How Vandegrift Band Raised $103,757 with Fund-Team.com

About Vandegrift Band

Vandegrift Band & Vision is a marching band and performing arts program based in Austin, Texas. The program has used Fund-Team.com for multiple annual fundraising campaigns and has become one of the largest single-campaign fundraisers on the platform.

How the Fundraiser Worked

Vandegrift Band used Fund-Team.com's donation-based model for its 2025 annual fundraiser. The campaign followed the standard Fund-Team.com workflow:

1. The band director or booster organizer set up the campaign page in approximately 10 minutes.
2. Band members join via the team's campaign link and personalized their own fundraising pages with a photo and personal message.
3. Students invited friends, family, and community members to donate by email, text message, and social media.
4. Donors gave securely by credit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay — no products to purchase.
5. Fund-Team.com sent automated reminders to donors throughout the campaign window.
6. Payment was issued to the band when the campaign ended.

Outcome

Vandegrift Band raised a total of $103,757 through its 2025 Fund-Team.com campaign. After the 5% commission, the net amount to the band was approximately $98,569. The fundraiser replaced traditional product-selling campaigns, eliminating the need to manage inventory, handle cash, or coordinate door-to-door sales.

"I can't recommend it enough and I look forward to using Fund-Team.com again next year."

Why This Matters for Bands and Booster Clubs

A donation-based fundraiser at 5% commission means that $.95 of every $1 donated goes directly to the program (before credit card processing fees, which are approximately 3%). Compared to a platform charging 25% commission, Vandegrift Band would have paid roughly $20,000 more in fees on the same amount raised.

For large programs like Vandegrift Band, the difference between a 5% and a 25% commission on a $100,000+ campaign is substantial — often enough to cover travel, instruments, or additional performance opportunities.