Meet Andrea Meade

Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Meade.

Andrea, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Raise Craze was founded by two parents who were frustrated with the fundraising industry as a whole. They were tired of fundraisers that used high pressure tactics on students and kept close to half of the amount raised. They wanted to create something that would not only be meaningful for their children but would also leave more money in the hands of the organization raising it. As a result, Raise Craze was born fundraising through kindness! It has been a blast seeing some Phoenix-area schools and teams embrace the concept and really learn what it means to show gratitude by paying it forward through acts of kindness.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It’s been a little bumpy along the way simply because change is hard! When your fundraising board turns over annually and has always done the same thing year after year, you don’t want to be the one to rock the boat! There is also this fear that donors always expect something in return (i.e. cookie dough, candles, tumblers, etc.). Fortunately, that’s not the case! Donors love seeing that, regardless of their donation, students and players are going to be giving back to their community.

Tell us more about your organization.
Raise Craze is an online platform enabling students and players to set up secure, custom websites where they request donations via email, text, or social media. During the fundraiser, students pay it forward by completing Acts of Kindness for others!

Along with our unique and meaningful approach, we’re most proud of our pricing and transparency. When you research fundraisers, they rarely have a clear pricing page accessible to the public, including donors. Most of the time, the reason is that the pricing is astronomically high. If donors knew that only a tiny fraction of their donation was going back to the school, they may be less inclined to give. Traditional fundraisers usually keep anywhere from 40-80% of the profits. With Raise Craze, we cap net fees at 10%. We also allow donors to cover the fees when donating so typically, our schools and teams keep more than 90%!

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
We’ve had amazing luck with the various groups we’ve been fortunate enough to work with. Feeling moved on a daily basis from all of the wonderful acts of kindness is an awesome perk of the job! The volunteers, parents, faculty, and coaches behind the fundraisers are truly passionate about instilling gratitude and empathy into the lives of these students and players. We owe much of our success to them as they continue to spread the word about Raise Craze.

Pricing:

• Raise Craze Fee: $1 for donations under $25 / $5 for donations $25 and above
• Payment Processing Fee: 2.9% + $0.30 per online donation
• 90% PLUS GUARANTEE – if net fees exceed 10% of the overall amount raised, we’ll refund the difference!

Contact Info:

• Address: 1074 S. Batesville Road Greer, SC 29650
• Website: www.raisecraze.com
• Phone: (864) 501-4265
• Instagram: @raisecraze
• Facebook: @RaiseCraze

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