School Fundraising
Free School Fundraising.
Raise More, Work Less.
Use the world's easiest and most flexible school fundraising platform for free.
Live in minutes
No commitment
No platform fees
No risk
*Standard credit card donation processing fees apply.
Any Event, Any Grade
Fundraising That Fits Every School
PledgeStar works for any school a-thon. Here are the most popular fundraiser types for schools, PTAs, and PTOs.
The PledgeStar difference
Why Choose PledgeStar
No other a-thon platform raises as much, or asks as little of your volunteers.
Raise more
Personalized donation pages
Every donor gets their own personalized donation page making the request extra special
Email, text message and social pledge request
Expanded reach raises more
Corporate matching and sponsorships
Matching doubles donations and sponsorships cover event costs
Donation reminders
Gently remind donors who haven't donated
Prize level goals
Donors give more to help participants reach goals
50+ language translations
Send pledge requests in different languages
Work less
Setup in minutes
Getting started couldn't be simpler
Automated accounting
No spreadsheets required
Prize tracking
Easily track who received which prizes
Live leaderboards
No manual tallying
Real-time reporting
Important statistics at a glance
Extraordinary support
Our experts make you a fundraising hero
How A-Thon Fundraising Works With PledgeStar
1
Families Invite
Family and Friends
Family and Friends
Your families invite their family and friends to donate using their personal fundraising pages.
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2
PledgeStar Does
the Asking
the Asking
PledgeStar sends them email, text message, and social media donation requests.
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3
Donors Give
in One Click
in One Click
Donors click the link and complete their donation, straight into your organization's own account.
Real Results. Real Schools.
What Schools Are Saying
★★★★★
"PledgeStar made fundraising effortless, not just for us, but for our families too. It was easy to set up, intuitive to use, and powerful in results. We raised over $40,000 and didn't have to give nearly half of it away like we did before."
Fundraising Coordinator
Kumeyaay Elementary School
★★★★★
"PledgeStar completely transformed our jog-a-thon. What used to raise $17,000 now brings in over $85,000, without third-party vendors taking a massive cut. It is incredibly easy for parents and grandparents, and we keep 100% of the money for our school."
Jog-A-Thon Committee
Wagon Wheel Elementary School
★★★★★
"PledgeStar was a game-changer for our school. Families tapped into relatives and friends across the country, and even overseas. We more than doubled our fundraising, jumping from $32,000 to nearly $60,000, and kept almost every dollar."
PTA President
Lowell Elementary School
Free Guide
How to Raise 50% More
Get the expert tips used by thousands of schools and teams to raise more and keep more with zero platform fees.
It's absolutely free. No commitment required.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most profitable school fundraiser?
There is no single fundraiser that guarantees a specific amount, but pledge-based fundraisers give schools a strong fundraising opportunity because families ask friends and relatives to donate without selling products. Jog-a-thons, walk-a-thons, read-a-thons, and pledge drives all work with the same basic model: students reach donors directly while the school tracks fundraising online.
How can a school fundraiser reach more donors?
The easiest way to expand a school's donor reach is to make it simple for families to contact people outside the immediate school community. PledgeStar lets families use email, text, and social sharing to send personalized fundraising requests. Each family receives a personal fundraising page to share with friends and relatives.
How do schools collect donations without handling cash?
Schools collect credit card donations online through family fundraising pages while still accepting checks and cash from donors who prefer offline payments. PledgeStar tracks offline pledges and provides instructions for sending checks, so schools accommodate online, check and cash donations.
How can a school fundraiser involve families without adding more work for volunteers?
Schools reduce volunteer workload by automating tasks such as donation requests, reminders, tracking, and reporting. PledgeStar's automated outreach and real-time dashboard allows organizers to spend less time manually following up on pledges and more time promoting the fundraiser.
Try PledgeStar for Free
No platform fee and no obligation. Tell us a bit about your organization and we'll set up your event.