ADRENALINE FUNDRAISING ALTERNATIVE

Drive Sports vs Adrenaline Fundraising

Stop selling products. Start accepting donations.

Compare product-based fundraising vs modern donation-based funding. No inventory, no door-to-door sales, no hassle.

Fundraising Model
Donations
Drive Sports
vs
Products
Adrenaline

No selling required

Participant Effort
Share Link
Drive Sports
vs
Sell Door-to-Door
Adrenaline

Less work for athletes

Pricing
Public
Drive Sports
vs
Hidden
Adrenaline

Know your costs upfront

Two Completely Different Approaches

Product sales vs donation-based fundraising. Here's what each looks like.

Product Sales (Adrenaline)

  • Athletes sell products door-to-door
  • Manage inventory and delivery
  • Collect cash and checks
  • Keep ~40-50% of sales (rest is product cost)
  • One-time campaign effort
  • Hidden pricing (call for quote)

Traditional fundraising that requires lots of effort

Donation-Based (Drive Sports)

  • Share a link—that's it
  • No inventory or delivery
  • Online payments only—no cash handling
  • Keep ~97% of donations (just processing fees)
  • Year-round + recurring donations
  • Transparent pricing on website

Modern fundraising that works while you sleep

The Money Math

Product sales have hidden costs. Here's what really happens with a $5,000 goal.

Product Sales Model

Goal $5,000
Typical Profit Margin ~40-50%
Products You Must Sell $10,000 - $12,500
Effort Required HIGH

* Plus time for order collection, sorting, and distribution

Donation Model

Goal $5,000
You Keep ~97%
Donations Needed ~$5,150
Effort Required LOW

* Share links via email, text, social media

Bottom line:
To net $5,000, product sales require $10,000+ in transactions
With donations, you need just ~$5,150. That's half the effort.

The Hidden Costs of Product Fundraising

It's not just about the money. Here's what product sales really cost your program.

Coach Time

Organizing orders, tracking sales, coordinating delivery instead of coaching

Parent Burden

Parents drive kids around, hit up coworkers, feel guilty asking friends

Athlete Distraction

Time spent selling is time not spent practicing or studying

Logistics Nightmare

Sorting orders, distribution days, dealing with wrong orders

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Drive Sports Adrenaline
Fundraising Type
Donations Product Sales
Pricing Transparency
Public on website Call for quote
You Keep
~97% ~40-50%
Inventory Management
None required Required
Recurring Donations
Yes No
Year-Round Funding
Yes Campaign-based
Online Payments
100% Online Cash/Check + Online
Setup Time
~30 minutes Varies (sales rep)

Frequently Asked Questions

With product sales, you typically keep only 40-50% of what's sold—the rest covers product costs, shipping, and company profits. With donations, you keep ~97% (just processing fees). Plus, there's no inventory to manage, no door-to-door selling, and donors can give any amount they choose. It's less work for everyone and more money for your program.

Some do! But many people buy fundraiser products out of obligation, not because they want cookie dough or wrapping paper. With donations, supporters who genuinely want to help your program can give directly—and their entire contribution goes to the team. You can still do product sales for those who prefer it, but a year-round donation platform gives everyone options.

Adrenaline Fundraising doesn't publish their pricing publicly. You need to contact them for a quote. Typically, product fundraising companies offer 40-50% profit margins, meaning half of what your supporters pay goes to product costs and the company's cut. Drive Sports publishes all pricing openly: $29-99/month plus processing fees (3.5% cards, 1.5% ACH).

Absolutely. Many teams run an annual product sale while using Drive Sports for year-round donations. The key difference is that product sales require significant effort each time, while your Drive Sports donation pages are always active. Recurring donors give every month without you lifting a finger.

Product purchases are generally not tax-deductible because the buyer receives something of value. Donations to qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations are tax-deductible. Drive Sports automatically generates tax receipts for donors, making it easy to provide documentation for their contributions.

Ready to Stop Selling Stuff?

Switch to donation-based fundraising. More money, less hassle, year-round funding.