If you’re considering Gold Athletics for team fundraising, you’re probably asking the same question every coach, booster, and team admin asks first:
How much does Gold Athletics keep, and what percentage actually reaches our team?
That is the right question to ask because “fundraising platform” can mean a lot of different fee structures. Some tools charge a platform percentage, some add payment processing, some charge donors extra, and some bury fees in product margins.
In this guide, I’ll break down the types of fees that typically apply, the exact places where your dollars can get reduced, and the best way to confirm Gold Athletics’ real take rate for your specific fundraiser so there are no surprises when you reconcile totals.
The simple answer: it depends on the fundraiser setup
Gold Athletics’ total “keep” is not always a single flat number that applies to every program. In most fundraising systems, the final amount your organization receives depends on a few variables, such as:
- Whether you are selling products (merch, discount cards, etc.) or collecting donations
- Whether donors cover fees or fees are deducted from proceeds
- The payment method donors use (card, ACH, etc.)
- Whether there are shipping costs or fulfillment costs
- Whether there are optional features tied to a campaign (rush production, upgraded stores, custom items)
So instead of looking for one universal percentage, the accurate approach is to calculate your effective fundraising percentage based on your campaign type and your settings.
In other words, the number you care about is:
Net to your program ÷ Total raised = your effective % kept by the team
And the remainder is the “keep” across platform costs, processing, and fulfillment.
However, it’s important to note that Gold Athletics stands out from its competitors in terms of transparency and effectiveness in fundraising. With Gold Athletics vs the competition, you’ll find a clear choice for transparent and effective fundraising. Many teams have successfully raised substantial amounts with Gold Athletics. For instance, Pinkerton Academy raised $98,733 this fall through their platform after 28 years of fundraising excellence with them.
Moreover, during this past fall season alone, numerous teams using Gold Athletics have achieved remarkable fundraising results. These fall highlights showcase how various teams managed to raise significant funds through their innovative fundraising strategies.
What “Gold Athletics keeps” can include (and what it usually doesn’t)
When people ask, “How much does the platform keep?”, they often mean one of two things:
- Platform fee: what the company earns for hosting and running the fundraiser
- All-in deductions: platform fee plus processing plus product costs, shipping, and taxes
Those are very different.
To stay precise, here are the most common buckets that can affect your net payout.
1) Payment processing fees (card fees)
Any time a donor pays by credit or debit card, the payment processor charges a fee. This is standard across every platform.
Typical processing is made up of:
- A percentage of the transaction
- A fixed per-transaction charge
Whether this reduces your payout depends on how Gold Athletics has configured your fundraiser:
- Team covers fees: the fee is deducted from each donation/sale
- Donor covers fees: the checkout asks the donor to add an extra amount to cover processing
If your donors opt in to covering fees (or it is enabled by default), your team’s net can be meaningfully higher.
2) Platform or service fees
Some fundraising platforms charge a platform percentage on top of processing. Others earn money in other ways (for example, through product margins or subscriptions).
A platform fee may be structured as:
- A percentage of each transaction
- A flat fee per transaction
- A monthly/seasonal program fee
- A campaign setup or admin fee
This is the part most people refer to as “the percentage they keep,” but it is not always presented that way.
For instance, Great Valley Football successfully utilized Gold Athletics’ platform to raise significant funds while keeping their deductions minimal.
3) Product and fulfillment costs (for product fundraisers)
If your fundraiser involves selling goods (team stores, spirit wear, merch, discount cards, etc.), then the biggest “keep” is often not the platform at all.
It is the cost of goods sold and fulfillment, which can include:
- Blank garments or materials
- Printing or embroidery
- Packaging
- Shipping
- Handling and customer support
- Refunds/replacements
In these campaigns, your net proceeds are usually:
- Either a fixed dollar profit per item
- Or a percentage margin per item
- Or a tiered model (higher volume equals better margins)
So if you are running a product fundraiser, asking “What percentage does Gold Athletics keep?” is less useful than asking:
What is our profit per item, and what is our expected net margin after fulfillment?
4) Shipping (who pays it matters)
Shipping can be handled a few ways:
- Donor/customer pays shipping at checkout
- Shipping is baked into item price
- Team covers shipping from proceeds
If your program is responsible for shipping or if it is bundled into product pricing, it impacts your net.
5) Sales tax (not a fee, but it changes totals)
Sales tax is not “kept” by the platform, but it can confuse reporting if you are comparing:
- Gross collected at checkout
- Versus net paid out to your organization
If donors pay tax, that amount typically does not count as proceeds.
The two most common Gold Athletics fundraising models
Without making assumptions about your specific agreement, most programs fall into one of these two models.
Model A: Donation-based fundraising
This is the cleanest structure because there is no cost of goods. The key questions become:
- Are there processing fees?
- Is there an additional platform fee?
- Can donors cover fees?
Your effective net is usually highest when donors cover fees and the platform fee is minimal or clearly defined.
Model B: Product-based fundraising (merch/team stores)
This model can raise significant dollars, but the “keep” is primarily determined by:
- Product base cost
- Decor/printing cost
- Fulfillment model
- Your margin (fixed or percentage)
- Shipping structure
Here, you should focus on:
- Profit per item
- Projected unit sales
- Expected net payout
A campaign can “feel” like a high fee if margins are thin, even if the platform fee is low, because the real cost is production and fulfillment.
How to calculate your true fundraising percentage (the number you actually care about)
Here is the quick method that gives you a real answer in minutes.
Step 1: Pick 3 realistic order examples
Use amounts you expect to see, like:
- A $25 donation
- A $100 donation
- A typical product order (for example, a $35 hoodie or a $60 cart)
Step 2: Run test checkouts (or review the campaign breakdown)
Look for:
- Processing fee amount
- Any platform/service fee
- Shipping (if applicable)
- Taxes (if applicable)
- Optional donor “tip” or “support” add-on (and where it goes)
Step 3: Compute net to your team
For each test:
- Net to team = amount paid by supporter minus all deductions that are not proceeds
- Then compute Net % = net to team ÷ total paid
Do that across the 3 examples, then average them based on what your real-world mix will look like.
This gives you your effective fundraising percentage, which is far more accurate than relying on a single advertised percentage.
Questions to ask Gold Athletics to confirm the exact % they keep
If you want a clear, no-surprises answer, send these questions to your rep or support contact and request a written breakdown.
For donation fundraisers
- Is there a platform fee? If yes, what is it (percentage or flat)?
- What are the payment processing fees per transaction?
- Can we enable donor-covered fees? Is it optional or default?
- Are there any payout or transfer fees when funds are deposited?
- Are there any campaign setup fees, subscription costs, or required minimums?
For product fundraisers
- What is our profit per item (or margin %) for each product?
- Who covers shipping, and how is it calculated at checkout?
- What is included in fulfillment (printing, packaging, customer service, returns)?
- Do we get a product cost sheet and payout schedule upfront?
- Are there volume tiers that improve margins as we sell more?
If you get clean answers to those questions, you can calculate your net with confidence.
What’s a “good” fundraising percentage for teams?
Determining a “good” fundraising percentage largely depends on the type of campaign you’re running, whether it’s donation-based or product-based. Here are some practical benchmarks teams use when comparing options:
Donation campaigns
When it comes to donation campaigns, teams typically desire:
- Transparent processing
- Minimal platform deductions
- An option for donor-covered fees
If configured correctly, donation campaigns can be extremely efficient, especially when you have strong parent and alumni participation. Digital fundraising for teams is one way to optimize this process.
Product campaigns
On the other hand, for product campaigns, teams usually look for:
- Strong profit per item
- A catalog that actually sells
- Reliable fulfillment and on-time delivery
- Minimal admin work for coaches and volunteers
While a product fundraiser can be worth slightly lower margins if it removes logistics from your staff and delivers consistently, time and execution matter significantly, especially mid-season.
Common “fee confusion” points (and how to avoid them)
Here are some common pitfalls teams encounter during fundraising:
“We raised $10,000, but we got less. Why?”
This often happens because “raised” refers to gross checkout totals. The actual deposit is net after processing, platform fees, and any non-proceeds items like tax and shipping.
“Donors were asked to add extra. Does that go to us?”
The answer can vary. Sometimes yes, sometimes it covers processing fees, and other times it is treated as platform support. You need the checkout breakdown to clarify this.
“Our margins look smaller than expected.”
Typically, this issue arises from product costs or shipping problems rather than a platform percentage issue. It’s essential to confirm base costs and fulfillment terms in such cases.
“Some transactions net less than others.”
Different payment types and small-dollar transactions can have different effective processing rates because of fixed per-transaction charges.
The bottom line
If you’re trying to understand how much Gold Athletics keeps, don’t settle for a vague percentage.
Instead, lock down your real-world number by doing two things:
- Identify the fee buckets that apply to your fundraiser (processing, platform/service, product and fulfillment, shipping, tax).
- Calculate your effective fundraising percentage using a few realistic test transactions, then confirm the details in writing.
If you share what kind of fundraiser you are running (donations vs products), whether donors cover fees, and an average order size, you can estimate your net percentage very quickly and choose the setup that maximizes funds to your team.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
How much does Gold Athletics keep from the funds raised?
The amount Gold Athletics keeps varies depending on your fundraiser setup. It depends on factors like whether you’re selling products or collecting donations, who covers payment processing fees, the payment methods used, shipping costs, and any optional campaign features. Instead of a flat percentage, calculate your effective fundraising percentage by dividing net proceeds by total raised to understand what your team actually keeps.
What types of fees can affect the net amount our team receives from Gold Athletics fundraisers?
Common fee categories include payment processing fees (charged by credit/debit card processors), platform or service fees (which may be a percentage per transaction, flat fees, or program fees), product and fulfillment costs (such as garment costs, printing, packaging, shipping, and customer support), and shipping charges. These combined determine your fundraiser’s net proceeds.
Can donors cover payment processing fees to increase the net proceeds for our team?
Yes. Gold Athletics allows fundraisers to configure whether donors cover processing fees at checkout. If enabled or opted in by donors, this means processing fees are added on top of donations or purchases rather than deducted from your team’s proceeds, leading to higher net funds for your program.
How do product fundraisers impact the percentage that Gold Athletics keeps?
In product fundraisers involving merchandise or discount cards, the primary deductions are product and fulfillment costs like materials, printing, packaging, and shipping—not just platform fees. Your net proceeds depend on profit per item and margins after fulfillment rather than a simple platform percentage. Understanding your expected profit per item is key.
Does Gold Athletics charge a flat platform fee or subscription for hosting fundraisers?
Gold Athletics’ fee structure can vary based on campaign settings. Some platforms charge platform percentages per transaction or flat fees; others may have monthly or seasonal program fees or setup/admin fees. It’s important to review your specific fundraiser’s terms to know if such charges apply.
How transparent is Gold Athletics about their fee structure compared to other fundraising platforms?
Gold Athletics stands out for transparency and effectiveness in fundraising. They clearly break down where deductions come from—platform fees, processing costs, product margins—and help teams calculate their effective fundraising percentage so there are no surprises when reconciling totals. This transparency has helped teams raise substantial amounts successfully.