Fundraising for teams and players

Fundraising without a payment processor: what you can and cannot do

Taking gifts straight to your own account is simpler and cheaper. It also puts a few things on you, and one thing to avoid.

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What you gain

No middleman, no percentage

When supporters pay you directly, the whole gift lands with you. There is no processing fee from us, no waiting for a payout, and no site holding your money until it decides to release it.

The price of that is that you are the processor. You check your own payment app, you decide what arrived, and you keep your own records. The fundraiser page is built around that: it holds the squares, keeps the list of who is waiting, and counts a gift only once you say it arrived.

What it puts on you

Five things to settle before you share the link

Check each payment app's rules. Some apps limit how a personal account may be used to collect money for a group, and some charge fees for certain kinds of payment. Read the terms of every app you list. The details are theirs, and they change.
Keep the money separate if you can. An account that belongs to the team or club is better than a parent's personal one. It is easier to explain, and it survives a treasurer moving on.
Keep a record. Your dashboard lists every gift, who gave it and when you confirmed it. Keep your own bank or app statements too, and know what the money was spent on.
Do not promise a tax deduction. A gift to a person or a team is generally not deductible. Say so if anybody asks, and do not hand out anything that looks like a receipt.
Know your local rules. Whether asking people for money needs a registration depends on your state and on who it is for. Ask your league, your school or an attorney.

Venmo, Cash App, PayPal and Zelle are trademarks of their respective owners. Playbook Logix is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.

The one thing to avoid

Do not add a prize

Squares are a way to choose an amount, and nothing more

A sheet where people pay for a square and a drawing, a score or a random number picks a winner with a prize is a lottery in most states, and many states restrict or ban it even for a good cause. Do not add a prize, a drawing, a raffle, a pool or a winner to a fundraiser. Our terms do not allow it, and a team that wants to run a real raffle should talk to its state's gaming office first.

This is not legal advice. Rules differ from state to state, so check yours.

Common questions

Can I use my personal Venmo for a team fundraiser?

Check the app's own terms before you do. Payment apps have rules about collecting money for a group into a personal account, and the rules differ and change. If your team or club has an account of its own, use that, so the money does not mix with your own and survives a change of treasurer.

Are gifts tax-deductible?

Generally no. A gift to a person or an informal team is not a charitable donation, and Playbook Logix is not a charity and issues no tax receipts. If you raise money for a registered nonprofit or a school, ask them how gifts are treated.

Do I have to register to raise money?

It depends on your state and who you are raising for. Some states regulate asking the public for charitable contributions. Raising money for your own team from your own families is usually different from soliciting strangers, but ask your league, school or an attorney if you are unsure. That is your responsibility, not ours.

Why are prizes a problem?

A game where people pay, chance decides the winner and there is a prize is gambling in many states, however small the stakes. Squares games with a prize are a common way for a fundraiser to end up there. We do not allow prizes, drawings or winners.

What about people who only use cards?

List PayPal, or take a check or cash. If a relative far away cannot use any of those, a card-based fundraising site may suit them better. You can give them a different link.

Put the clipboard away

Make a fundraiser in a few minutes, share the link, and see what is taken at a glance. It is free, and the money goes straight to you.

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