interface.

What I'd use for your nonprofit

OBS Studio + Streamlabs Charity + YouTube Live/Facebook Live

That gives you:

• 🎥 Free professional broadcast software
• 💰 Donation page and fundraising campaign
• 📈 On-screen donation total/goal
• 🔔 Animated donation alerts
• 🖥️ Custom logos, sponsor graphics, lower thirds, etc.
• 💵 No monthly streaming-software expense
• 🔧 Ability to keep the setup even if you later change streaming platforms

OBS's Browser Source is specifically designed for putting web-based alert and fundraising widgets directly into your scenes. OBS Studio OBS Studio

If you tell me (1) which platform you stream to—YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, or multiple—and (2) whether you need things like a live fundraising thermometer, donor names, donation ticker, and matching-gift progress, I can recommend the cheapest exact stack and explain how I'd wire the overlays together.

streamlabscharity.com is particularly interesting for a nonprofit: it currently says it charges no platform or transaction fees and that charities receive 100% of fundraising proceeds, although payment processors can still have their own terms/fees.

Why I'd choose it: you get professional-looking donation alerts and fundraising graphics without committing to a monthly software subscription.

2. OBS Studio + Tiltify — best for larger campaigns

For a small nonprofit, I’d optimize for $0 software cost + low donation fees + easy overlays, rather than paying for a premium broadcasting suite.

My top choices

1. OBS Studio + StreamElements — my pick for you

OBS Studio is free, open-source broadcasting software. OBS itself doesn't process donations; instead, you add a third-party donation/alert service as a browser source. obsproject.com

StreamElements offers free customizable overlays and widgets, including donation/tip alerts. Its overlay system can put alerts, goals, chat, and other widgets into a single browser source. obsproject.comdocs.streamelements.comstreamlabs.comstreamlabscharity.com

For a nonprofit, that's an attractive combination because you can build things like:

• "2026 Fundraising Goal: $25,000" progress bar
• Recent donor ticker
• Animated "$100 donated by Jane!" alerts
• QR code / donation URL
• Custom nonprofit branding
• Thank-you screens

StreamElements also provides a tipping page and supports multiple payment methods through its tipping system. streamelements.com

2. OBS Studio + Streamlabs — easiest for volunteers

Streamlabs is another good $0 option. Its free tooling includes a tip page, alerts, goals, tip ticker, and other widgets. Streamlabs says it doesn't take a cut of tips, although payment-processing fees still apply. streamlabs.com

The big advantage for a nonprofit with rotating volunteers is simplicity: fewer separate pieces to learn.

3. Streamlabs Charity — worth a serious look

If you're running actual charitable fundraising campaigns rather than simply accepting donations to your organization, Streamlabs Charity is particularly relevant. It advertises no annual fees and 0% platform cut of donations, and is specifically designed for charity livestreaming. streamlabscharity.com

What I'd choose

For recurring fundraising livestreams:
OBS Studio + StreamElements

For occasional events where different volunteers need to operate the stream:
OBS Studio + Streamlabs

For dedicated charity campaigns where fundraising/donation handling is the central concern:
Streamlabs Charity

One important distinction: OBS is the broadcasting software; the donation overlay normally comes from StreamElements, Streamlabs, or another donation provider. You don't need to buy an expensive "all-in-one" streaming program just to get donation overlays. obsproject.com

If you tell me whether you're streaming primarily to YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, or multiple platforms, I can recommend the cheapest setup—including the donation/payment flow and exactly which overlays I'd use.

For a small nonprofit, I’d prioritize low/no software cost, easy donation integration, and overlays that volunteers can operate without much technical training.

My picks

🥇 Best value: OBS Studio + Streamlabs Charity

For a nonprofit, this is probably the combination I'd choose.

OBS Studio is completely free and doesn't have a paid tier. It can display donation alerts and goals using browser sources, although OBS itself doesn't process donations. OBS Project

Then use streamlabscharity.com for the fundraising side. Streamlabs says its charity platform has 0% platform fees, no annual fees, and sends fundraising proceeds directly to the charity. Streamlabs Charity Streamlabs

You can put a live donation goal/progress bar directly into an OBS scene. Streamlabs specifically documents adding its Charity Donation Goal to OBS as a Browser Source. Streamlabs

That gives you:

• $0 streaming-software cost
• Live donation goals
• Donation alerts
• Custom overlays
• Webcam + multiple cameras
• Screen sharing
• Scenes for different portions of the fundraiser
• No need to pay for Streamlabs Ultra

🥈 Easiest: Streamlabs Desktop

If your volunteers aren't particularly technical, streamlabs.com may be worth using instead of plain OBS.

Its free version includes widgets, overlays, alerts, a basic tip page and Cloudbot. Streamlabs Streamlabs also has dedicated goal widgets, including charity donation goals, that can be added directly to a stream. Streamlabs

You don't need the $27/month Ultra plan just to run a basic fundraising livestream. Streamlabs

One important distinction

If your nonprofit itself is receiving the donations, I'd lean toward Streamlabs Charity or another dedicated charity fundraising platform, rather than simply putting a PayPal/Stripe donation link on screen. The former is designed around charity campaigns and can show fundraising progress during the broadcast.

If you're mainly doing fundraising events with interviews, speakers, sponsors, and multiple remote guests, I'd consider StreamYard instead. It is considerably easier for nontechnical presenters, although you'll generally spend more than with OBS.

Bottom line:
OBS Studio + Streamlabs Charity = best cost/value.
Streamlabs Desktop + Streamlabs Charity = best ease of use.
StreamYard = best if simplicity and remote guests matter more than minimizing cost.

If you tell me whether you stream to YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, or several simultaneously, I can narrow this down to the cheapest setup and explain exactly what you'd need for donation buttons, on-screen goals, alerts, and payment processing.

For a small nonprofit, I’d prioritize low software cost + low donation fees + easy donation/goal overlays. My top choices are:

🥇 Best value: OBS Studio + Streamlabs

OBS Studio is free and open-source. It doesn't process donations itself, but it can display donation alerts and goals through browser-source overlays. obsproject.com

Pair it with Streamlabs. Its free tier includes streaming software, alerts, widgets, and a tip page, and its Alert Box can display donation/tip notifications on screen. streamlabs.com

For a fundraiser, you can have something like:

$7,425 raised / $10,000 goal
██████████████░░░░░░
John donated $100! 🎉

Streamlabs also supports donation goals and specifically supports goals connected to Streamlabs Charity and Tiltify. streamlabs.com

🥈 Easiest: Streamlabs Desktop

If nobody on your team is particularly technical, I'd seriously consider Streamlabs Desktop.

The free version gives you the basic streaming software, alerts, widgets and tip page. You can upgrade later if you need premium overlays or multistreaming. streamlabs.com

The catch: OBS gives you more flexibility and avoids tying your production workflow to one vendor.

❤️ If you're raising money specifically for your nonprofit

Take a close look at Streamlabs Charity. It currently advertises no monthly/annual fees and 0% platform cut of donations, with funds going directly to the charity. streamlabscharity.com

That's particularly attractive for a nonprofit because you don't want to spend $15–30/month on production software just to get a donation widget.

My recommended stack:

OBS Studio (free) + Streamlabs Charity (fundraising) + Streamlabs widgets (donation alerts/goals)

That gives you a professional-looking broadcast without a recurring software bill, while keeping the fundraising component separate from the video-production software.

If your streams involve multiple hosts/guests joining remotely, though, I'd choose StreamYard + Streamlabs Charity/Tiltify instead; StreamYard is specifically designed around browser-based production and remote guests. streamyard.com

If you tell me whether you're streaming to YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, or several at once, I can narrow this down to the cheapest setup and estimate the actual fees on, say, a $10,000 fundraising stream.

For a small nonprofit, I’d prioritize low software cost + easy donation overlays + minimal technical overhead. My shortlist:

🥇 Best value: OBS Studio + Streamlabs Charity

OBS Studio is completely free and open-source. OBS itself doesn't process donations, but it can display donation alerts/goals supplied by a third-party service through browser sources. obsproject.com

Streamlabs Charity is particularly attractive for a nonprofit: it says there are no annual fees and 0% cut of donations, and its donation-goal widget can be added directly to OBS. streamlabscharity.com

Typical setup:

OBS Studio → YouTube/Facebook/etc.
↳ Streamlabs Charity donation goal/alerts

That gives you donation totals, progress goals, alerts, and custom graphics without paying for broadcasting software.

Downside: OBS has a steeper learning curve. Someone needs to configure scenes, audio, cameras, browser sources, etc.

🥈 Best if volunteers need something simple: StreamYard

StreamYard is much easier for nontechnical hosts because it runs in the browser. Paid plans include overlays, logos, guest management, recordings, and multistreaming. streamyard.com

Importantly for you, StreamYard currently offers 10% off monthly and annual plans for eligible nonprofits. support.streamyard.com

I'd pair it with Streamlabs Charity or another fundraising platform rather than expecting StreamYard itself to handle the donation infrastructure. StreamYard specifically recommends this sort of combination for charity livestreams. streamyard.com

🥉 Restream

Restream is worth considering if you want to broadcast simultaneously to several platforms. Its free plan supports two channels; paid plans increase that to 3 or 5+ and add features such as HD streaming. support.restream.io

Restream Studio also supports custom image/video overlays, so you can put a donation goal or fundraising graphic on screen. support.restream.io

My recommendation

For a small nonprofit with a limited budget, I'd choose:

1. OBS + Streamlabs Charity — $0 software cost
Best if you have one technically comfortable person running production.

2. StreamYard + Streamlabs Charity — easiest workflow
Worth paying for if volunteers rotate through production or you regularly have remote speakers.

3. Restream — best if multistreaming is the priority
Particularly useful if you routinely need YouTube + Facebook + another destination simultaneously.

If you tell me which platforms you broadcast to (YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, etc.), whether you need multiple remote guests, and roughly how many fundraising streams you do per year, I can narrow this down to the cheapest setup that still gives you professional donation goals/alerts.

For a small nonprofit running fundraising livestreams, I’d focus less on “streaming software” alone and more on the combination of broadcast tool + donation platform + overlays. The most cost-effective setups are usually:

My recommendation for a small nonprofit

Best value setup: OBS Studio + Streamlabs Charity

• Cost: $0 for the core software.
• Donation features: Streamlabs Charity provides donation pages, fundraising goals, and overlay widgets that can be added to OBS as browser sources. support.streamlabs.com
• Good fit: A monthly/quarterly fundraiser where one volunteer can operate scenes, cameras, and audio.

Typical workflow:

1. Create your fundraising campaign in Streamlabs Charity.
2. Add a donation goal bar, recent donor alerts, or thank-you messages.
3. Put those widgets into OBS as browser sources.
4. Stream to YouTube/Facebook/Twitch. support.streamlabs.com

If your team is not technical

Use StreamYard + a donation platform:

• Hosts and guests join through a browser link.
• Easier for panels, interviews, board members, and guest speakers.
• Less time spent troubleshooting scenes and audio routing. streamyard.com

Other nonprofit-friendly donation tools to consider

• Tiltify — popular for creator-style charity streams and donation overlays.
• Givebutter — useful if you want donations, event pages, and donor management together.
• Zeffy — often considered by nonprofits looking to minimize platform fees.

A practical low-budget stack

For a small organization, I’d start with:

• Broadcast: OBS Studio (free)
• Donations: Streamlabs Charity or your existing nonprofit donation provider
• Graphics: Canva-created lower thirds + OBS scenes
• Streaming destinations: YouTube Live + Facebook Live
• Hardware: one decent USB microphone is usually a bigger improvement than expensive cameras

If your livestreams are mostly interviews/panels, choose StreamYard. If they are produced shows with scenes, videos, graphics, and multiple sources, choose OBS. streamyard.com

For a small nonprofit, I’d narrow it to OBS Studio + a fundraising/overlay service or Streamlabs.

🥇 My pick: OBS Studio + Streamlabs Charity

OBS Studio is completely free and open-source. OBS itself doesn't process donations, but it can display donation alerts and goals from third-party services through Browser Sources. obsproject.com

For an actual nonprofit fundraiser, Streamlabs Charity is particularly attractive: it says there are no annual, monthly, or transaction fees, and charities receive 100% of fundraising proceeds. streamlabscharity.com It also provides donation-goal overlays that can be added directly to OBS. streamlabs.com

So your setup could be:

Camera/mics → OBS Studio → YouTube/Facebook/Twitch
　　　　　　　　　　 ↳ Streamlabs Charity donation goal + alerts

That gives you professional-looking fundraising graphics without paying for streaming software.

🥈 Easiest: Streamlabs Desktop

Streamlabs has a free version with overlays, alerts, a tip page, widgets, and Cloudbot. Its paid Ultra tier is currently $27/month or $189/year, but you shouldn't need Ultra for a basic nonprofit fundraiser. streamlabs.com

I'd choose this if your volunteers aren't very technical and you want "install it, pick an overlay, connect donations, go live."

🥉 If you have lots of remote speakers: StreamYard

StreamYard is more expensive than OBS, but its browser-based studio is considerably easier when you have volunteers, board members, or guests joining remotely. It also offers a nonprofit discount, according to its current nonprofit information. obsproject.comstreamyard.com

Bottom line: If you're comfortable having one technically inclined person run the broadcast, I'd spend $0 on streaming software and use OBS + Streamlabs Charity. Put your budget toward cameras, microphones, graphics, or promoting the fundraiser instead.

If you tell me which platforms you broadcast to (YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, etc.) and whether you need multiple cameras/remote guests, I can recommend the cheapest complete setup—including the donation platform and overlays.

For a small nonprofit, I’d narrow it to OBS Studio + a donation platform or Streamlabs Desktop.

🥇 My pick: OBS Studio + Streamlabs

OBS Studio is completely free and open-source. OBS itself doesn't process donations, but it can display donation alerts and other widgets through browser sources. obsproject.com

Pair it with Streamlabs. Its free tier includes the streaming software, overlays, alerts, a tip page, and widgets such as Goals, Tip Ticker, Alert Box, Event List, and End Credits. Streamlabs says it doesn't take a cut of tips, although payment-processing fees still apply. streamlabs.comstreamlabs.com

That gives you a setup like:

Camera/mics → OBS → YouTube/Facebook/Twitch
** ↳ Streamlabs donation alerts + fundraising goal overlay**

For a nonprofit, I'd avoid paying for Streamlabs Ultra initially—the free features cover the core fundraising use case.

If simplicity matters more than flexibility

Streamlabs Desktop is probably the easiest choice. You get the streaming software and donation/alert widgets in one ecosystem, rather than configuring OBS and separate integrations. streamlabs.comstreamlabs.com

One caveat: Streamlabs changed some of its charity widgets in 2026, including discontinuing its Twitch Charity Donation Goal widget, so I'd verify that the particular fundraising workflow you want is still supported before building your production around it. streamlabs.com

If you have lots of guests

StreamYard is worth considering. It's browser-based, so volunteers, speakers, and donors don't necessarily need to install broadcasting software. It can be paired with fundraising platforms such as Streamlabs Charity or Tiltify for donation/goal overlays. streamyard.com

Bottom line: For a small nonprofit watching every dollar, I'd start with OBS Studio + Streamlabs, spending $0/month on broadcasting software and putting the budget toward your actual fundraising campaign.

If you tell me where you stream (YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, or multiple platforms) and whether you need donation totals/goals, individual donor alerts, or both, I can recommend the cheapest exact setup.

For a small nonprofit broadcasting fundraising livestreams, I’d prioritize low/no software cost, easy volunteer operation, reliable donation tracking, and clean overlays. These are the strongest options:

My recommendation for a small nonprofit

Use OBS Studio + Streamlabs Charity.

Why:

• OBS Studio is free, open-source, and powerful enough for professional-looking broadcasts. support.restream.io
• Streamlabs Charity provides fundraising pages and donation goal overlays designed for charity livestreams. Its donation goal widget can be added to OBS as a browser source overlay. support.streamlabs.com
• Streamlabs Charity states that it does not charge charities transaction/platform fees for donations. streamlabscharity.com

A typical setup:

1. Create your fundraiser page in Streamlabs Charity.
2. Install OBS Studio.
3. Add:
   • camera feeds
   • sponsor/logo graphics
   • donation thermometer
   • recent donor alerts
   • lower-thirds and captions
4. Stream simultaneously to YouTube and Facebook if desired. streamlabscharity.com

Other good nonprofit-friendly options

StreamElements + OBS

• Good if you have someone comfortable with design.
• Strong for custom overlays, branded graphics, and reusable show templates.
• Usually preferred when you want a “broadcast network” look.

Restream

• Useful if your audience is split across platforms.
• Lets you manage multiple destinations, though some features require paid plans. support.restream.io

vMix

• Excellent for multi-camera events, remote guests, and studio-style productions.
• Usually worth considering only if livestreaming is a major fundraising channel.

Donation platforms to pair with your stream

Depending on your nonprofit setup:

• Streamlabs Charity — best if the livestream itself is the fundraising engine. streamlabscharity.com
• Tiltify — popular for nonprofit livestream campaigns with overlays, milestones, and campaign tracking. www.teachfloor.com
• Your existing donor platform (Givebutter, Donorbox, etc.) plus an OBS browser overlay can work if you already have one.

A low-budget “professional” stack

• OBS Studio: $0
• Streamlabs Charity: $0 platform cost
• Canva: graphics
• USB microphone: ~$50–150
• Two webcams or HDMI cameras: optional
• Volunteer producer running OBS

For most small nonprofits, this gets you 80–90% of a professional fundraising broadcast without paying for a production platform.

For a small nonprofit, I’d prioritize low software cost + easy donation overlays + reliability. My shortlist:

🥇 Best value: OBS Studio + Streamlabs

OBS Studio is completely free and gives you very granular control over cameras, video, graphics, scenes, and audio. Its Browser Source lets you put web-based donation alerts, fundraising goals, chat, and other widgets directly on the broadcast. obsproject.com

Pair it with Streamlabs for the fundraising layer. Streamlabs currently offers free tipping, donation alerts, goals, tip tickers, and related widgets; it says it takes 0% of tips, with normal payment-processing fees still applying. streamlabs.com

For a nonprofit, this is probably what I'd choose if you have one technically comfortable person running production.

🥈 Easiest: Streamlabs Desktop

Streamlabs Desktop is essentially an easier, more integrated version of the OBS approach. The free version includes a basic tip page, and Streamlabs provides donation goals and alert widgets. streamlabs.com

The advantage is that your producer doesn't have to assemble as many separate pieces. The disadvantage is that some advanced features are behind Ultra ($15.75/month when billed annually). streamlabs.com

🥉 Best for nontechnical presenters: StreamYard

StreamYard is particularly good if your fundraising broadcasts involve several nonprofit staff, board members, or guest speakers joining remotely. It's browser-based, so guests don't need to learn OBS. Its current free plan is quite limited, while the Core plan is listed at about $45/month monthly or $36/month annually and adds 1080p, multistreaming, overlays, recordings, etc. streamyard.com

For a small nonprofit doing occasional events, I'd generally avoid paying for StreamYard unless the ease of use saves you significant staff time.

One important nonprofit consideration

If by "donation overlay" you mean something like:

$7,420 raised / $10,000 goal
🔵████████░░ 74%
Thank you, Maria!

you don't necessarily need a specialized fundraising platform. OBS + a donation/alert provider can do this very cheaply, and OBS explicitly supports donation alerts through third-party providers. obsproject.com

My recommendation: start with OBS Studio + Streamlabs at $0/month, and only move to a paid platform if the production complexity becomes a problem. That gives you the most money left over for the actual fundraiser.

If you tell me where you broadcast (YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, multiple platforms) and whether donations come through your nonprofit website, PayPal, Stripe, or a fundraising platform, I can recommend the cheapest specific setup and explain exactly how I'd wire the donation goal/alerts into the stream.

For a small nonprofit, I’d start with OBS Studio + a donation/alert service, rather than paying for an all-in-one production suite.

🥇 My pick: OBS Studio + Streamlabs

OBS Studio is completely free and open-source. It gives you excellent control over cameras, prerecorded videos, lower-thirds, scenes, audio, and screen sharing. OBS itself doesn't process donations, but it can display donation alerts and goals supplied by a third-party service through browser sources. obsproject.com

Streamlabs provides the donation side: alerts, donation/goal widgets, and overlays. Its current goal system supports charity donation goals and can be added to OBS as a browser source or through its OBS plugin. streamlabs.com

For an actual charitable campaign, Streamlabs Charity is particularly attractive: it says it charges 0% to charities or streamers, with donations going directly to the selected charity. streamlabscharity.com

If simplicity matters more than maximum flexibility

Streamlabs Desktop is easier for volunteers to learn because alerts, overlays, goals, and other widgets are integrated. You can use the free tier and only consider the paid Ultra tier if you actually need its premium features. Streamlabs currently lists Ultra at $27/month or $189/year. streamlabs.com

What I'd do for your nonprofit

$0 software budget:

1. OBS Studio for broadcasting.
2. Streamlabs/Streamlabs Charity for donation processing and on-screen donation alerts.
3. Create 3–4 OBS scenes: Starting Soon → Live → Donation/Guest → Thanks/Ending.
4. Put a persistent fundraising goal bar on the Live scene.
5. Use donation alerts sparingly so they don't overwhelm the actual fundraising message.

If you're also broadcasting simultaneously to YouTube + Facebook + Twitch, that changes the recommendation somewhat because multistreaming can introduce additional costs. I can compare the cheapest setups for 1 platform vs. 3+ platforms, including nonprofit discounts and donation processing fees. streamyard.com

For a small nonprofit, I’d start with OBS Studio + a donation/alert service, rather than paying for an all-in-one streaming suite.

🥇 My pick: OBS Studio + Streamlabs Charity

OBS Studio is completely free and open-source. It doesn't process donations itself, but it can display donation alerts and goals from third-party services as browser sources. obsproject.com

For actual charitable fundraising, Streamlabs Charity is particularly interesting for a nonprofit: it says it charges 0% platform fees, has no annual/monthly fees, and sends fundraising proceeds directly to the selected charity. streamlabscharity.com

You can put a live fundraising goal/bar, donation alerts, and other widgets directly over the video in OBS. Streamlabs documents adding its Charity Donation Goal to OBS through a browser source. support.streamlabs.com

If you want the simplest possible setup

Streamlabs Desktop bundles the streaming software and its widgets together, so it's easier for volunteers who aren't comfortable configuring OBS. Its free functionality includes alerts and goal widgets; paid Ultra features are optional. support.streamlabs.comstreamlabscharity.com

One important distinction

If you're fundraising for your own nonprofit, rather than fundraising on behalf of another charity, I'd look carefully at how the money is collected and receipted. Streamlabs Charity is specifically structured around donations going directly to listed charitable organizations, whereas ordinary Streamlabs tips are a different mechanism. support.streamlabs.comstreamlabscharity.com

Bottom line: For a cash-conscious nonprofit, I'd choose OBS Studio + Streamlabs Charity if your organization is eligible/listed. It's the combination I'd use to get professional-looking donation goals and alerts without adding a monthly software expense.

If you tell me whether you broadcast primarily to YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, or multiple platforms, I can narrow this down to the cheapest setup for your specific workflow.

For a small nonprofit, I’d narrow it to OBS Studio + Streamlabs or Streamlabs Desktop.

My recommendation: OBS + Streamlabs

OBS Studio itself is completely free/open-source, but it doesn't process donations. You add a donation provider's browser-source widget to OBS. support.restream.io

Streamlabs is particularly well suited to fundraising: its Alert Box supports donation/tip alerts, and its widgets include donation goals that can show fundraising progress directly on the broadcast. The Alert Box itself is free. streamlabs.com

For an actual charitable campaign, Streamlabs Charity is especially interesting: it says charities pay no annual or transaction fees and receive 100% of fundraising proceeds. streamlabscharity.com

When I'd choose Restream instead

If you're broadcasting simultaneously to YouTube + Facebook + Twitch, Restream's free tier handles two channels, while its paid Standard plan is currently $19/month ($16/month annually) for three channels and removes the Restream branding. It also supports overlays and browser-source widgets. restream.io

What I'd avoid for a tight nonprofit budget

StreamYard is polished and very easy for volunteers to learn, but its Core plan is around $45/month, even though it does offer a nonprofit discount. For a small organization, I'd spend that money only if ease-of-use for nontechnical volunteers is more important than minimizing software costs. streamyard.com

Bottom line:
$0-budget: OBS Studio + Streamlabs donation/goal widgets.
Need multistreaming: OBS + Restream, starting free.
Need the least technical setup: StreamYard, especially if you qualify for its nonprofit discount.

If you tell me which platforms you broadcast to (YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, etc.) and whether donations go directly to your nonprofit or through a fundraising platform, I can recommend the cheapest exact setup and explain how the donation overlay would work.

For a small nonprofit, I’d narrow it to OBS Studio + a donation platform or Streamlabs.

🥇 Best value: OBS Studio + Streamlabs/StreamElements

OBS Studio is completely free and open-source. OBS itself doesn't process donations, but it can display donation alerts and goal bars through browser-source widgets. obsproject.com

That gives you a very inexpensive setup:

OBS → YouTube/Facebook/Twitch
Donation platform → donation page + alerts/goal overlay → OBS

This is what I'd choose if your nonprofit has one technically comfortable volunteer who can configure the scenes once.

🥈 Easiest: Streamlabs

Streamlabs has a free version with built-in overlays, alerts, widgets, a tip page, and Cloudbot. Streamlabs says its free tier doesn't take a cut of tips; paid Ultra is optional at $27/month or $189/year. streamlabs.com

For a fundraising livestream, this is particularly convenient because you can put a donation goal/progress bar, recent donor alerts, and donation notifications directly into the broadcast. media.streamlabs.com

❤️ If you're raising money for the nonprofit

I'd also look closely at Streamlabs Charity, rather than simply using a creator's personal tip page. It says charities can use the platform at no annual fee and 0% platform cut, with donations going directly to the selected charity. streamlabscharity.com

That distinction matters for nonprofit accounting: you generally want donations routed to the organization rather than temporarily through an individual's account.

What I'd pick for you

If budget is the overriding concern:
OBS Studio + Streamlabs Charity — essentially $0 for the streaming software and fundraising platform, while retaining sophisticated overlays.

If simplicity is more important than absolute lowest cost:
Streamlabs — fewer moving parts and much easier for volunteers to operate.

If your livestreams involve several remote speakers/guests:
StreamYard + a fundraising platform may be worth the extra cost because it's browser-based and designed around bringing guests into a production. StreamYard also currently offers a nonprofit discount. streamyard.com

If you tell me where you broadcast (YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, etc.), whether you need multiple cameras/remote guests, and roughly how often you stream, I can recommend the cheapest specific setup—including the donation/goal overlay stack.

For a small nonprofit, I’d look at two main setups:

🥇 Best value: OBS Studio + Streamlabs

OBS Studio is completely free and open-source. OBS itself doesn't process donations, but it supports donation alerts/overlays through third-party services using Browser Sources. obsproject.com

Streamlabs can provide donation alerts, goals, event lists and other widgets directly inside OBS. Its OBS plugin is free, and you can add things such as donation alerts and fundraising goal bars without paying for the full premium package. media.streamlabs.com

For a nonprofit specifically, Streamlabs Charity is particularly interesting: it says it charges no annual fees and takes 0% of donations, with funds going directly to the participating charity. streamlabscharity.com

I'd choose this if: you have someone comfortable learning OBS and want to keep recurring software costs essentially at $0.

🥈 Easiest: StreamYard

StreamYard is much easier for a small team to operate, particularly if you'll have multiple presenters or remote guests. Its free plan exists, while the Core plan adds 1080p, branding/overlays, multistreaming and unlimited streaming/recording. media.streamlabs.comstreamyard.comstreamyard.com

The tradeoff is that it becomes considerably more expensive than OBS as you add capabilities. For fundraising broadcasts, you can pair it with a donation service when you want dedicated animated donation alerts. streamyard.com

My recommendation

For a small nonprofit doing recurring fundraising livestreams, I'd start with:

OBS Studio + Streamlabs Charity → $0 software cost → donation alerts + donation goals + branded overlays.

If your volunteers aren't technically inclined and ease of use is worth paying for, move to StreamYard.

One important distinction: if by "donation overlays" you mean a live fundraising thermometer/goal that automatically increases as donations arrive, rather than simply "John donated $50" alerts, tell me what donation platform you currently use (PayPal, Givebutter, Donorbox, Classy, etc.). That changes which setup I'd recommend.