How school fundraising providers compare
Most Australian schools choose between three kinds of provider. They work differently, and the difference shows up in what your school actually banks. Here's an honest look at where Go Raise It fits - including what we don't do.
| What to compare | Go Raise It | Other fundraising event providers | DIY donation platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fee structure | 10% + GST, all inclusive | A significantly higher share of funds raised, covering inclusions such as prizes, colour powder, printed materials and event kit | Often advertised as free to the school, with the platform's costs recovered from donors instead through tips or added fees at checkout |
| Credit card & platform fees | Included in the 10% - your school never pays them. Donors are offered the option to chip in towards these costs via a single checkbox, and can untick it in one click | Varies, but sometimes built into the provider's fee | Commonly passed to the donor as a tip or fee contribution - check how easily a donor can reduce it to zero, as some platforms set a minimum or make it hard to find |
| Choice of event | Any event or athon - fun run, colour run, read-a-thon, spell-a-thon, maths-a-thon | Usually a set branded event format | Anything - but you design it |
| Custom fundraising website | Built for you in your school's branding, and written around your fundraising goal - donors see exactly what the money is for, not generic copy | Usually templated under the provider's brand, with standard wording | You build, brand and write it |
| Visibility of funds raised | Live total on your fundraising site, visible to everyone throughout the campaign, with class and student totals updating in real time | Varies by provider | Varies by platform |
| Campaign planning & support | A named campaign manager for your whole fundraiser - they build your plan with key dates, give you copy you can adapt for newsletters, emails and socials, and prompt you on what to send and when | Usually a dedicated contact, plus an extensive printed and digital materials kit funded from the fee | Self-service - you plan and write it |
| Prizes and incentives | A free spot prize pack to get you started. It is then easy to add in additional spot prizes, milestone prizes, unlocks and raffle style draws - you decide which to use, what they are and how much to spend, because you know your community best | Usually a prize catalogue built into the fee structure | You source and manage them |
| Local business sponsorship | Sponsor logos display across every page of your fundraising site, including student pages - so businesses get real exposure. Many schools cover most of their prize costs this way, and we'll provide an approach letter template on request | Varies - some offer a business supporters page | Varies by platform |
| Event-day delivery | Full planning guides and optional colour powder - event day is run by your volunteers | Some inclusions supplied; volunteers usually still required | Entirely your school |
| Colour run powder | Sourced for you if you want it - around $2.50 per runner for 200g loose powder, or $3 for 150g in squeeze bottles, which are easier for volunteers to hand out. Or buy your own, your choice | Usually included in the package at an allocation set by the provider | You source it |
| Parent & donor help desk | We handle every query, not your office staff | Varies | Your school handles it |
| Averaged class leaderboards | Optional - rank classes by average raised per student instead of total, so a small class competes on equal terms with a large one | Leaderboards typically rank by total raised | Basic totals only, if offered |
| Spin the Wheel spot prize draws | Live animated draws you can run at assembly, with the entry pool set however you like - everyone signed up, anyone who registered or donated in a given window, anyone past a donation total, or raffle-style with an entry for every $X raised | Spot prizes usually drawn manually by the school | Not offered |
Three things that keep a campaign moving
Most fundraisers stall in week two. These are built into the Go Raise It platform to stop that happening.
Averaged class leaderboards Optional
A traditional leaderboard ranked by total raised by each class is usually won by whichever class has the most students in it - and smaller classes often stop trying, because the larger class has an unfair advantage. Our optional averaged leaderboard ranks your classes by average raised per student, so a class of 18 competes on equal terms with a class of 30. This makes for a fair and equitable fundraising experience! If your classes are all much the same size, the traditional total works fine - it's your call either way.
Spin the Wheel spot prize draws
Run a live animated draw at assembly, on the big screen, any time during the campaign - and choose who goes in the draw. Everyone who's signed up, everyone who registered this week, everyone who's passed $50, everyone who received a donation over the weekend, or a raffle-style draw with an entry for every $20 raised. That means you can aim a draw at whatever your campaign needs: early sign-ups in week one, a nudge in week two when donations go quiet, or a final push before event day. Your campaign manager can help you decide what will work for your community.
Local business sponsors, on every page
Sponsor logos appear across your whole fundraising site - including every student page your families share around. A local business gets real, repeated exposure to hundreds of households, which makes them far easier to approach. Many schools use that to cover most of their prize costs, so the prizes come out of sponsorship rather than out of the money you've raised. Ask our team and we'll send you a sponsor approach letter to start from.
What 10% all-inclusive actually means
A school raising $30,000 in online donations, with no upfront outlay.
- Raised online
- $30,000 Donations from your community
- Go Raise It fee
- $3,450 10% + GST - includes card fees, platform, campaign manager and support
- Your school banks
- $26,550 Paid into your account, no invoice to pay
- After GST credit
- $27,000 Most schools claim the $450 GST back, making the real cost $3,000
When a provider's costs cover a set package of prizes and materials, the spend is decided for you. With Go Raise It, it is in your control: a school wanting a big prize program can put more of the $26,550 towards it, and a school whose community would rather see the money go to the playground can spend nothing at all - the free spot prize pack we send covers the basics either way. Many schools go further and cover most of their prizes through local business sponsorship, so the prize program costs the school almost nothing and local businesses get the recognition. Ask any provider to confirm in writing what your school receives from a $30,000 fundraiser. GST credits depend on your school's registration and circumstances - check with your business manager.
Seven questions worth asking any provider
- Is your fee inclusive of credit card and platform fees, or are those charged separately?
- On a $30,000 fundraiser, exactly how much does our school receive?
- Are there minimum sales or order quantities to unlock the advertised prizes?
- Who owns our donor and parent data after the campaign ends?
- Who answers parent questions during the campaign - you or our office?
- How soon after the event are funds paid to the school?
- What happens to our fee if we need to reschedule or cancel?
Common questions
How do school fundraising providers in New Zealand differ?
New Zealand school fundraising providers generally fall into three groups. Fully supported platforms such as Go Raise It charge a stated all-inclusive fee and let the school choose its own event. Other providers supply a branded event and prize program, with their cost built into the prize and product margin. DIY donation platforms supply software only, charging a platform fee plus separate credit card fees, and leave the school to run everything else.
What does Go Raise It charge for a school fundraiser?
Go Raise It charges 10% plus GST of total donations received. That fee is fully inclusive of credit card fees, platform fees, a custom fundraising website, a dedicated campaign manager, communications templates and parent support. There is no upfront cost to the school and no invoice to pay - fees are deducted from funds raised and the balance is paid to the school. At checkout, donors are also offered the option to chip in a small amount towards card and platform costs. That contribution goes to Go Raise It rather than the school, and helps us keep the fee at 10%. It is a single checkbox a donor can untick in one click, and the school is never charged either way.
What platform features does Go Raise It offer that help increase participation?
Go Raise It offers optional averaged class leaderboards, which rank classes by the average amount raised per student rather than the total, so smaller classes compete on equal terms with larger ones. It also includes Spin the Wheel spot prize draws - live animated draws a school can run at assembly during the campaign, with the entry pool set by the school. A draw can include everyone signed up, everyone who registered or received a donation within a chosen date range, everyone past a set donation total, or run raffle-style with one entry for every set amount raised.
How far ahead does a school need to book a fun run or colour run?
We recommend fundraising for three to four weeks before your event day, and ideally we receive your sign up two weeks before launch day so your fundraising website and communications are ready to go. That means around five to six weeks from sign up to event day. Schools should contact Go Raise It as early as possible to confirm available dates for the term they have in mind.
How quickly can a school change fundraising providers?
Schools can change providers between campaigns without penalty, as Go Raise It has no upfront cost, no lock-in contract and no subscription. We ask for your sign up around two weeks before launch day, then recommend a three to four week fundraising period before your event, and the school keeps its own supporter list.
What questions should a school ask before choosing a fundraising provider?
Ask whether the fee includes credit card and platform fees or those are charged separately; the exact dollar amount the school receives from a $30,000 fundraiser; whether advertised prizes carry minimum sales or order quantities; who owns the donor and parent data after the campaign ends; who answers parent questions during the campaign; how soon after the event funds are paid to the school; and what happens to the fee if the event needs to be rescheduled or cancelled.
No upfront cost. Talk to us about timing for your next event.
