Top 7 PayPal Alternatives for School Fundraising (2026)

PTAs, booster clubs, and school foundations are often stretched thin by tight budgets and rotating parent volunteers. You need fundraising tools that won't drain your resources or require a tech expert to set up. This guide breaks down seven PayPal alternatives based on what schools really care about: the total cost (including all fees), how easy they are for volunteers to use, support for events like galas and auctions, and whether you can manage everything in one place—without bouncing between tools.

Table Of Contents

1. Why Schools Are Moving Beyond PayPal For Fundraising
2. Top 7 PayPal Alternatives For School Fundraising
3. PayPal vs School-Focused Payment Platforms: Key Differences
4. How Zeffy Solves What PayPal Can't For Schools
5. How To Choose A PayPal Alternative For Your School
6. Start Fundraising Without Losing Money To Fees
7. FAQs About PayPal Alternatives For Schools

Why Schools Are Moving Beyond PayPal For Fundraising

PayPal fees take a big bite out of school fundraising. If your PTA raises $10,000 in a year, you’ll lose more than $290 every single month to PayPal’s 2.9% + $0.30 transaction fees. That’s over $3,480 a year—enough to fund new classroom supplies, student technology, or a field trip.

PayPal wasn’t made for schools. PTAs and booster clubs can face frozen accounts when donations spike, or struggle with confusing dashboards that frustrate new parent volunteers each year. You won’t find tools for ticketing, auctions, donor tracking, or automated receipts.

When your spring gala needs ticketing, your silent auction needs bid tracking, or your bake sale needs in-person payments, PayPal only covers the basics. Parent volunteers, who rotate every year, often get lost in PayPal’s business interface. There’s no way to track donor history, send thank-you emails automatically, or manage event signups.

What’s missing from PayPal for school fundraising?

• Event ticketing for school galas, fun runs, and performances
• Silent auction tools for events
• Programmes de dons récurrents
• Donor CRM to keep up with supporters year over year
• Automatic donation receipts for 501(c)(3) organizations
• An all-in-one platform so you’re not juggling multiple tools

Top 7 PayPal Alternatives For School Fundraising

These seven alternatives were picked based on the needs of real schools: event tools, parent-friendly interfaces, and transparent pricing. Each one shines in different ways, depending on whether you’re running a PTA, booster club, or school foundation.

1. Zeffy — The Only Zero-Fee Fundraising Platform For Schools

Zeffy is a zero-fee fundraising platform—schools pay absolutely nothing. While PayPal takes 2.9% + $0.30 from every donation, Zeffy lets you keep every dollar. So, if your school raises $10,000, you keep the full $10,000 instead of losing $290+ to fees.

Zeffy was built specifically for nonprofits—PTAs, booster clubs, school foundations. You get tools for ticketing your spring gala, silent auctions, raffles, donation forms, and a donor CRM to track parent supporters, all in one place. Zeffy’s dashboard is mobile-friendly, so parents can donate from their phones in seconds. And with QR code support, in-person events are frictionless.

Key features for schools:

• Zero fees forever: No platform fees, no transaction fees, no monthly charges, no hidden costs
• Event ticketing: Sell tickets online with QR code check-in for school events
• Silent auctions and raffles: Built-in tools for your fundraising nights
• Donor management: Track parent donors and send automated thank-you emails
• Tax receipts: Automatic donation receipts for every contribution
• Recurring donations: Build monthly giving programs for sustained support
• Mobile-friendly: Parents can give in seconds, from any device
• Tap-to-Pay and Android support: Accept in-person donations right from your smartphone

Zeffy's all-in-one dashboard lets school volunteers manage events, auctions, and donations in one place.

Zeffy stays free because donors can leave an optional tip at checkout, but your school never pays anything.

"Cela s'est résumé à quelques centimes. Lorsque nous essayons de trouver le moindre centime pour fournir à ces enfants les choses dont ils ont besoin, comme des instruments en état de marche, les économies réalisées sur les frais de scolarité ont un impact considérable." - Ross Tiner, Westerner Band Boosters

Compare Zeffy vs PayPal to see exactly how much your school could save by switching to a zero-fee platform built for school fundraising.

Les raisons de notre victoire

• Zero fees: No platform, transaction, or credit card fees—ever.
• All-in-one: Manage donations, ticketing, auctions, raffles, and donor CRM from one dashboard.
• Low setup: Get started in under 10 minutes with no technical skills required.
• QR code and mobile-first: Accept donations in-person and online; works on any device, including Android.
• Unlimited support: Access resources and help tailored for school fundraising.

2. DonorsChoose — Crowdfunding Platform Built For Classrooms

DonorsChoose connects teachers with donors who want to support specific classroom projects. Teachers create project requests for supplies, books, or field trips, and donors across the country can contribute. DonorsChoose verifies all projects and ships materials directly to schools, so funds go where they’re needed. Donors cover all platform costs, so teachers receive 100% of what they raise.

DonorsChoose allows teachers to post specific classroom project requests for donors to fund directly.

Read our full DonorsChoose comparison

Caractéristiques principales :

• Zero cost to teachers—donors cover all fees and shipping
• Direct fulfillment—supplies ship straight to your classroom
• Project verification for legitimacy
• National donor base—reach supporters beyond your school

Limitations for schools:

• Only for classroom supplies and specific projects, not general fundraising
• Approval process can take time
• No tools for school-wide events, galas, or booster club fundraising

Compare Zeffy vs DonorsChoose if you need a platform that handles both classroom projects and school-wide fundraising campaigns.

3. Qgiv — Event-Focused Platform For School Galas And Auctions

Qgiv specializes in event fundraising with polished event pages and built-in auction tools. Parents can bid from their phones during silent auctions, and text-to-give lets you collect donations during events. The platform shines for schools with major fundraising events, but monthly fees and transaction costs add up, especially if you run smaller fundraisers throughout the year.

Qgiv offers robust tools for galas and auctions, though schools must budget for monthly platform fees.

Read our full Qgiv comparison

Caractéristiques principales :

• Mobile auction bidding for silent auctions
• Branded event pages with drag-and-drop tools
• Text-to-give for real-time donations
• Event registration for ticket sales and guest management

Considerations for schools:

• Monthly fees start at $100, plus 3.95% + $0.30 per transaction
• Auction and peer-to-peer tools may require paid upgrades
• Setup is more complex than simpler platforms
• No built-in check-in or Tap-to-Pay for day-of event needs

If your school raises $10,000 through Qgiv, you’ll pay $100+ in monthly fees plus $395 in transaction fees—compared to $0 with Zeffy’s free ticketing and event tools.

4. Snowball — Text-To-Give For Athletic Boosters

Snowball focuses on text-to-give fundraising. Parents can text a keyword to donate instantly—perfect for game-day giving or quick pushes. It’s a good fit for booster clubs who want simple, mobile fundraising, but it doesn’t offer event management or donor tracking tools for bigger campaigns.

Snowball provides mobile-optimized tools ideal for quick donation collection.

See how Zeffy compares to Snowball

Caractéristiques principales :

• Text-to-give—donors text a keyword to give instantly
• Mobile-first design for easy smartphone donations
• Quick setup for fast fundraising launches
• Game-day giving—great for collecting donations at events

Limitations:

• Standard 2.9% + $0.30 processing fees
• Limited event ticketing and auction features
• No comprehensive donor management
• Pricing details may require speaking with sales

5. Donorbox — Simple Donation Forms For School Websites

Donorbox gives you easy-to-embed donation forms for your existing school website. If your PTA or booster club uses Squarespace, WordPress, or Wix, you can add donation forms without building a new fundraising page. It’s a good fit if you want donors to stay on your website, but you’ll pay 2.95% platform fees plus 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.

Donorbox allows schools to embed donation forms directly onto their existing websites.

Read our full Donorbox comparison

Caractéristiques principales :

• Website embedding for seamless giving
• Recurring donations—set up monthly gifts
• QR codes for easy offline donation collection
• Multi-currency support for 43 global currencies

Considérations :

• 2.95% platform fee plus 2.9% + $0.30 processing fee (donors can cover fees)
• No native auction, raffle, or peer-to-peer tools
• Limited in-person payment options
• Team collaboration features require paid upgrades

Compare Zeffy vs Donorbox to see how much your school could save with zero fees and more comprehensive fundraising tools.

6. Stripe — Developer-Friendly Payment Processing

Stripe offers flexible payment processing and a robust API. If your school has web developers or IT staff, you can build custom donation experiences that connect to your systems. Stripe gives verified nonprofits a lower rate of 2.2% + $0.30 per transaction. But you’ll need to build your own donation forms, event ticketing, and donor management tools on top of Stripe’s payment processing.

Stripe provides robust payment infrastructure but often requires technical development to create user-friendly donation pages.

Read our full Stripe comparison

Caractéristiques principales :

• Flexible API for custom donation forms
• Nonprofit rates at 2.2% + $0.30
• Accepts all major payment methods
• Global support for multiple currencies

Considérations :

• Requires technical staff to build and maintain
• No built-in fundraising tools like ticketing or donor CRM
• You may need to add or buy more tools
• Setup complexity makes it tough for volunteer-led teams

Compare Stripe vs PayPal to understand the differences between payment processors, or consider Zeffy for a complete fundraising solution that requires zero technical expertise.

7. Square — In-Person And Online Payment Solutions

Square provides hardware and software for both in-person and online payments. You can use Square readers at bake sales, book fairs, or the school store, and accept online payments for donations and events. It’s a good fit if you run a lot of in-person sales. But Square charges fees on every transaction and doesn’t provide nonprofit-focused features like automated tax receipts or donor management.

Square offers robust point-of-sale hardware for in-person sales but lacks specialized fundraising features.

Read our full Square comparison

Caractéristiques principales :

• POS hardware for in-person school sales
• Online payments via your website
• Inventory management for school stores
• Invoicing for payment requests

Considérations :

• 2.6% + $0.10 for in-person, 2.9% + $0.30 for online
• No nonprofit discount rates
• Fonctions limitées de collecte de fonds
• No automated tax receipts or donor tools

Compare Square vs PayPal to see which payment processor offers better rates, or explore Zeffy’s Tap-to-Pay feature for free in-person donation collection.

PayPal vs School-Focused Payment Platforms: Key Differences

PayPal was made for business transactions, not school fundraising. School-focused platforms like Zeffy are designed for how PTAs, booster clubs, and school foundations really operate.

These differences matter. Schools don’t just process payments—you sell gala tickets, run auctions, collect recurring donations, and manage donors for years. PayPal makes you patch together tools and pay fees each time. School-focused solutions handle everything in one place.

How Zeffy Solves What PayPal Can’t For Schools

Schools face three big challenges with PayPal that Zeffy was built to solve. These aren’t small annoyances—they cost schools thousands of dollars and hours of volunteer time every year.

Problem 1: Fees Eating Into Fundraising Goals

PayPal’s 2.9% + $0.30 fee means schools lose money on every transaction. A PTA raising $10,000 a month will lose $290+ to fees, or $3,480 a year.

Zeffy charges zero fees. You keep 100% of every donation. Zeffy is funded entirely by optional donor tips.

Si Se Puede Foundation used to lose $400-500 per month to PayPal fees, forcing tough choices between robotics entry fees and basic supplies. After switching to Zeffy, they saved $6,136 on $122,730 raised.

"As a small nonprofit, every dollar counts. Even losing a few hundred dollars can make a difference when having to purchase office supplies, toilet paper, or whiteboard markers." — Faridodin Lajvardi, Si Se Puede Foundation

Calculate exactly how much your school loses to PayPal fees with this donation fee calculator.

Problem 2: Juggling Multiple Tools For Different Fundraising Needs

PayPal only processes payments. If you need to sell gala tickets, run a silent auction, manage raffle sales, collect recurring donations, and track donor info, you’re stuck using several different platforms.

Zeffy brings everything together:

• Event ticketing: Online sales with QR code check-in
• Silent auctions: Mobile bidding and item management
• Raffles: Numbered ticket sales with winner selection
• Donation forms: Customizable forms, recurring gifts
• Donor CRM: Track giving history and send thank-you emails
• Tax receipts: Automatic 501(c)(3) receipts
• Tap-to-Pay: Accept in-person donations on your phone

Problem 3: Complex Setup For Rotating Volunteers

PayPal’s business dashboard can confuse parent volunteers who rotate each year. If new volunteers have to spend hours learning the system, fundraising becomes a chore.

Zeffy was made for volunteer-led teams. The interface is so simple, a new parent can launch a campaign in under 10 minutes—no training needed.

Westerner Band Boosters switched from Square and found Zeffy "much easier to go in and add tickets or items to sell, make adjustments, and add pictures." Zeffy connects with tools like MoneyMinder, offers direct deposits to your school’s bank account, and makes reconciliation easy with Excel exports.

How To Choose A PayPal Alternative For Your School

Finding the right fundraising platform comes down to these five factors. Use this checklist to compare your options:

Total cost of ownership: Look past the transaction rates. Add up monthly fees, platform fees, processing fees, and charges for features like event ticketing or donor management. A platform with "low fees" could cost more than a zero-fee solution once you add it all up. For example, raising $30,000 a year at 3% + $0.30 per transaction plus $100/month in fees adds up to $2,100+ per year. Zeffy costs $0.

Ease of use for volunteers: Can a parent who’s never used fundraising software create a campaign with no training? The best platforms are intuitive and clear. Test the setup yourself—if it takes more than 15 minutes to create a donation form, it’s too complex for volunteer teams.

Event support: Can the platform handle your real fundraisers—gala ticketing, silent auctions, raffle management, in-person payments? Platforms that only offer donation forms force you to buy extra tools for events, increasing your costs and complexity.

Payout speed: How soon do you get your funds after a donation? Some platforms hold funds for days or weeks, which can create cash flow issues right before a big event. Look for next-day or same-day payouts with no minimum balance requirements.

Support quality: Is help available when you need it? If your gala is tomorrow and you can’t check in guests, slow email support isn’t enough. Prioritize platforms with phone support, live chat, and resources designed for school fundraisers.

Start Fundraising Without Losing Money To Fees

Every dollar lost to processing fees is a dollar that can’t help students. When PayPal takes $290 from a $10,000 fundraiser, that’s money that could buy classroom supplies, fund a field trip, or support student programs.

Here’s what saved fees could fund:

• $500 in saved fees: 25 new library books, art supplies for a semester, or uniforms for five students
• $1,500 in saved fees: Technology upgrades for a classroom, transportation for a field trip, or instruments for your music program
• $3,500 in saved fees: A full robotics competition season, new playground equipment, or scholarships for several students

Zeffy eliminates these fees. Schools using Zeffy keep 100% of every donation, ticket sale, and fundraising dollar. There are no platform fees, no transaction fees, no monthly charges, and no hidden costs. The platform stays free through optional donor tips—your school never pays a cent.

Getting started is quick. Create your free account, set up your first donation form or event, and start accepting contributions in minutes. You’ll get automatic tax receipts, donor management tools, and unlimited support from a team that understands school fundraising. Whether it’s a bake sale or a major gala, Zeffy gives you professional fundraising tools with zero fees.

FAQs About PayPal Alternatives For Schools