How sports teams & booster clubs keep more of every dollar raised

Running fundraising for a sports team usually falls to whoever raised their hand—or got volunteered. You're a parent, a coach, or a booster club treasurer juggling a full-time job, a game on Saturday, and a roster of kids who need new uniforms by next month.

The last thing you need is a platform that keeps a big cut of what you raise, or three logins to run one fundraiser. Givebutter is free, gives every athlete their own fundraising page, and handles everything from banquet tickets to silent auctions to dues in one place.

Read on for real examples, honest answers on fees, and everything you need to go live before the next game. And because setup takes under an hour, you won't spend the weekend before the first game explaining a new platform to parents—you'll just be ready.

Key takeaways

• Keep more of what you raise 💸 When optional donor tips are enabled, your team pays $0 in platform fees and $0 in processing fees. With tips turned off, a flat 3% platform fee applies plus standard payment processing of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.
• Every athlete gets their own fundraising page 🤝 With peer-to-peer fundraising, each player gets a personal page that rolls up to the team total. Add a leaderboard, and teams compete against each other for extra motivation.
• Run the whole season from one platform 🏆 Dues, banquet tickets, tournament registration, silent auctions, and text-to-donate at the game all live under one login, so you're not juggling tools the night before a board meeting.
• Your donor data survives the offseason 🔁 Every gift, ticket purchase, and auction bid lives in your CRM year after year, so the next booster treasurer doesn't start from a blank spreadsheet.
• Go live before the next game ⚡ Sign up for free in under 5 minutes, no credit card, sales call, or contract required. Your first campaign takes about 30–60 minutes to build.

Why sports teams switch to Givebutter

Volunteer coaches and booster club treasurers switch to Givebutter for the same reason: they're tired of losing fundraising dollars to platform fees and spending weekends reconciling payments from four different tools.

Here's what changes when your team moves to Givebutter.

You keep more of what you raise 💸

With the Givebutter Guarantee, when optional donor tips are enabled, your team pays $0 in platform fees and $0 in processing fees. Without tips, a flat 3% platform fee applies plus standard payment processing of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.

🎬 See it in action: A team raises $20K on Givebutter with optional donor tips enabled and keeps the full $20K. The same team raising $20K on Snap! Raise, which typically keeps around 20% of what you raise, would keep about $16K.

Dive deeper

Learn what fee-free really means for your team →

Every athlete gets their own page 🤝

With Givebutter's peer-to-peer fundraising, each athlete gets a personal fundraising page that rolls up to the team total. Players share their pages with family, neighbors, and coaches, and a leaderboard turns it into the kind of friendly competition your team already thrives on.

More to explore

Learn how peer-to-peer fundraising works & create your first campaign →

One fundraising hub for the season 🏆

Dues, banquet tickets, tournament registration, silent auctions, and text-to-donate at the game all run from one giving hub. No more switching between GoFundMe, Eventbrite, and a separate auction tool—and no more reconciling it all in a spreadsheet the night before the board meeting.

Learn more

Build a season-long fundraising calendar that doesn't burn out your volunteers →

Your donor data survives the offseason 🔁

When your booster club treasurer rotates out at the end of the season, the next person doesn't start from zero. Every gift, ticket purchase, and auction bid is stored in your donor records so repeat sponsors can be thanked, past supporters can be reached again next season, and next year's campaign starts with a head start instead of a blank spreadsheet.

💡 Pro tip: While Givebutter has the tools you need to manage your fundraising strategy, it isn't a sports team management tool. If you need a platform for managing rosters, practice schedules, or payroll, try pairing it with a platform like TeamSnap or SportsEngine.

Dive deeper

Learn why a nonprofit CRM matters for your booster club →

Givebutter features built for sports teams & booster clubs

Whether you're running a pledge drive, selling banquet tickets, or chasing down dues, the headaches tend to be the same. Here's how Givebutter helps.

Get inspired

Explore 200+ winning sports fundraising ideas for your next campaign →

Real sports teams already using Givebutter

Thousands of sports teams like yours use Givebutter to manage their fundraising. Below, we'll share a glimpse into how sports teams are raising more with Givebutter, and what users have to say about the platform.

"Givebutter is easy to use and free. All the players can have their own page, and it was very easy to transfer the funds to my booster club when it was all done." — Maria R., Booster Club & Softball Team | G2

Robinson Crew Ergathon 🚣‍♀️

The Robinson Crew Boosters Club is 100% self-funded—no school or district money, just rower families and community supporters. For their Ergathon, every rower got their own fundraising page to collect pledges while the team rowed 750,000 meters together on indoor ergs.

💸 Total raised: $28.6K+ (114% of their fundraising goal!)

🥳 Why it worked: Each of the 12 rowers had their own personal fundraising page and shareable link, making it easy for parents, neighbors, and supporters to donate directly to their athlete. With 350+ supporters and a visible goal bar tracking progress in real time, the campaign created the same competitive energy on the fundraising side as the team brings to the water.

Real results

See how Teton Adaptive Sports raised $50K+ for their athletes with Givebutter →

How to launch your team's fundraiser on Givebutter

Most fundraising platforms want a sales call, a contract, and weeks of onboarding. Givebutter doesn't. Here's how to go from signup to your first campaign in an afternoon.

1. Create your free Givebutter account 🪄

Sign up for Givebutter and verify your nonprofit to get started. It takes less than 5 minutes, and no credit card is required. Create your free account →

2. Build your team's first campaign 🛠️

Whether you're launching a peer-to-peer pledge drive, selling banquet tickets, or setting up an end-of-season auction, your first Givebutter campaign takes about 30–60 minutes to build. Per-athlete pages, team fundraising, event ticketing, and your donor CRM are all included.

3. Start fundraising 💸

Share your page via text, email, and social media. Generate a QR code for the gym, the sideline, or the concession stand so parents can give on the spot. If you're running a peer-to-peer fundraiser, every athlete shares their own page with their personal network and on their own social media.

See it in action

Book a free Givebutter demo & go live before your next game →

Get your team fundraising with Givebutter

Givebutter gives volunteer coaches, team parents, and booster club treasurers everything they need to raise more in one place: peer-to-peer pledge drives where every athlete has their own page, banquet ticketing and silent auctions, dues collection, and a donor CRM that survives roster turnover.

With the Givebutter Guarantee, your team pays $0 in platform fees and $0 in processing fees when optional donor tips are enabled. That means more money for uniforms, travel, and tournament fees, and less explaining to the booster board why the platform took a cut.

And when you need help, Givebutter's support team is available 24/7 with a 98%+ customer satisfaction rating, which matters when you're a volunteer trying to get a fundraiser live before Saturday's game.

Sign up for Givebutter and launch your team's next fundraiser today.

Frequently asked questions from sports teams about Givebutter

Can our sports team use Givebutter if we're not a registered 501(c)(3)?

Yes. Givebutter supports non-registered teams, including youth leagues, travel teams, and booster clubs without their own nonprofit status. Teams can accept donations, sell event tickets, run auctions, and keep all their fundraising data in one place. With optional donor tips enabled, all of Givebutter's core features are free to use.

Can every athlete have their own fundraising page?

Yes. With Givebutter's peer-to-peer fundraising, every registered participant gets their own shareable fundraising page that rolls up to the team total. Add a leaderboard and a fundraising thermometer to turn it into friendly competition between athletes and families.

Can we use Givebutter for team dues and tournament fees?

Yes. Givebutter's recurring donations and event ticketing features handle dues, tournament fees, and banquet tickets from one centralized giving hub, customizable with your team's branding, logo, and colors.

Does Givebutter do rosters or practice scheduling?

No. Givebutter is a fundraising platform, and not a tool for sports team management or scheduling. Try pairing it with TeamSnap or SportsEngine to manage team rosters and schedules alongside fundraising.

How fast does Givebutter send funds to our team?

Once you initiate a withdrawal, standard payouts arrive in your connected bank account within 1–3 business days and are always free. Eligible verified accounts can use Instant Payouts to receive funds within 30 minutes, any day of the week, for a small fee.

You can also set up a Givebutter Wallet as your financial home base, giving you daily access to settled funds.

How long does it take to set up Givebutter for my team?

It takes less than 5 minutes to sign up for Givebutter. Account verification takes 1–3 business days, and your first campaign takes about 30–60 minutes to build. Most teams go live before the next game.