PledgeAthon vs Boosterthon
Boosterthon takes 40-50% of what your school raises. PledgeAthon charges 0% platform fee. Keep every dollar your community donates.
Looking for a Boosterthon Alternative?
Boosterthon is one of the most well-known school fundraising companies in the country. They send a team to your school, run a multi-day fun run program, get kids excited, and collect pledges from parents. The production value is real. The energy is real. But the cost is also very real.
Boosterthon takes 40-50% of every dollar your school raises. If parents and grandparents donate $20,000 to support their kids, Boosterthon keeps $8,000 to $10,000 for themselves. That money was donated to help the school, not to pay a fundraising company. And most donors have no idea their donation is being split this way.
PledgeAthon is a self-service a-thon fundraising platform with zero platform fee. You set up your campaign in 60 seconds, upload your participant list, and every student gets a unique pledge page with a shareable link and QR code. Parents donate online, get SMS reminders, and your school keeps 100% of what's raised (minus standard Stripe processing of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction).
The trade-off is simple: Boosterthon sends staff to run the event for you, and they take half the money. PledgeAthon gives you the technology to run it yourself, and you keep everything. For schools with a PTA, booster club, or even a handful of parent volunteers, running your own fun run or walk-a-thon is straightforward. And the financial difference is massive.
Schools that switch from Boosterthon to a self-service model like PledgeAthon typically double or triple their net proceeds. Not because they raise more gross donations, but because they stop giving away half of what they raise. When your school keeps $24,000 instead of $12,000, that's real money for new playground equipment, library books, technology upgrades, or teacher appreciation funds.
Keep 100% of what your school raises. Zero platform fee.
Start Free CampaignFeature-by-Feature Comparison
See exactly where your money goes with each platform.
| Feature | PledgeAthon | Boosterthon |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | 0% | 40-50% |
| Processing fee | 2.9% + $0.30 (Stripe) | Included in their cut |
| Your school keeps | ~97% of donations | 50-60% of donations |
| Setup time | 60 seconds, self-service | Weeks in advance, must book |
| Event types | Any a-thon (walks, reads, swims, etc.) | Mainly fun runs |
| Free SMS reminders | ||
| Automatic QR codes | ||
| You own the donor data | ||
| Apple Pay / Google Pay | ||
| 1-day payouts | ||
| Custom branding | ||
| On-site staff provided | ||
| Flat + per-activity pledges | ||
| Live leaderboards | ||
| Participant pages |
The Real Cost Comparison
PledgeAthon charges 0% platform fee. Boosterthon takes 40-50%. See what your school actually keeps.
$10,000 raised
PledgeAthon
$9,680
~$320 in processing
Boosterthon
$5,000-$6,000
$4,000-$5,000 to Boosterthon
You keep $3,680-$4,680 more
$15,000 raised
PledgeAthon
$14,520
~$480 in processing
Boosterthon
$7,500-$9,000
$6,000-$7,500 to Boosterthon
You keep $5,520-$7,020 more
$25,000 raised
PledgeAthon
$24,200
~$800 in processing
Boosterthon
$12,500-$15,000
$10,000-$12,500 to Boosterthon
You keep $9,200-$11,700 more
Based on average donation of $25. PledgeAthon: 2.9% + $0.30 (Stripe). Boosterthon: 40-50% of gross raised.
What Donors Don't Know About Boosterthon
When Grandma pledges $5 per lap for her grandchild's fun run, she thinks that money is going to the school. She doesn't know that 40-50% of her donation is going to Boosterthon. Most donors have no idea their contributions are being split this way, and most schools don't advertise it.
Boosterthon's model works by sending a team of "Crew Leaders" to your school for a multi-day program. They run assemblies, lead stretches, play music, and build excitement for the fun run. It's a polished production. But that production comes at a steep price that your school pays out of the money donors contributed.
The question every PTA board should ask is: is the entertainment value worth giving up half the money? For many schools, the answer is no. A few parent volunteers, a playlist on a Bluetooth speaker, and some cones on the track can create just as much excitement. The kids care about running with their friends, not about a production company.
With PledgeAthon, your school handles the event itself (which most schools are perfectly capable of doing) and uses our platform to handle the fundraising technology: pledge pages for every participant, online donations, SMS reminders, QR codes for flyers, live leaderboards, and direct payouts to your bank account. The platform fee is zero. The only cost is Stripe's standard processing rate.
Stop giving away half your fundraiser. Start free in 60 seconds.
Start Free CampaignWhy Schools Switch
Keep 100% of Donations
PledgeAthon charges 0% platform fee. Every dollar donated goes to your school, minus standard Stripe processing. No more watching half your fundraiser go to a third-party company.
Set Up in 60 Seconds
Boosterthon requires booking weeks in advance and coordinating schedules. PledgeAthon is self-service. Create an account, name your campaign, upload your roster, and you're live.
Free SMS Reminders
Text messages have a 98% open rate. PledgeAthon sends free SMS reminders to donors with a direct link to pledge. Boosterthon doesn't offer SMS. More parents see the link, more parents pledge.
Works for Any A-Thon
Boosterthon focuses on fun runs. PledgeAthon supports walk-a-thons, read-a-thons, swim-a-thons, hit-a-thons, dance-a-thons, and any other pledge-per-activity event. Run multiple event types throughout the year.
You Own the Donor Data
With Boosterthon, they control the donor relationships and data. With PledgeAthon, every donor email, phone number, and donation record belongs to your organization. Build your donor list for future campaigns.
Automatic QR Codes
Every participant page gets a printable QR code. Put them on backpack flyers, school pickup signs, and game-day programs. Parents scan and pledge in seconds without typing a URL.
Running Your Own Fun Run Is Easier Than You Think
The most common hesitation schools have about leaving Boosterthon is logistics. "Who will run the event?" The answer: your PE teacher, your PTA, or a small group of parent volunteers. Schools across the country run fun runs, walk-a-thons, and color runs every week without outside companies.
- Create your free PledgeAthon account — takes 60 seconds. No credit card needed.
- Set up your campaign — name it, set a goal, pick your event type.
- Upload your participant list — CSV upload. Every kid gets a unique pledge page instantly.
- Send pledge links via SMS — parents get a text with a direct link. No app downloads, no sign-ups.
- Run your event — set up a track, play music, count laps. Your volunteers handle it.
- Log activities and collect — enter lap counts, and per-activity pledges calculate automatically. Stripe pays out to your bank account.
The technology handles the fundraising. Your team handles the fun. And your school keeps every dollar.
Free fundraising in 60 seconds. No fees, no contracts, no credit card.
Start Free CampaignFrequently Asked Questions
Why does Boosterthon take 40-50% of what we raise?
Boosterthon sends a team of staff to your school to run the event, provide entertainment, and manage logistics. That labor cost is funded by taking a large percentage of your donations. If your school raises $20,000, Boosterthon keeps $8,000 to $10,000 for themselves. PledgeAthon is self-service software with zero platform fee, so your school keeps everything.
Can we run a fun run without Boosterthon's staff?
Absolutely. Schools run fun runs, walk-a-thons, and color runs every day without outside companies. PledgeAthon handles the pledge collection, participant pages, SMS reminders, QR codes, and leaderboards. Your PE teacher or volunteer parent committee handles the event itself. Most schools find it straightforward and far more profitable.
Is PledgeAthon really free?
Yes. PledgeAthon charges 0% platform fee. The only cost is standard Stripe card processing at 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, which donors pay. On a $25,000 fundraiser, your school keeps approximately $24,200. With Boosterthon, your school would keep only $12,500 to $15,000.
Do we lose the fun run experience without Boosterthon?
Not at all. The fun run experience is about kids running laps, music, and excitement. Your school can create that atmosphere with parent volunteers, a Bluetooth speaker, and some creativity. What matters financially is whether your school keeps $25,000 or $12,500. PledgeAthon handles all the fundraising technology so your team can focus on making the event memorable.
How quickly can we set up a campaign on PledgeAthon?
You can create your free account, set up a campaign, and upload your participant list in under 5 minutes. Every student gets a unique pledge page with a shareable link and QR code instantly. Compare that to Boosterthon, which requires booking weeks or months in advance and coordinating schedules with their team.
Learn more about how PledgeAthon works for different events:
Keep Every Dollar Your Community Donates
Free fundraising in 60 seconds. No fees, no contracts, no credit card.