Fundraising FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers for schools, sports teams, and booster clubs about getting started, how PledgeStar works, payments, privacy & security, and support.
Getting Started
New to PledgeStar?
How much can we raise with PledgeStar?
Schools using PledgeStar see students raise an average of $175 each. Because every participant can reach family and friends by email and text instead of relying on door-to-door asks, schools typically raise significantly more than with traditional paper-based fundraisers.
Why do schools raise more with PledgeStar than other fundraising methods?
PledgeStar makes it fast and easy to ask family and friends for donations. Schools encourage each student to enter at least ten contacts, and the platform sends an automated, personalized pledge request by email or text on their behalf. On average, over half of those requests turn into a donation, so instead of one or two gifts per family, a PledgeStar campaign often brings in five or more.
Our event is only a few weeks away. Can we still get up and running in time?
Yes. We recommend launching at least two weeks ahead of your event, but PledgeStar can usually get your fundraiser live within two days. We also provide ready-to-use promotional language for pledge packets and email campaigns. To get started, call 1-888-598-7510 or email info@pledgestar.com.
What do we need to do to launch our fundraiser?
Setup takes just a few steps. Register your event, invite families to create a personalized fundraising page for each student, and add contacts so pledge requests can go out by email and text. Most schools are fully live within a day, and our support team is available to help at every step.
Is there a contract or long-term commitment?
No. There is no annual contract or long-term commitment. You choose to run a fundraiser whenever it makes sense for your school, and you are never locked into future events.
How It Works
Fundraising, Simplified
Do we need to hold a specific event to fundraise with PledgeStar?
No. PledgeStar supports both event-based fundraisers, like Jog-A-Thons, Walk-A-Thons, Fun Runs, and Read-A-Thons, and Pledge Drives that require no event at all. You can launch a Pledge Drive at any point in the school year and run it for as long as you like.
Can participants continue using paper pledge envelopes for offline donations?
Yes. In fact, we recommend offering both options. Some supporters will always prefer to give the old-fashioned way, and PledgeStar charges no platform fee on pledges collected offline by check or cash. On average, though, most participants and donors end up preferring the speed of digital fundraising.
Can a participant upload their contacts automatically instead of typing them in?
Yes. Families can easily import an existing email contact list and choose which contacts should receive a pledge request. Donors can also be entered manually at any time.
Do participants have to re-enter their contacts every year?
No. As long as a family uses the same email address, their donor contact list carries over and is ready to use for the next fundraiser.
Does PledgeStar support per-lap or other per-unit pledges?
PledgeStar supports both flat pledges and per-unit pledges. For a Jog-A-Thon, Walk-A-Thon, or swim event, a unit might be a lap completed. For a Read-A-Thon, it might be a page or chapter read. After the event, PledgeStar automatically emails family and friends who made a per-unit pledge to let them know how many units were completed, with a link to pay on the participant's fundraising page.
What if a family has more than one child participating?
No problem. PledgeStar sends a single pledge request that covers every participating child in the family, so friends and relatives are not asked more than once. Donations are then split evenly among the participating children. For example, a $60 donation made on behalf of three siblings is recorded as $20 for each child.
Can we offer prizes or incentives for top fundraisers?
Yes. Pledges themselves are simple flat or per-unit donations, but many schools layer incentive prizes on top, such as merchandise, gift cards, or recognition, for students who raise the most or hit a milestone. PledgeStar's reporting makes it easy to see who qualifies for each prize.
Payments & Money
Getting Your Funds
How do we actually get our money?
PledgeStar does not hold or transfer your funds. To accept online donations, we help you set up your own free merchant account with an approved credit card processor, so donations deposit directly into your own account right away. If your school already has a compatible merchant account, we can connect to it directly. You never have to wait for PledgeStar to release your funds, and there are no setup or monthly charges for the merchant account itself.
What if family and friends want to pay by check instead of online?
Easy. Donors who choose to pay by check receive instructions on how to do so, and PledgeStar will even send a friendly reminder if the check has not arrived yet. Because PledgeStar knows a check is coming, it makes it simple to confirm receipt, and donations from multiple family members can be automatically split evenly among participating siblings.
How does PledgeStar handle donation accounting and prize tracking?
Online credit card donations deposit into your account automatically, so there is nothing to count or deposit yourself. For offline donations, PledgeStar provides a quick online entry form that your counting staff can use at the same time to record checks, bills, and coins from pledge envelopes. PledgeStar then generates a deposit report covering both online and offline donations, along with a worksheet that breaks down totals by student for determining prize winners.
Can donors give from out of town or internationally?
Yes. Donors can give from anywhere in the world using a credit or debit card. Everything is handled online, so no stamps or mailed checks are required for out-of-town family and friends.
Privacy & Security
Keeping Data Safe
What does PledgeStar do with the data it collects?
PledgeStar does not use or disclose the data collected through the website beyond what is needed to send pledge requests, collect donations, send notifications, and provide reports. We never share, sell, or otherwise make participants' or donors' data available to anyone else, period.
Is online payment information secure?
Absolutely. PledgeStar uses industry-standard SSL encryption so credit card information cannot be intercepted over the internet, and we never store credit card data internally.
Support
We're Here to Help
Who can we contact if we need help?
We are always here to support your event staff, parents, and family and friends. You can reach our toll-free support line at 1-888-598-7510 or email info@pledgestar.com.
Is there support available if we get stuck during setup?
Absolutely. Our support team is available by phone and email to guide you through anything, from setup to launch to reporting.
Does PledgeStar work for organizations other than schools?
Yes. In addition to schools, PledgeStar is used by youth sports teams, high school booster clubs, and other community organizations. If your group runs fundraisers throughout the year, PledgeStar can support any of them.
Can I use the PledgeStar platform to run fundraisers for my company?
Yes. PledgeStar offers an affiliate program for organizations interested in running fundraisers through our platform. Contact us by email or phone for more information.
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.
→
3
Donors Give
in One Click
in One Click
Donors click the link and complete their donation, straight into your organization's own account.
Testimonials
What Schools, Teams, and Booster Clubs Say About PledgeStar
★★★★★
"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 · School
Wagon Wheel Elementary School
★★★★★
"With PledgeStar, we worked less and raised more. The system was incredibly easy to use! No licking stamps or sealing envelopes, and we raised more money than we ever had from a single fundraiser. It was just awesome."
Athletics Department · Booster Club
Corona Del Mar High School
★★★★★
"The Hit-A-Thon was a tremendous success. We raised over $38,000 with 250 players, and board members who've served for a decade had never seen anything like it. PledgeStar takes your fundraising to the next level, times ten!"
Parent Volunteer · Youth Sports
Long Beach Little League
★★★★★
"We ask our 38 volunteers to raise $1,000 each for our foster-kids summer camp. With PledgeStar we reached our goal of $60,000 easily and even have $16,000 in reserves for next year. They saved our camp!"
Administrative Manager · Church
Mission Viejo Christian Church
★★★★★
"By using PledgeStar we doubled our profits with half the effort. Our emails were answered immediately, and help was just a phone call away. We raised over $12,000 — PledgeStar truly is a game-changer."
Pack Leader · Nonprofit
Long Beach Cub Scouts
★★★★★
"The platform is just so easy to use and the reporting is really straightforward. Our dunk tank was the icing on the cake, and we raised $19,000, more than double what we brought in the year before."
Fundraising Coordinator · Youth Sports
Livermore Bulls Football League
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