Vertical Raise

What Vertical Raise does

Vertical Raise is an online peer-to-peer fundraising platform that enables schools, athletic programs, fine arts programs, club sports, and community organizations to run digital fundraising campaigns. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, the company operates a hybrid go-to-market model combining a remote, territory-based direct sales force that prospects Athletic Directors and coaches with a self-service platform accessible via verticalraise.com. The platform runs three core fundraising products — Direct Donation Fundraiser, Digital Discount Card Fundraiser (a $25 12-month subscription), and a Gourmet Popcorn Fundraiser fulfilled via third-party partner PopParadise on Shopify — supported by add-on modules including Spirit Shop prizes, Funds Manager Pro dashboards, and an annual Ultimate Sweepstakes Giveaway.

The underlying technology centers on a multi-channel campaign engine spanning email, text messaging, and social media, anchored by a proprietary Pass-Through Email Certification system that achieves a 99 sender score and 47% unique open rate versus a 24.11% industry average. The platform integrates with over 20 address books via an Email Auto Importer, applies Email AI Smart Input for typo correction and duplicate prevention, maintains a database of 20K+ employer match programs for automated corporate matching, and offers A/B-tested personalized landing pages with Apple Pay and Google Pay checkout and an average $67 donation. The technology is augmented by color-coded participation tracking, automated coach participation reports, and fast fund delivery (check within 2 days or daily direct deposit).

Vertical Raise generates revenue through a percentage-based service fee on net donations (with a $150 minimum threshold below which the company retains 100% of funds), an annual $25 Digital Discount Card subscription (plus processing fees), unit-priced popcorn product sales ranging from $19.95 to $200, and corporate sponsorship minimums of $500. Customers span K-12 schools, high school and middle school athletics, band/choir/drama programs, club sports, esports, university teams, and nonprofits, with multi-year contracts signed with participating organizations. Vertical Raise has expanded through acquisitions of XLR8 Fundraising (May 2025) and Funding Zone (April 2025), and was itself acquired by Arbiter, a K-12 athletics and activities management platform, on April 1, 2026. The company reports 101-250 employees, serves the US and Canada, and maintains privacy compliance with GDPR, CCPA/CalOPPA, COPPA, PIPEDA, and FERPA.

Name

Vertical Raise

Legal name

Vertical Raise LLC

Website

https://verticalraise.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Vertical Raise is an online peer-to-peer fundraising platform serving K-12 schools, athletic and fine arts programs, club sports, esports, and nonprofits across the US and Canada, offering Direct Donation, Digital Discount Card, and Gourmet Popcorn campaigns with proprietary email deliverability, automated employer matching, and territory-based direct sales plus self-service onboarding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

School Fundraising Software

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

akta.pro primary industry

Creator Tipping, Donations & Micro-Payments (MPACAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

Keywords

• Peer-to-peer fundraising
• School fundraising platform
• Online donation platform
• Digital discount cards
• Corporate matching donations

Headquarters

HQ city

Coeur D'alene

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Service Fee on Donations: Vertical Raise charges a service fee calculated as a percentage of net donations collected, withheld from all donations at end of fundraiser. The fee includes labor, programming, marketing materials, advertising, corporate sponsorships, and telemarketing costs. If total funds raised are less than $150, Vertical Raise retains 100% of funds.
2. Digital Discount Card Subscription: 12-month membership subscription to Vertical Discounts App at $25 plus optional processing fees, with optional additional donation for the team, group, or school
3. PopParadise Popcorn Products: Sale of gourmet popcorn products (Peanut Butter Pop, Caramel Cashew Pop, Cake Pop, Cookie and Cream Pop, variety packs) ranging from $19.95 to $200, with third-party fulfillment by PopParadise

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Vertical Raise provides an online peer-to-peer fundraising platform that enables schools, athletic programs, fine arts programs, and community organizations to run digital fundraisers through email, text messaging, and social media campaigns. The platform offers three core fundraiser types — Direct Donation Fundraisers, Digital Discount Card Fundraisers, and Gourmet Popcorn Fundraisers (via PopParadise) — along with administrative dashboards, automated employer matching, and corporate sponsorship features.

Product overview

Vertical Raise is an online fundraising platform designed specifically for schools, teams, and youth organizations. The platform operates as a unified system combining a peer-to-peer fundraising engine with integrated product offerings including the Direct Donation Fundraiser, Digital Discount Card Fundraiser, and Gourmet Popcorn Fundraiser (PopParadise). Additional features include the Spirit Shop for merchandise prizes, Funds Manager Pro for administrative dashboards, Email Auto Importer for contact integration, Employer Match Program for corporate matching, and the Corporate Sponsorship Feature for local business engagement. The platform utilizes email, text messaging, and social media campaigns to maximize fundraising reach, with best-in-class email deliverability (99 sender score, 47% unique open rate) as a core differentiator.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Verticaldiscounts.com: Digital discount card subscription service owned by Vertical Raise, LLC with a 12-month membership for $25 plus processing fees.

Products and services

• Direct Donation Fundraiser A peer-to-peer fundraising solution that enables participants to create personalized pages and solicit donations through email, text, and social media campaigns using best-in-class email deliverability. Designed for schools, teams, and community organizations.
• Digital Discount Card Fundraiser A digital discount card subscription program where supporters purchase cards providing discounts at participating businesses, with proceeds benefiting the fundraiser. Includes 12-month membership at $25 plus optional processing fees.
• Gourmet Popcorn Fundraiser (PopParadise) A fully automated popcorn fundraiser where gourmet popcorn products (Peanut Butter Pop, Caramel Cashew Pop, Cake Pop, Cookie and Cream Pop, variety packs) are drop-shipped to donors' doors through PopParadise. Prices range from $19.95 to $200 per pack.
• Spirit Shop An online store feature offering custom gear and prizes that high school and middle school participants can earn or purchase as part of the fundraising experience, with specialty prizes tailored for elementary students.
• Funds Manager Pro Athletic Director and Admin Solutions providing a comprehensive dashboard tracking participation, progress, email sends, social shares, and dollars raised across fundraisers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3X more money raised compared to traditional fundraising methods
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• XLR8 FundraisingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 May 2025XLR8 Fundraising officially joined the Vertical Raise family in May 2025. XLR8 had served teams, schools, and organizations across Texas, Arkansas, and Tennessee for over 20 years before acquisition.
• Funding ZonecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2025Funding Zone officially joined the Vertical Raise family in April 2025 to elevate the fundraising experience for schools, teams, and groups across the Mid-Atlantic Region.
• ArbitercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Arbiter, a platform for K-12 athletics and activities management, announced acquisition of Vertical Raise on April 1, 2026. Vertical Raise will be integrated into Arbiter's platform to enhance fundraising support for schools and communities through technology-enabled fundraising.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Funraise: Funraise is a nonprofit fundraising platform offering peer-to-peer campaigns, donation forms, event management, and donor CRM — competing in the same general online fundraising category with overlap on school and nonprofit segments.
• 99Pledges: 99Pledges is a peer-to-peer online fundraising service specifically targeted at schools, sports teams, and booster clubs — directly comparable to Vertical Raise's K-12 and athletic-program customer base and product set.
• RallyUp: RallyUp provides online fundraising, auctions, events, and peer-to-peer campaign tools for schools, nonprofits, and community organizations, competing in the same core fundraising-platform category as Vertical Raise.
• Booster (Boosterthon): Booster is a K-12 fundraising and school engagement platform running fitness fundraisers, spirit nights, and online campaigns — competing with Vertical Raise for the same school and parent community budgets.
• Snap! Raise: Snap! Raise is a digital fundraising platform purpose-built for K-12 schools, teams, and youth programs, with similar direct-donation, email-driven peer-to-peer campaigns, employer match integration, and a territory-based sales motion — making it the closest head-to-head competitor to Vertical Raise.
• Pledge (Pledgeling): Pledge offers peer-to-peer and event-based fundraising software for nonprofits and schools with embedded payment processing, competing head-on with Vertical Raise in donation-driven online campaigns.
• Givebutter: Givebutter is a modern fundraising platform serving nonprofits, schools, teams, and community organizations with peer-to-peer campaigns, donor management, and event ticketing — overlapping directly with Vertical Raise's core donation and crowdfunding product.

Broad incumbents

• GoFundMe Charity: GoFundMe Charity is the nonprofit arm of the consumer crowdfunding giant, offering branded fundraising pages, peer-to-peer campaigns, and donor tools at massive scale — a broad incumbent with overlapping functionality and reach into similar school/nonprofit segments.
• Bonterra (Network for Good / GiveGab): Bonterra, formed from the merger of Network for Good, GiveGab, and others, is an established social-good software suite with donation forms, peer-to-peer tools, and giving days — a broader incumbent operating across the same nonprofit/school fundraising category.

Emerging players

• Donorbox: Donorbox is an SMB-focused online donation platform with peer-to-peer fundraising, recurring giving, and donor management — overlapping with Vertical Raise on donation infrastructure for schools and nonprofits, though smaller and less K-12 specialized.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/verticalraise

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vertical Raise