Best Raise Forward Alternatives in 2026
The top Raise Forward alternatives are PledgeStar, FutureFund and SuccessFund: 15 school fundraising software our editors would look at instead of Raise Forward, in our ranking order.
Raise Forward: A web-based school fundraising tool with anonymized participant pages and live meters. Where it falls short: does not include pledge tracking.
Switching from Raise Forward? For most school fundraising software buyers the best Raise Forward alternative is PledgeStar, built for schools running pledge drives with multilingual families.
Why People Look for a Raise Forward Alternative
- Does not include pledge tracking
- Pricing is handled through contact with the vendor
- Email is the only listed support channel
- No pledge tracking — 12 of the alternatives below have it
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallPledgeStar7.9
Schools running pledge drives with multilingual families
Visit PledgeStar - Best free optionPledgeStar7.9
Has a free plan
Visit PledgeStar - Best for pledge trackingPledgeStar7.9
Pledge tracking (Raise Forward: no)
Visit PledgeStar
All 15 Raise Forward Alternatives, Ranked
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
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Best forSchools running pledge drives with multilingual families
- Better than Raise Forward:
- Pledge tracking
- Editor score 7.9 vs 5.6
A school-focused pledge-drive platform with multilingual student pages and a free campaign option.
- Pledge tracking
- Family messaging
- Peer-to-peer pages
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit PledgeStar -
Best forPTAs needing free, all-purpose fundraising tools
- Better than Raise Forward:
- Pledge tracking
- Editor score 7.8 vs 5.6
A free, all-purpose fundraising toolkit for PTAs and other K-12 groups.
- Pledge tracking
- Family messaging
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit FutureFund -
Best forDistricts managing many fundraiser types and payments
- Better than Raise Forward:
- Pledge tracking
- Editor score 7.7 vs 5.6
A free, broad fundraising and payments platform for schools and districts.
- Pledge tracking
- Family messaging
- Peer-to-peer pages
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit SuccessFund -
Best forSchools running free a-thons with group fundraising
- Better than Raise Forward:
- Pledge tracking
- Editor score 7.5 vs 5.6
A no-platform-fee option for school a-thons, with payment processing fees on online gifts.
- Pledge tracking
- Family messaging
- Peer-to-peer pages
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit Schoolfundr -
HometownLiftVerified
Best forSmall schools focused on reading-a-thons
- Better than Raise Forward:
- Pledge tracking
- Editor score 7.3 vs 5.6
A focused read-a-thon platform with free core tools and paid event operations.
- Pledge tracking
- Family messaging
- Peer-to-peer pages
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit HometownLift -
Best forSmall schools needing free per-unit pledge pages
- Better than Raise Forward:
- Pledge tracking
- Editor score 7.2 vs 5.6
A free, pledge-focused web platform for school campaigns and participant sharing.
- Pledge tracking
- Family messaging
- Peer-to-peer pages
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit GoPledge -
Best forSmall groups running pledge-based school fundraisers
- Better than Raise Forward:
- Pledge tracking
- Editor score 7.1 vs 5.6
A free web platform for pledge campaigns with participant pages and Stripe payouts.
- Pledge tracking
- Peer-to-peer pages
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit PledgeAthon -
Best forSchools running reading challenges with family participation
- Better than Raise Forward:
- Pledge tracking
- Editor score 7.0 vs 5.6
A reading-focused fundraising platform pairing book tracking with pledge management.
- Pledge tracking
- Family messaging
- Peer-to-peer pages
7.0/10★★★★☆Visit site -
Best forSchools pairing pledge drives with events and donor CRM
- Better than Raise Forward:
- Pledge tracking
- Editor score 6.8 vs 5.6
A free web platform that brings school campaigns, events and donor records together.
- Pledge tracking
- Family messaging
- Peer-to-peer pages
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit Sponsorly -
Best forSchools needing auctions and event fundraising too
- Better than Raise Forward:
- Editor score 6.7 vs 5.6
Broad school fundraising coverage with free platform-fee access and flexible campaign pricing.
- Peer-to-peer pages
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit DoJiggy -
Best forSchools needing broad fundraising and CRM links
- Better than Raise Forward:
- Editor score 6.6 vs 5.6
A broad fundraising suite with a free tier, paid support options, and CRM integrations.
- Peer-to-peer pages
6.6/10★★★☆☆Visit BetterWorld -
Best forSchools pairing read-a-thons with mobile sales
- Better than Raise Forward:
- Pledge tracking
- Editor score 6.5 vs 5.6
Free fundraising pages pair read-a-thon pledges with mobile order and payment tools.
- Pledge tracking
- Peer-to-peer pages
6.5/10★★★☆☆Visit Raised -
Best forSmall schools coordinating classroom campaigns
- Better than Raise Forward:
- Pledge tracking
- Editor score 6.4 vs 5.6
A free, school-focused fundraising platform with classroom tools and Stripe processing.
- Pledge tracking
- Family messaging
- Peer-to-peer pages
6.4/10★★★☆☆Visit DashPledge -
Best forSchools emphasizing reading and math participation
- Better than Raise Forward:
- Editor score 6.3 vs 5.6
A focused school fundraising platform for reading and math participation.
- Family messaging
- Peer-to-peer pages
6.3/10★★★☆☆Visit ForOurSchool -
Best forSchools running performance-based event pledges
- Better than Raise Forward:
- Pledge tracking
- Editor score 6.2 vs 5.6
A web-based fit for schools organizing performance-based fundraising events.
- Pledge tracking
- Peer-to-peer pages
6.2/10★★★☆☆Visit GiveHub
Raise Forward Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Raise Forward?
PledgeStar: #1 in our School Fundraising Software ranking, with an editor score of 7.9 out of 10. A school-focused pledge-drive platform with multilingual student pages and a free campaign option.
Is there a free alternative to Raise Forward?
Yes. PledgeStar, FutureFund, SuccessFund, Schoolfundr and HometownLift have a free plan or a free tier (13 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
Why do people look for Raise Forward alternatives?
Does not include pledge tracking; Pricing is handled through contact with the vendor; Email is the only listed support channel.
How do I switch from Raise Forward?
Export your data from Raise Forward (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Raise Forward.
How to Switch from Raise Forward
- Export your data from Raise Forward (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Raise Forward.
Raise Forward vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Pledge tracking | Event fundraising | Family messaging | Peer-to-peer pages | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Raise Forward | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 5.6 | ||
| 1 | PledgeStar | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.9 | |
| 2 | FutureFund | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.8 | |
| 3 | SuccessFund | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.7 |
| 4 | Schoolfundr | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.5 |
| 5 | HometownLift | Yes | $190/yr | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.3 |
| 6 | GoPledge | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.2 |
| 7 | PledgeAthon | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.1 | |
| 8 | Read for My School | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.0 | |
| 9 | Sponsorly | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6.8 |
| 10 | DoJiggy | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6.7 | |||
| 11 | BetterWorld | Yes | $1,550/yr | Yes | Yes | 6.6 | ||
| 12 | Raised | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6.5 | |
| 13 | DashPledge | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6.4 |
| 14 | ForOurSchool.org | No | $500 one-time | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6.3 | |
| 15 | GiveHub Boost | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6.2 |
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Nov 2026
Last updated · How we research and update