If you're an athlete, a parent, or a coach, you've probably used — or been pitched — Snap! Raise. It works, and it's popular. But the most common complaint, year after year, is the same one: the cut. Multiple independent reviews report that Snap keeps roughly 20% of what's raised (you keep about 80%), and that the effective fee can climb toward ~30% when participation goals aren't met. Snap doesn't publish a flat public rate, so treat these as widely-reported figures — confirm the numbers in your own agreement.
This page lays out the honest trade-offs, and where a different approach — Sport Fund — fits.
Why the percentage cut bothers people
When a grandparent gives $100, they want $100 to reach the athlete — not $75. A platform cut quietly lowers what every supporter's gift is worth. Once supporters notice, some give less, or hesitate the next time. The money that's lost isn't abstract: it's the entry fee, the hotel night, the team meal it could have covered.
How Sport Fund is different
Sport Fund is built for the individual athlete, not the team treasury. The athlete (or their family) owns the page, supporters are the athlete's own friends and family, and payouts go straight to the family's bank. Four things set it apart:
- Free for athletes — the full donation reaches them. The fee isn't taken out of what's raised. A small fee (about 5% on bank transfers, ~7% on cards) is added on top and paid by the supporter at checkout, so the athlete receives 100% of the donation amount. It's shown before checkout — transparent, not a hidden skim.
- Recurring-first. Supporters can give monthly, not just once — so a season's costs (travel, lodging, meals, dues, the banquet) are covered steadily instead of in one frantic push.
- Paid straight to the family's bank via Stripe.
- Per-athlete, owned by the athlete. Each athlete has their own page to share with their own network — the people most likely to give — rather than one team campaign.
An honest comparison
| Snap! Raise | GoFundMe | Sport Fund | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost on what's raised | ~20% kept by the platform (you keep ~80%); widely reported to rise toward ~30% if goals aren't met | 0% platform fee + payment processing; supporters prompted to tip | $0 to the athlete; ~5% (bank) / ~7% (card) added on top for the supporter — the full donation reaches the athlete |
| Recurring monthly support | Limited | Limited | Built-in, recurring-first |
| Who it's built for | Teams / booster campaigns | General crowdfunding | Individual athletes & their families |
| Payout | To the program | To the organizer | Straight to the athlete/family bank |
Figures for other platforms cite publicly reported 2026 reviews and may vary by agreement; confirm current terms with each provider. Sport Fund is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Snap! Raise or GoFundMe. Names are used only to compare services (nominative reference).
A note for coaches and booster clubs
Sport Fund isn't a team-budget tool, and that's deliberate. The best thing a coach or booster club can do is point athletes to it so each one starts their own free page — the athlete owns it, the family gets paid, and the program carries no payment or tax exposure. One recommendation can put a whole roster on a footing where every athlete keeps 100% of what their own community gives.
Who should consider Sport Fund
Individual athletes and families across 30+ sports who want ongoing support from the people who already believe in them — without a chunk taken off the top.
Start in minutes
Setting up a fund page is free and takes a few minutes. Tell your story, set a target, and share it with your network.
Start a free fund page — keep 100% of every donation.
Read next
Smart Fundraising: Strategies That Actually Work for Athletes — set targets, write updates that get shared, and build momentum across a season.