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8 Best Fundraising Platforms for UK Schools in 2026
July 7, 2026
⚡TL;DR — The Short Answer
UK schools lose real money to platform fees and Gift Aid charges every time they fundraise. Choosing the right platform keeps more money where it belongs.
Zeffy is the only fully free option: no platform fee, no transaction fee, no Gift Aid handling charge, ever.
Gift Aid adds 25p per £1 to every qualifying donation, but platforms that charge a percentage on the Gift Aid claim quietly skim that uplift.
A school raffle where tickets are sold in advance is a small society lottery and needs a local council licence (£40 initial, £20 renewal).
UK PTAs handling parent data must use a platform that is UK GDPR compliant before they collect a single email address.
What your school loses in fees, and the only platform that gives 100% back
Schools are under more financial pressure than ever, from replacing outdated equipment and repairing playgrounds to keeping arts and sports programmes alive. Whether you are raising money for a Year 6 leavers' event, uniform grants, or basic classroom resources, fundraising is no longer optional. It is essential.
But here is what most school communities do not realise: the wrong fundraising platform could quietly cost your school hundreds of pounds in fees taken directly from your donations, and from your Gift Aid uplift.
If you do not have a dedicated fundraising team and rely on your PTA, PFA, or parent volunteers to lead the charge, this guide is for you. Digital fundraising is now easier than ever with tap-to-pay at the fete gate, automated thank-you emails, and donor-friendly campaign pages.
But not all platforms are created equal. In many cases, the "convenience" comes at a steep cost, one that hits your school twice: once in platform and processing fees, and again when a platform charges a percentage on your Gift Aid claim.
Here is a worked example. Raise £5,000 through a platform that charges 1.9% + 20p per transaction plus a 5% fee on Gift Aid value. On 50 donations averaging £100 each, you lose roughly £95 in processing fees. Add the 5% Gift Aid charge on £1,250 of HMRC uplift and another £62.50 disappears. That is more than £150 gone before a single purchase for your students. (Gift Aid guidance: HMRC)
Why choosing the right fundraising platform matters
How Much Are Fees Stealing From Your School?
Total donations you raise in a year (before fees)
£
Optional: Helps calculate how much you lose per donation.
£
We use a standard 5% industry fee to calculate your potential losses—typical for most fundraising platforms.
You're losing £0 every year to fundraising fees.
Based on your average donation, you're losing £0 per donation.
What should schools look for in a fundraising platform?
Zero fee doesn’t mean losing out on features you need. Here’s what to look for when you’re evaluating your current fundraising platform or choosing a new one that doesn’t leave you short on critical funding.
Zero or low fees: Many platforms charge hidden processing or platform fees that deplete donations, a major consideration for budget-conscious schools (Imagine raising £1000 and losing £70 to transaction fees that could have gone a long way for your students). For small schools, zero-fee platforms make fundraising worthwhile.
Ease of use: Staff, parents, and volunteers should be able to launch and manage campaigns without a steep learning curve or needing to sit through trainings.
Multiple campaign types: Find flexibility to run raffles, donation pages, auctions, peer-to-peer drives, and more.
Tech and automation: Features like automated receipts, donor analytics, and integration with school systems can save time and increase impact.
Support and transparency: Reliable customer service and clear pricing models help avoid frustration mid-campaign.
Can small schools use the same platforms as large schools?
While many fundraising platforms are built for scale, they usually come with fees and complex features that may be better suited to large institutions with dedicated fundraising teams. A simple platform makes a huge difference if you’re struggling with bake sale-level budgets or leaning on volunteers.
8 Best fundraising platforms for schools at a glance
We've broken down the best simple and low-cost options available to keep up with fundraising trends and get everything you need from a fundraising tool that fits your budget. Take some time and review what aligns best with your fundraising goals and mission, noting any fees or feature upgrades that can lower your overall impact for students and programming.
- Custom Pricing (sales-quoted)
- Transaction fees vary by contract
Schools who are doing large-scale fundraisers and have more budget to invest up front
4.3/5
No free version; base platform fee required
DoJiggy
- Up to 7.9% platform fee
- 2.2-2.9% + 30¢ transaction fee
Schools who want a simple way to set up a fundraising website at a low cost
4.1/5
Free version requires transaction fees, and enhanced features require fees
The platform your school chooses does not just process donations. It determines how much of your hard-earned funds you actually keep.
The reality: raise £5,000 with most platforms and you could lose £250 to £500 or more in fees. That is equivalent to:
A set of new netball bibs and a match ball
200 new library books
A KS2 residential deposit for four pupils
Year 6 leavers' hoodies for a whole class
Gift Aid: the uplift you cannot afford to lose
Gift Aid is the central UK donation mechanism and has no equivalent in the US or elsewhere. When a UK taxpayer donates to an HMRC-recognised charity, the charity reclaims 25p for every £1 donated from HMRC at no extra cost to the donor. A £100 donation becomes £125. (HMRC Gift Aid guidance)
A platform that charges 5% on Gift Aid claims skims £6.25 of that £25 uplift before it reaches your school. Over a year of campaigns, that adds up to a meaningful sum your pupils never see.
Gift Aid does NOT apply to:
Raffle ticket purchases
Event tickets sold at fair value
Auction lots purchased at fair value
Any transaction where the donor receives goods or services in return
This is a common misconception in school PTAs. If your Christmas fair raffle entry costs £1 and the buyer receives a ticket stub, Gift Aid cannot be claimed on that £1. Make sure your platform handles these distinctions correctly.
Get clear on what you are losing to fees
Use the calculator below to see how much your school could save by switching to a zero-fee platform.
Who this guide is for
This guide is made for small to mid-sized schools, PTAs, PFAs, parent supporter groups, and volunteer-led teams that need powerful fundraising tools without heavy fees, or any fees at all.
The following groups will find this especially useful:
State primaries and secondaries with no fundraising staff that need zero admin overhead and every pound to count
Volunteer-run PTAs and PFAs with committee members juggling full-time jobs that need simple tools they can run in minutes, not hours
Sports and music parent groups constantly planning events and managing sales who need fee-free ticketing, donation pages, and kit-fund support
School business managers running solo or with limited help who need automated tools to raise money without adding to already full plates
Parent volunteers fundraising for essentials like field trips, team kit, or Year 6 leavers' gifts, who need platforms that do not eat away at small-value donations
If your PTA is not yet a registered charity
Many UK PTAs are unincorporated associations with income below the £5,000 threshold for mandatory registration with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Some are Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs). Some are HMRC-recognised without full Charity Commission registration. A few are not registered in any formal sense.
Some platforms on the market restrict their charity-rate pricing or free tiers to organisations with a registered charity number. It is worth checking the eligibility requirements of any platform before you sign up. Zeffy is available to school fundraising groups regardless of registration status, verify your group's eligibility directly with Zeffy when you sign up.
We will walk you through the best low-fee and zero-fee options and show you just how much your school may be losing in platform and transaction fees without realising it.
Schools and parent groups cannot afford to lose 5 to 20% of what they raise, and we are making sure they do not have to.
What should schools look for in a fundraising platform?
Zero fee does not mean losing out on features you need. Here is what to look for when evaluating your current platform or choosing a new one.
Zero or low fees: Many platforms charge hidden processing or platform fees that deplete donations, a major consideration for budget-conscious schools. For small schools and PTAs, zero-fee platforms make fundraising genuinely worthwhile.
Gift Aid handling: Can the platform capture Gift Aid declarations from donors and help you submit claims to HMRC? This is worth real money: a platform that does this automatically and charges nothing on the Gift Aid value is a significant advantage.
Ease of use: Staff, parents, and volunteers should be able to launch and manage campaigns without a steep learning curve or the need for lengthy training sessions.
Multiple campaign types: Find flexibility to run raffles, donation pages, auctions, peer-to-peer drives, school shop sales, and event ticketing all in one place.
Technology and automation: Features like automated receipts, donor analytics, and tap-to-pay at events save time and increase impact.
UK GDPR and data protection compliance: UK PTAs handling parent contact data must have a clear lawful basis for processing personal data and PECR-compliant marketing consent flows. Ask any platform whether it is ICO-compliant before collecting a single parent email address. This is the first question many UK school groups ask, and rightly so.
Support and transparency: Reliable customer service and clear pricing with no hidden transaction or processing fees help avoid frustration mid-campaign.
Can small schools use the same platforms as large schools?
Many fundraising platforms are built for scale and come with fees and complex features better suited to large institutions with dedicated fundraising teams. A simple platform makes a huge difference if you are managing a bake-sale-level budget or leaning on parent volunteers. The right platform grows with you rather than pricing you out.
8 best fundraising platforms for UK schools at a glance
We have broken down the best simple and low-cost options for UK schools, PTAs, and parent fundraising groups. Take time to review what aligns best with your fundraising goals, noting any fees or feature trade-offs that could lower your overall impact.
1. Zeffy: the only fully free fundraising platform for UK schools
Among all the fundraising platforms available to UK schools, Zeffy is the only entirely free option. This flexible platform can sell tickets to school fetes and discos, host raffles, run online donation campaigns, manage a school shop, track donors, and customise donation pages for peer-to-peer fundraising drives.
Whether you are a primary school PTA coordinator or a sixth-form charity committee, Zeffy can support your school fundraising.
Key features
Integrated event ticketing, raffles, and online shop
Customisable donation and fundraising campaign pages
Donor tracking and outreach tools
Free tap-to-pay from a phone, no dedicated hardware required
Easy-to-use interface with no training required
100% free with unlimited customer support, always
Expected outcomes for schools
With Zeffy, 100% of donations go directly to the school, maximising the impact of every campaign. Schools save an average of 5 to 7% in platform and transaction fees compared to fee-charging alternatives, with no Gift Aid handling charge on top.
Limitations
While Zeffy covers the full range of school fundraising needs, organisations requiring highly complex CRM integrations with existing school management systems may find some deeper connectors are not yet available.
Pricing
Everything is free with Zeffy, and it always will be. No platform fee, no transaction fee, no setup cost, ever.
Expert reviews
Zeffy has the following ratings from well-trusted review sites:
"It really has been so amazing. I am new to our school's PTA and I took on the task of setting up a new payment platform for our fundraising because the one we used in the past had very high fees. I feel so happy I stumbled across Zeffy because they helped make what I thought would be a confusing and difficult task into something so easy and really beneficial to our school." Jennifer T., Capterra
2. TryBooking: a strong fit for PTAs running paid events and fetes
TryBooking is a ticketing and event-management platform that has been available in the UK since 2014 and is popular with PTAs, schools, and community groups running a mix of free and paid events.
Key features
Free for free events with no ticket cap
Mobile box-office tap-to-pay app included at no extra cost
Straightforward event setup with no subscription
Organiser can pass fees to the buyer
Expected outcomes for schools
TryBooking suits PTAs running fetes, school plays, and quiz nights where a portion of tickets are free and some are paid. The tap-to-pay app is particularly useful at the gate on event day, directly addressing the "cash is dying" challenge many school fundraisers now face.
Limitations
At 5% + 15p per paid ticket, TryBooking is not the lowest-cost option for higher-value tickets. For a £20 fete ticket the fee is £1.15 per ticket, which adds up at volume. There is no native Gift Aid declaration capture.
Pricing
Free for free events. Paid-ticket events: 5% + 15p per ticket. No monthly subscription. Fees can be passed to the buyer.
Expert reviews
TryBooking has the following ratings from well-trusted review sites:
3. Ticket Tailor: flat-fee ticketing for school events above £10
Ticket Tailor is a UK-founded, B Corp certified ticketing platform, bootstrapped and widely regarded as the clearest Eventbrite alternative for UK charity event organisers.
Key features
Flat per-ticket fee, not a percentage of ticket value
50% charity discount on per-ticket pricing
Free for free events under 2,000 tickets per year
Direct Stripe or PayPal payouts, no platform hold on funds
No monthly subscription on the pay-as-you-go plan
Expected outcomes for schools
On a £20 school dinner ticket, Ticket Tailor costs approximately £0.22 to £0.60 plus Stripe processing (1.5% + 20p), compared to Eventbrite's roughly £1.98 plus processing on a similar ticket. For school events with ticket prices above £10, Ticket Tailor consistently beats Eventbrite on cost. Funds are paid out directly, so your school treasury is not waiting on a platform hold.
Limitations
Ticket Tailor has no discovery marketplace, so you bring your own audience. There is no native Gift Aid capture. The pay-as-you-go credits model requires a little upfront planning.
Pricing
Pay-as-you-go: £0.60 per ticket. Pre-purchased credits from £0.22 per ticket. Charity discount: 50% off. Free events under 2,000 tickets per year: free. Stripe processing: 1.5% + 20p for UK cards.
Expert reviews
Ticket Tailor has the following ratings from well-trusted review sites:
Ticket Tailor is excellent value for PTAs running paid events above £10 per ticket, such as school galas, end-of-year shows, and quiz nights. For smaller fundraisers with lower ticket prices, the flat fee can feel disproportionate. Zeffy, by contrast, charges nothing at all: no platform fee, no per-ticket fee, no processing fee, so every penny from a £3 children's disco ticket reaches the school.
4. JustGiving: the household-name default, with caveats
JustGiving is the most widely recognised UK donation platform and is often the first place school fundraisers turn. Brand recognition with the general public is its strongest asset.
Key features
Familiar to UK donors, reducing friction for cold audiences
Peer-to-peer fundraising pages for sponsored events
Recurring giving options
Gift Aid capture built in (fee applies)
Expected outcomes for schools
JustGiving's brand recognition helps when fundraising with audiences who are not already connected to the school. Sponsored-run pages and event-based fundraising pages are simple to set up, and donors recognise the platform's logo.
Limitations
JustGiving's default suggested-tip prompt of around 17% has been the most criticised pricing pattern in UK fundraising press, with donors and charities alike reporting that supporters felt fees had been added without their knowledge. The platform also charges a 5% fee on Gift Aid claims, meaning it skims part of the HMRC uplift your school has earned. Some charities pay a monthly subscription of £15 to £39 plus VAT. For a small PTA, the combination of tipping-related reputational risk and the Gift Aid charge makes JustGiving a costly default.
Pricing
0% headline platform fee. Card processing: 1.9% + 20p per donation. Gift Aid handling: 5% of the Gift Aid value claimed. Optional subscription: £15 to £39 + VAT per month. Default suggested donor tip: approximately 17%.
Expert reviews
JustGiving has the following ratings from well-trusted review sites:
Does JustGiving work for school PTAs that are not registered charities?
JustGiving's main donation platform is designed for registered charities. PTAs and school groups that are not yet Charity Commission registered may find their options restricted. Zeffy is available to school fundraising groups regardless of registration status and charges nothing at all, making it the practical default for newer or smaller groups still deciding whether to formally register.
5. Eventbrite: wide reach, but expensive on low-price fete tickets
Eventbrite is the globally dominant event platform and still useful for school events that benefit from public discovery traffic. But since September 2023 paid events have moved to tiered plans that significantly increase the cost for small schools.
Key features
Large public-facing discovery marketplace
Supports in-person and virtual events
Integrations with social media platforms for event promotion
Mobile ticket scanning
Expected outcomes for schools
Eventbrite works well for publicly listed events where you want new audiences to find you, such as a school fair open to the whole community or a charity performance. The discovery network is the real value.
Limitations
At approximately 6.95% + £0.59 per ticket plus payment processing, Eventbrite is punitively expensive on lower-priced tickets. On a £5 cake-stall entry ticket the combined fees can exceed the ticket value's viable margin. Free events with over 25 attendees now require a paid plan starting at £7.99 per event (Flex) or £19 per month (Pro). For routine PTA fetes and school discos where you are selling to your own community, the discovery benefit does not justify the cost.
Pricing
Paid events: approximately 6.95% + £0.59 per ticket plus payment processing. Free events under 25 attendees: free. Above 25 attendees: Flex plan £7.99 per event or Pro plan from £19 per month.
Expert reviews
Eventbrite has the following ratings from well-trusted review sites:
"Eventbrite is good for events that need public visibility. But the fees on cheap tickets genuinely surprised us. A £3 children's event ticket cost more in fees than we expected." Verified user, G2
6. CAF Donate: trust-first giving for established school charities
CAF Donate is built by the Charities Aid Foundation, one of the UK's oldest and most trusted charity infrastructure bodies. Used by more than 8,000 charities, it carries significant credibility with donors and trustees.
Key features
Embedded donate buttons and donation forms
Direct Debit support for recurring gifts
Low staggered fees by donation type
No monthly subscription
Recognised by trustees and Charity Commission inspectors
Expected outcomes for schools
CAF Donate suits school charities and PTAs that need a straightforward, trusted donate button for their school website or fundraising page. Donors who are cautious about where they give will recognise the CAF brand. The platform is strong for embedded giving and monthly direct-debit donations, which are the gold standard for UK regular giving.
Limitations
CAF Donate has low marketing flair and limited visual customisation. It does not cover event ticketing, raffles, or online shop functionality, so your PTA will still need separate tools for fetes and events. Reporting is more basic than commercial alternatives.
Pricing
No monthly subscription. Fees are staggered by donation type (card, Direct Debit, cheque) and generally sit below commercial platform rates. Verify current rates on the CAF Donate pricing page before committing.
Expert reviews
CAF Donate has the following ratings from well-trusted review sites:
7. Wonderful.org: genuinely 0% via Open Banking for pure donations
Wonderful.org uses Open Banking (account-to-account payment) to deliver genuinely 0% fees on donations, including 0% on Gift Aid claims. It is technically the most fee-efficient option for pure donation collection, as acknowledged by independent reviews including Money Saving Expert.
Key features
0% platform fee
0% Gift Aid handling fee
0% card processing on Pay by Bank (Open Banking) transactions
No voluntary contribution prompt or tip jar
Expected outcomes for schools
On a pure donation campaign with no tickets or merchandise involved, Wonderful.org passes 100% of every pound to the school, including the full Gift Aid uplift. For a PTA focused solely on collecting donations from parents and the local community, this is a genuinely strong option.
Limitations
Wonderful.org's Open Banking journey requires donors to authenticate via their banking app, which converts well with younger digitally active donors and less well with older donors or those unfamiliar with the process. The platform does not cover event ticketing, raffles, or shop functionality. Brand recognition is significantly lower than JustGiving, which means cold donors may need more reassurance before giving.
Pricing
0% on Open Banking (Pay by Bank) donations. Card payment processing fees apply for donors who choose card over Open Banking.
Expert reviews
Wonderful.org has the following ratings from well-trusted review sites:
8. GoodBox: tap-to-pay hardware for in-person fete giving
GoodBox makes dedicated contactless donation hardware (GBx devices) and donation apps for in-person giving at events, visitor attractions, and churches. It directly addresses the "cash is dying at the fete gate" problem that many school fundraisers now face.
Key features
Dedicated contactless tap-to-donate devices
Works without cash handling or change-giving
Real-time reporting on donation totals
Used by museums, churches, and community events across the UK
Expected outcomes for schools
For a school fete, Christmas fair, or sports day where you have a donations collection point, GoodBox removes the need for a cash tin entirely. Tap-to-donate at fixed amounts means no change, no lost notes, and no float to manage. The hardware is designed for high-footfall environments.
Limitations
GoodBox requires a device purchase or rental plus per-transaction fees. For a PTA that only fundraises a few times a year, the hardware cost may not be justified. Zeffy's tap-to-pay from any smartphone is a free alternative: no device to buy, no rental contract, and no per-transaction fee.
GoodBox vs Zeffy tap-to-pay: what is the honest comparison?
GoodBox solves a real problem, cash is genuinely dying as a payment method at community events, and its purpose-built hardware is reassuring in high-footfall settings. The honest trade-off: you are paying for the device and per-transaction fees for the privilege. Zeffy's free tap-to-pay runs on any smartphone your committee already owns. For a PTA running two or three events a year, the free phone-based option delivers the same outcome with no hardware cost and no ongoing fees.
How to fundraise for schools in the UK (simple and low cost)
When school budgets fall short, the pressure lands on already-stretched volunteers, parents, and teachers to fill the gap. Most small schools do not have the time, staff, or resources for grant-writing marathons or expensive event planning.
You need fundraising ideas that are:
Simple to launch
Low- or no-cost to run
Built to actually keep the money you raise
UK school fundraising ideas by age group
Here are practical ideas that work at every stage of UK schooling:
Primary school (KS1 and KS2): Fun, interactive events where children can be active or creative: summer fete, Christmas fair, sponsored read, sponsored walk, non-uniform day, cake sale, school disco, Easter egg hunt.
Secondary school (KS3 and KS4): Competitive or team-based events that engage teenage interests: quiz night, talent show, charity week, sponsored silence, Comic Relief or Children in Need dress-up day, sports day sponsorship, Year 11 prom fundraiser.
Sixth form (KS5): Leadership-focused fundraising that builds skills alongside money: charity auction, student-run sponsored challenge, Duke of Edinburgh activity sponsorship, sixth-form charity week with multiple events.
University: Networking, skills-based, and service fundraisers that align with student interests: peer-to-peer crowdfunding, charity ball ticketing, hackathons, benefit concerts, alumni giving campaigns.
UK raffle and lottery rules for schools
Raffles are one of the most popular school fundraising ideas in the UK, but the legal rules depend on how you run them.
Raffle entirely at an event (Christmas fair tombola, fete prize draw): if tickets are sold and the draw takes place entirely at the event, this is an incidental non-commercial lottery. No registration or licence is required.
Raffle where tickets are sold in advance: this is a small society lottery under the Gambling Act 2005 and must be registered with your local council. Registration costs £40 initially and £20 for annual renewal. Rules include: a single-draw cap of £20,000 in ticket sales; at least 20% of proceeds going to the cause; and a maximum single prize of £25,000. A return must be submitted to the local authority within three months of the draw. (Gambling Commission small society lottery guidance)
Remember: Gift Aid cannot be claimed on raffle ticket purchases.
Which grants can help fund UK schools?
Grants are a valuable complement to fundraising. The UK has a rich grant landscape for schools and education-focused community groups:
National Lottery Community Fund: the UK's largest distributor of lottery funding; grants available for community projects, arts, sports, and wellbeing.
Arts Council England: for arts, music, and cultural programmes in schools.
Google Ad Grants: free Google Ads budget for registered charities via TechSoup UK validation; excellent for driving awareness of school fundraising campaigns.
The Wolfson Foundation: supports education, science, and the arts; open to schools and educational charities.
Local authority grants: many councils offer small grants for community and education projects; check your local authority's grants register.
When applying: allow time for a thorough application, tell your school's story clearly, and build relationships with grant-making organisations even when unsuccessful. Those relationships often lead to future funding.
Make the most of your time and budget
Clarify your goals before choosing fundraising software
Before comparing platforms, it is worth taking time to define what your school fundraising group is actually trying to achieve.
Start by answering these questions:
What is your primary need? New equipment, extracurricular programmes, sports kit, or a specific project?
Where will you host your fundraiser? School hall, playground, community centre, or online?
Who will you ask to give? Parents, alumni, local businesses, or the wider community?
Is this a one-time campaign or a recurring annual effort?
Will you engage local businesses, family members, or community supporters?
How will you involve pupils in the fundraising?
Once you have clarified what, why, and who your fundraiser is for, you can think about how to raise money. Will you sell raffle tickets, run a sponsored read, or set up a simple donation page? Your chosen method directly influences the features you need from a platform.
Choose tools that are genuinely built for you
When comparing platforms, do not look only at price. Consider how well the software supports your school's specific goals:
Customer satisfaction and reliability: the last thing you want is a broken donation page or unresponsive support during your biggest campaign of the year. Check ratings on Capterra, G2, and Trustpilot, where real users share honest feedback.
Cost and fee transparency: price matters, but value is equally important. Look for platforms with no hidden transaction or processing fees and no surprises on your Gift Aid claim.
Multiple campaign types: if your fundraiser involves more than a simple donation page, make sure the platform handles the event or campaign type you are actually running: ticketing, raffles, auctions, recurring giving, or an online shop. This way you can support all your fundraising needs across the school year without switching tools.
Zeffy covers all of these requirements as the only zero-fee option for UK schools, whether you are running a summer fete, a Christmas raffle, or a sponsored walk.
Every pound matters, especially in education
School fundraising groups that switch to Zeffy stop losing money to fees and start keeping everything they raise. Here are the kinds of outcomes that become possible when your platform costs nothing:
A PTA raising £5,000 annually that previously paid 5% in fees gets back £250 to spend directly on pupils.
A music parents' group selling concert tickets at £8 each keeps the full £8, with nothing deducted by a ticketing platform.
A Year 6 leavers' committee running a raffle and a sponsored walk in the same month uses one free platform for both, with no separate subscriptions.
If you are considering switching platforms, the process is straightforward. Zeffy's setup takes minutes, requires no training, and support is available at no extra cost.
Real user feedback: "Fees savings make a huge impact on our students."
2026 fundraising trends for UK schools
When raising money for your school, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Here is a look at the school fundraising trends shaping 2026 in the UK:
Gift Aid automation as a must-have: UK charities and PTAs increasingly expect their fundraising platform to capture Gift Aid declarations automatically and help them submit claims to HMRC. Gift Aid is a survival mechanism for many groups: a school PTA raising £10,000 in qualifying donations can claim an additional £2,500 from HMRC at no cost to donors. Platforms that do not support Gift Aid or charge a percentage on the claim are leaving real money on the table. (HMRC Gift Aid guidance)
Tap-to-pay replacing cash at fetes and events: People are not carrying cash the way they used to. Schools and village-hall committees report that contactless giving at events dramatically increases collection totals compared to cash tins. Free tap-to-pay from a smartphone, without dedicated hardware, is now the practical standard.
UK GDPR and data security as a purchase-gate: "Are you GDPR compliant?" is consistently one of the first questions UK school groups ask when evaluating a new platform. Any platform that handles parent contact data must have a clear lawful basis for processing and must comply with ICO requirements. This is not optional.
Fee transparency following the tip-prompt backlash: The scrutiny of JustGiving's suggested-tip model has made UK school fundraisers more alert to hidden fees and suggested-tip mechanics. Donors and committees alike now look for platforms with transparent, unconditional-free pricing.
Consolidating a fragmented tool stack: Many UK PTAs currently stitch together three to five separate tools: a donation page, a ticketing platform, a raffle tool, a mailing list, and a spreadsheet for donor tracking. Platforms that consolidate fundraising, ticketing, raffles, and supporter management in one free place reduce time and cost significantly.
Peer-to-peer fundraising growth: Mobilising pupils, parents, and alumni to fundraise within their own networks is growing in popularity, particularly for sponsored events (walks, reads, silences) and social media sharing. This extends your fundraising reach without requiring your committee to do all the work.
Get started with Zeffy for your next school fundraiser
When you are working with a school fundraising budget, every pound matters. And yet most platforms quietly take 5 to 20% of your hard-earned donations in fees that could have paid for new books, sports kit, or a residential trip.
That is why school fundraising groups across the UK are switching to Zeffy: to keep 100% of what they raise and direct every pound to the students they serve.
With Zeffy, you get:
0% platform fees
No transaction fees
No setup or subscription costs
No training needed, just set up and go
Whether you are a volunteer-run PTA, a music parents' group juggling events, or a school business manager with no dedicated fundraising support, Zeffy lets you do more with what you already have. Setup is quick, support is free, and your next fundraiser can go live today.
Yes. Zeffy charges no platform fee, no transaction fee, and no processing fee on any campaign type, including ticketing, raffles, donation pages, and online shop sales. Every pound donated goes directly to the school. There is no suggested-tip prompt and no Gift Aid handling charge on top of the donation. For a UK school or PTA that currently pays 5% or more in combined fees, switching to Zeffy can save hundreds of pounds per year.
Yes. UK school sports teams and parent supporter groups typically use a combination of platforms for different fundraising needs. For sponsored events such as a school fun run or a sponsored 5K, peer-to-peer pages on JustGiving or a dedicated Zeffy fundraising page work well. For mass-participation events like the London Marathon, the official platform is Enthuse (the exclusive online fundraising partner for London Marathon Events and the Great Run series). For selling kit, running a team raffle, or collecting match-day donations, Zeffy's free ticketing, raffle, and donation tools cover the full range with no fees taken out.
GoFundMe UK is used for personal school-related crowdfunding appeals, such as sponsored trip funds, community support for a pupil's medical costs, or individual parent-led campaigns. For a registered school charity or PTA running an institutional campaign, GoFundMe UK charges approximately 1.9% + 20p per donation for charities. It is not designed as a school-institution fundraising platform and does not cover event ticketing, raffles, or Gift Aid automation. For a PTA wanting an all-in-one free platform, Zeffy is a more complete solution. (See how Zeffy compares to GoFundMe)
It depends on how the raffle is run. A raffle where tickets are sold and the draw takes place entirely at an event, such as a Christmas fair tombola or a fete prize draw, is an incidental non-commercial lottery and requires no registration or licence. A raffle where tickets are sold in advance of the event is a small society lottery under the Gambling Act 2005 and must be registered with your local council. The initial registration fee is £40, with a £20 annual renewal. Rules include a single-draw cap of £20,000 in ticket sales, at least 20% of proceeds going to the cause, and a maximum single prize of £25,000. Always check the current requirements with the Gambling Commission before you sell a ticket.
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Fundraising ideas
95 Things to Sell for a School Fundraiser in the UK (2026)
A practical guide for UK PTAs, PFAs and school fundraising volunteers covering 95 things to sell at school events. Includes Gift Aid rules, Gambling Act guidance on raffles, UK school-stage terminology, and a breakdown of cost, price and profit margin for the most popular categories.
30+ School Fundraising Ideas for UK PTAs and School Charities (2026)
A comprehensive guide to school fundraising ideas for UK PTAs, school charities, and community fundraisers. Covers every school phase from primary to university, with UK-specific guidance on Gift Aid, small society lottery rules, and the best UK fundraising platforms.
From toffee apples and tombolas to haunted trails and cinnamon doughnuts, this guide collects 38 autumn fair ideas for UK schools, with PTA charity registration tips, Gambling Act raffle rules, and Gift Aid guidance built in.
Look for people who attend related events, follow relevant Facebook groups, or subscribe to aligned newsletters.These aren’t just potential donors—they’re your future advocates.
Look for people who attend related events, follow relevant Facebook groups, or subscribe to aligned newsletters.These aren’t just potential donors—they’re your future advocates.
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