Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about Fund-Team.com — how it works, pricing, payments, and more. See how we compare to competitors →

General

What Fund-Team.com is, how it works, features, and support.

What is Fund-Team.com?

Fund-Team.com is a web-based fundraising platform for school teams and clubs. It helps participants raise money by inviting friends and family to donate online rather than selling products. The platform charges a flat 5% commission with no setup fees or minimums.

How does Fund-Team.com work?

A team organizer creates a fundraiser page in about 10 minutes. Each participant personalizes their own version with a photo and personal message. Students then invite donors by email, text, or social media using a unique personal link. Donors pay securely by credit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. Automated reminders are sent throughout the campaign. Learn more about how it works →

Who is Fund-Team.com for?

Fund-Team.com serves school teams and youth organizations including marching bands, concert bands, sports teams, cheer squads, dance teams, drill teams, booster clubs, orchestras, and other student groups across the United States.

Is Fund-Team.com a product fundraiser or a donation fundraiser?

Fund-Team.com is a donation fundraiser. There are no products to sell, no inventory to manage, and no cash to handle. Participants simply invite friends and family to donate directly online.

Why use Fund-Team.com?

With most fundraisers, large portions of the money raised actually goes toward your organization. The majority goes to pay for expensive products or high commissions for the middlemen. Why not let donors give directly to your organization? See how we compare: Fund-Team.com vs other online fundraising platforms.

How easy is administration?

All you have to do is fill out the new campaign signup form. We then give you a unique join link you can email or message directly to your team members. That's it! Once they click on the link, we guide them through personalizing their page and adding potential donors. For best results, we recommend the organizer follows these sign-up instructions.

Are SMS (text messages) supported?

Yes, participants have the ability to enter phone numbers when adding donors in order to send a text message request for donations. Fund-Team.com will compose the message for the participant, containing a unique link to track donor engagement. Donations are credited to that participant's account.

Is sharing on social media supported?

Yes, each participant is given their own unique link. They can and are encouraged to share this via social media or other means. Any donations made with that link will be credited to that participant. In addition, the organizer is given a shareable link for the team as a whole. Donations made with that link will be credited as a general team donation and not attributed to any one participant.

Can I see an example?

Here is an example email that would be sent to your donors. Once your donor clicks on the link in the email, they will be taken to this donation page (example) specific to your campaign and personalized to your team member who invited that donor.

Can I add other administrators?

Yes, you can invite other administrators such as assistant coaches or booster club treasurers to share the organizer responsibility or give visibility.

How do I see how well it's going?

As the campaign organizer, you have access to pages that show details of every transaction including date, donor, amount, which team member requested the donation, etc. We supply a live up-to-the-minute detailed audit page that you can view in your browser, on your mobile device, or export to a .csv file (spreadsheet for Microsoft Excel) at any time. We provide full transparency to you at all times.

How do I know what my donors will see?

From each participant's personal page, there are links to preview the sample email your donors will receive and the donation page they will see.

Do donors receive a receipt after donating?

Yes. Donors automatically receive a thank-you email with a receipt immediately after their donation is processed. However, we encourage each participant to separately email, text, or call their donors to thank them for their donation — it is the right thing to do!

Do you support Spanish speaking donors?

Yes, you can optionally allow your team members to select "Use Spanish" when adding individual donors. Here is an example Spanish email those donors would receive.

Are donations secure?

Donors can use their credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal account. All payments are processed directly by Stripe or PayPal so your donors have the peace of mind that your campaign is legitimate, and their contributions are secure. We cannot see or store any donor financial information.

What other features are supported?

Fund Team is a full-featured fundraising platform that supports many additional features including:

  • Creating and tracking sub-subgroups for your team (e.g. Freshman, JV, Varsity, etc.)
  • Appointing other administrators to help manage the campaign (e.g. assistant coaches, booster club treasurers, etc.)
  • Real-time exportable audit reports on all donations and team member activity (export to .csv and share)
  • Charts showing past and future donor reminder schedule
  • Unique shareable link for each student

What if I need help?

Feel free to contact us at info@fund-team.com or call/text 512-522-1338 for assistance.


Pricing and Fees

Commission, donor checkout fees, payout timing, and payment processing options.

What is the cost to my organization?

There is no setup cost or a minimum. We only charge a small 5% commission on donations received. Credit card processing fees are about 3% (usually voluntarily covered by the donor). The remaining 92% to 95% goes directly to your organization. See the full breakdown on our pricing page.

Are donors charged an extra checkout fee or asked to tip?

No. If a donor chooses to donate $100, they are only shown and charged $100.

We provide an option where you can choose to show a checkbox asking donors to cover the credit fees (of about 3%), but it is entirely up to you whether you want that feature enabled for your campaign.

Is there a minimum, quota, or set-up fee?

No, never. We charge a flat 5% commission regardless of how much you raise and how many team members participate. We give you the tools, instructions, and advice to make it as easy as possible for team members to join.

Does my team need a Stripe or PayPal account?

No, you don't need any external accounts. Even if teams have a PayPal account, most choose not to use it. Most teams let us collect the donations using our Stripe account as the credit card processor.

Do donors need a Stripe or PayPal account?

No. Most donors donate using a credit card, debit card, or mobile wallet.

Are donations tax-deductible?

Often, donations to non-profit organizations are tax-deductible. However, each case is different, and we cannot give tax advice. If the organizer includes a tax ID number when starting a fundraiser, we will include that in the emailed receipt sent to donors. We suggest you contact a tax professional if you have any questions.

How are donations processed?

Most donors pay with credit card, debit card, or mobile wallet. We use Stripe, a large third-party payment processor to process donations. Payment details are entered via secure connection between Stripe and the donor's browser so we never see or store any donor financial information.

Optionally a small minority of teams choose to use their own PayPal account to receive donations. Below is a list of pros and cons for each option:

    Stripe (Recommended)
  • Supports one-click payments through mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay
  • Easier donor checkout experience (less information required)
  • Allows you to enable an optional checkbox for "Donor covers credit card processing fees"
  • We collect donations on your behalf and pay you via check or ACH once your campaign ends
  • No external (Stripe) account needed for your team
  • Typically slightly lower credit card processing fees (2.9% + 30 cents per transaction)
    PayPal
  • Donations go straight into your PayPal account immediately as they are made. We never touch the money.
  • No one-click mobile wallet payment support. Donors must enter their full credit card info.
  • Donor checkout experience is more tedious (requires: name, address, phone, email, etc.)
  • PayPal-hosted checkout page confuses some donors into thinking they need a PayPal account to donate.
  • Requires a team PayPal account to use this option.
  • Typically slightly higher card processing fees (2.9% + 49 cents per transaction) *
    *PayPal will reduce their fee if you register your account with them as a non-profit/charity. Discounts vary by organization.

When do I get my money?

We send you a check or ACH for 80% the day your campaign ends and the remaining 20% after 60 days once all the payments clear. We handle all chargebacks or returns on your behalf.

If you choose the PayPal option for payment processing, each donation goes directly to your PayPal account as it is made. There is no waiting period for donations, but you will be responsible for handling any returns or chargebacks.

Results and Performance

See what teams typically raise, what affects campaign performance, and whether Fund-Team.com works for both small and large groups.

How much do teams usually raise?

Fund-Team.com campaigns average over $300 raised per student. Recent examples include:

  • Vandegrift Band — raised $103,757 (net $98,569 after 5% commission)
  • Lockpoint Cheer — raised $17,476 (net $16,026)
  • VHS Girls Soccer — raised $16,602 (net $14,430)

Results vary based on team size, outreach effort, and campaign length.

Can small teams use Fund-Team.com?

Yes. Fund-Team.com has no minimums and no fundraising thresholds. A team of 10 students pays the same flat 5% rate and receives the same level of support as a team of 300. Every organization is welcome regardless of size.

Comparison Questions

A quick buyer-oriented summary of how Fund-Team.com compares to common school fundraising alternatives.

How is Fund-Team.com different from SnapRaise or Vertical Raise?

Fund-Team.com charges 5% commission compared to 20%–30% charged by many competitors including SnapRaise and Vertical Raise. Fund-Team.com also has no salespeople, no minimums, and pays teams immediately when the campaign ends rather than making them wait 60 days or more. See the full comparison →

Does Fund-Team.com require an in-person sales visit?

No. Fund-Team.com has no salespeople. Teams can set up and run their entire fundraiser online without any in-person sales visits. Setup takes approximately 10 minutes.

Is Fund-Team.com a good option for bands and booster clubs?

Yes. Fund-Team.com is widely used by marching bands, concert bands, and their booster clubs. Vandegrift Band raised over $103,757 in a single campaign. The platform handles donor outreach, reminders, and payment so band directors and booster volunteers can focus on the program. Learn more about band fundraising →