What are the best fundraising platforms for New Zealand schools, and how do you tell them apart before you’ve committed to one? Picking the wrong platform is a costly mistake PTAs and BOTs make more often than they should. You spend weeks setting up a campaign, only to discover that the platform charges fees you didn’t anticipate, pays out to a personal account instead of the school’s approved bank account, or simply wasn’t designed to handle a colour run with 300 excited students. The NZ school fundraising market has expanded steadily, and the options, while welcome, can be genuinely confusing.
This article gives you a clear framework for comparing platforms, covers the compliance rules that apply specifically to NZ schools, and shows you what a well-run, cashless school fundraiser looks like in practice. By the time you finish reading, you’ll have a shortlist of suitable platforms and a set of questions ready to take into any vendor conversation.
What actually matters when picking a school fundraising platform
Most school coordinators start by searching online and clicking the first result. The better approach is to define what your school actually needs before comparing names or features. The right criteria depend on your fundraising goal, your board’s financial policies, and how much volunteer time you realistically have.
Campaign type: product drive, event or donation appeal?
The three main campaign types for NZ schools are product fundraisers (cookie dough, pies, chocolates), event-based fundraisers (colour runs, fun runs, a-thons), and straight donation or crowdfunding appeals. Each model suits a different goal and draws on different levels of parent participation. A platform built for donation pages won’t manage product order fulfilment, and a product-sales tool won’t run a peer-to-peer event campaign. Getting this right first narrows your shortlist considerably.
Fee structures: what your school keeps, and what you get for the fee
The headline fee is only half the picture. The number that matters is what lands in your school’s account after every deduction. Just as important is what that fee actually pays for.
Start with what your school keeps. Ask every provider for the net amount your school would receive on a set campaign value, say $10,000 raised. That one figure shows how the fee is calculated, whether GST is added on top, and whether card-processing fees come out of your proceeds or are charged separately. Check for minimum fees too, since they take a bigger bite out of smaller campaigns. Ask whether supporters are offered an optional or mandatory contribution at checkout, and where that money goes.
Then look at what the fee buys. Fees broadly fall into two models, and neither is better by default.
All-inclusive managed fee
An all-inclusive managed fee for a colour run, fun run or a-thon is usually a higher percentage, but it covers card fees, the platform, a campaign manager who plans and runs the fundraiser with you, help-desk support for parents, and often extras such as prize packs and promotional material. Your volunteers do less, and the cost is fixed as a share of what you raise.
Self-service platform fee
A self-service platform fee is usually a lower percentage, often with card fees paid separately. You get the tools: online store or fundraising pages, cashless payments and reporting. Your team does the setup, promotion and parent queries. That suits committees with confident volunteers and time to spare to set it up and manage the fundraising queries when the fundraiser is live and collecting payments.
Compare like with like. A lower percentage isn’t automatically cheaper once you count card fees and volunteer hours. A higher one isn’t expensive if it replaces weeks of committee work. Work out which model fits your volunteer capacity, then compare net returns within that model.
What are the best fundraising platforms for New Zealand schools: key criteria
Knowing which criteria matter is one thing; seeing how platforms stack up against them is another. Several platforms currently serve NZ schools across different campaign types, and understanding where each fits helps you avoid choosing the wrong tool.
The main options and who they suit
Note: some models make it mandatory to pass fees on to your supporters, with no flexibility to turn that off. This can create a barrier for your fundraiser, as some supporters may not be happy discovering this at the final stage and may opt out of supporting the fundraiser.
- Kindo is a broader school-payment system with basic fundraising functionality, best suited to schools already using it for general admin.
- Givealittle works well for one-off donation appeals and community crowdfunding, with funds transferred to verified NZ bank accounts.
- Raised suits product drives and online order management, charging a 5% platform fee plus Stripe card-processing fees, with no fee on bank transfers.
- School Boost offers managed colour run programmes for primary schools.
- Kiteflyr takes a passive approach, returning a portion of everyday family shopping to the school at no cost to the shopper.
Each is a specialist tool with a defined sweet spot, and they vary in how well they cover both managed events and online product fundraising within a single service.
Where Go Raise It sits in the NZ landscape
Go Raise It is an NZ-owned platform built around both managed event fundraisers and online product fundraising, based on Auckland’s Hibiscus Coast and running school fundraisers since 2019. There are no upfront costs: fees are deducted from funds raised, meaning your school risks nothing to get started. For event-based fundraisers such as colour runs and a-thons, Go Raise It returns up to 90% of funds raised to the school. For DIY product fundraisers, you can choose how platform and Stripe fees are passed on, with a flexible model that lets you choose whether to build the fees in or pass them on.
NZ compliance rules every school fundraiser needs to know
The existence of a fundraising platform does not make every fundraising activity lawful. NZ law is specific about certain campaign types, and a platform’s feature list is not a legal opinion.
Raffles, prize draws and the Gambling Act 2003
Raffles and prize draws are regulated under the Gambling Act 2003.
There is a particularly important compliance point for schools considering online raffle ticketing. The Department of Internal Affairs classifies selling raffle tickets through websites as remote interactive gambling under the Gambling Act, and that activity is generally prohibited. Advertising a raffle online is one thing; selling tickets through a website or social media is another. A platform that offers online raffle ticketing does not make the activity lawful. The school or organising society remains responsible for classification, licence requirements and compliant draw procedures.
What Go Raise It’s colour run, fun run and a-thon fundraisers look like in practice
A colour run through Go Raise It is designed to significantly reduce the administrative burden on the PTA. Each student receives a personal fundraising page complete with a QR code. Sponsors support via the cashless platform, live leaderboards track progress across the school, and spot prizes maintain energy throughout the campaign. The school defines its own prize structure and reward levels; Go Raise It does not enforce any mandatory spend. At the close of the campaign, the school receives its funds alongside a full campaign report, and volunteers are freed from managing spreadsheets, reconciling cash and dealing with queries about transactions from supporters and parents.
What Go Raise It’s product fundraisers look like in practice
Go Raise It offers multiple styles of online product fundraiser, all cashless, with a full reporting system and easy-to-use reports built on years of experience running product fundraising online. This truly makes a difference: some online product fundraising platforms will only provide you with spreadsheets and downloads of data to manage your distribution. In our experience, spreadsheets are where a lot of the issues with old-school paper-based fundraisers came from, and managing data in a spreadsheet is prone to errors. Go Raise It’s reports for distributing products after your online product fundraiser have been tested by thousands of fundraising campaigns across New Zealand and truly make life easy for volunteers.
Go Raise It’s product fundraising platform offers a choice of three models. Managed Go Raise It fundraisers, where Go Raise It has sourced the products for you and manages complete fulfilment and reporting (e.g. cookie dough and pastries). Supplier catalogues, where suppliers have chosen to deliver their fundraiser on the Go Raise It platform – the supplier manages the collection of all funds and pays you a commission at the end. Or a do-it-yourself model, where you use the Go Raise It platform to load your own products you have sourced – this could be a local bakery you want to support by selling their range of pies.
Questions to ask every platform before you commit
Going into a vendor conversation without specific questions is how schools end up locked into a platform that doesn’t serve their needs. These questions cover the areas where platforms differ most, and any platform confident in its model will answer them clearly and in writing.
Financial and fee questions
- What is your platform fee and how is it calculated?
- Are card-processing fees charged to the school or the donor, or are they built in? Is there any flexibility on whether those fees are passed on to your supporters?
- Are there any upfront costs, subscription fees or minimum commitments?
- How and when are funds paid out, and into what type of account?
Support, reporting and admin questions
These questions will vary depending on the type of fundraiser you are looking to run, but here are some to think about:
- This is a big one, and the answer can affect your total funds raised: if we pass platform and card fees on to our supporters, can we give them a choice, or do we have to make it compulsory? (Forcing supporters to pay these fees can create an unpleasant experience and reduce overall funds raised.)
- Is a campaign manager assigned to our school, or do we manage everything ourselves?
- Who supports our community while the fundraiser is live?
- How is student data handled, stored and deleted after the campaign ends?
- How detailed are the reports we are given for product fundraising to help us order and distribute products sold?
How to lift participation once your campaign is live
The platform does a lot of the work, but participation still depends on how the campaign is launched and communicated. A whole-school launch assembly builds shared excitement and signals that this is a genuine community effort. Class-level competition framing, set up voluntarily and without any compulsory element, gives students a natural reason to share their fundraising pages. Platforms with built-in leaderboards and spot prizes create ongoing momentum that static donation pages can’t replicate.
Ease of use is also a big factor: how easy is it for parents to sign up to the fundraising website? Making them choose from a long list of team names can stop them from signing up. For supporters, having to find the student they are supporting in a long list of names can be overwhelming, and immediately creates a barrier that drives down support.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best fundraising platform for New Zealand schools?
The best platform depends on the type of fundraiser you’re running and how much support your volunteers need. Event fundraisers such as colour runs and fun runs suit a managed provider with a campaign manager. Product fundraisers suit a platform with strong order and distribution reporting. Donation appeals suit a crowdfunding site. Compare providers on what your school keeps after all fees, not the headline percentage.
How much do school fundraising platforms charge in NZ?
Most NZ school fundraising platforms charge a percentage of funds raised, typically from around 5% to 10% plus GST. Self-service platforms usually sit at the lower end, with card fees charged separately. Managed providers usually charge more but include card fees, a campaign manager and parent support. Always ask for the exact amount your school would receive on a set campaign value.
What’s the difference between a managed and a self-service fundraising platform?
A managed platform runs the fundraiser with you, while a self-service platform gives you the tools and your team does the rest. Managed fees usually cover card fees, a campaign manager, parent help-desk support and extras such as prize packs. Self-service fees are lower, but volunteers handle setup, promotion and supporter queries. Choose based on your committee’s time and experience.
Who pays the card-processing fees on an online school fundraiser?
It depends on the platform: card fees may be included in the platform fee, deducted from the school’s proceeds, or passed on to supporters at checkout. Some platforms let the school choose, including building fees into product prices or offering supporters an optional contribution. Ask whether passing fees on is optional or compulsory, as compulsory fees can put supporters off.
Can NZ schools sell raffle tickets online?
Generally no. The Department of Internal Affairs treats selling raffle tickets through a website or social media as remote interactive gambling, which is generally prohibited under the Gambling Act 2003. Schools can usually advertise a raffle online, but ticket sales need to happen offline. A platform offering online raffle ticketing doesn’t make it lawful, and the school remains responsible for compliance.
Where should school fundraising money be paid?
State school boards must deposit fundraising money promptly into a bank account held in the school’s name and accessible only to the board. Any platform you use should pay into that approved account, never a volunteer’s personal account, and should provide transaction-level reports for audit and reconciliation.
Do parents have to contribute to school fundraisers?
No. NZ schools can’t compel students, parents or whānau to take part in or contribute to fundraising. Fundraising pages, messages and checkout settings should make clear that participation and donations are voluntary.
How far ahead should we book a colour run or fun run?
Allow about six weeks from signing up to event day. With Go Raise It, schools typically sign up around two weeks before the fundraising launch, then fundraise for three to four weeks before the event. Booking early gives you the best choice of dates, especially in Term 4.
What does Go Raise It charge?
Go Raise It charges no upfront costs. For colour runs, fun runs and a-thons, the fee is 10% plus GST of funds raised (minimum $500 plus GST, deducted from funds raised), all-inclusive of card fees, the platform, a dedicated campaign manager and parent support. Most schools claim the GST back, so they keep 90%. For product fundraisers using your own products, the platform fee is 5% plus GST, and you choose how fees are passed on.
What types of product fundraisers does Go Raise It offer?
Go Raise It offers three models. Managed fundraisers, such as cookie dough and pastries, where Go Raise It sources the products and handles fulfilment. Supplier catalogues, where a supplier runs the fundraiser on the platform and pays the school a commission at the end. Do-it-yourself fundraisers, where you load products you’ve sourced, such as pies from a local bakery. All are cashless, with ready-made distribution reports.
Choosing the right platform: what to look for in an online school fundraiser NZ
Your shortlist should reflect what your school actually needs: the type of campaign you want to run and the net return after all fees.
So, what are the best fundraising platforms for New Zealand schools? The honest answer is that it depends on your campaign type and the level of support your team needs. For schools wanting a fully managed fundraiser with no upfront costs, a dedicated campaign manager and returns of up to 90%, Go Raise It is a strong starting point. NZ-owned and operating since 2019, it covers both event-based and online product fundraising with one provider.
Get in touch with our team to talk through what your school’s next campaign could look like.
