At a glance
- Swoodle is a digital fundraising platform built for Australian schools, sporting clubs, and community groups.
- It was created to reduce volunteer workload and increase fundraising revenue without the ongoing pressure of high-effort fundraising.
- The platform operates on a membership model, with 40% of each membership fee paid directly to the fundraiser members choose.
- Fundraisers sign up for free, customise their page, share it with their community, and receive monthly payouts as memberships are sold and renewed.
Fundraising is no longer as simple or as successful as it once was for schools, sporting clubs, and community groups. Costs are rising, volunteer capacity is shrinking, and most fundraising still relies on one-off events, product selling, or donation fatigue. Even digital fundraising platforms often repeat the same pattern: create a campaign, ask for contributions, then start again the next term.
This is where Swoodle offers a smarter, more sustainable path.
Swoodle is a digital, reward-based fundraising platform built for Australian schools, grassroots sporting clubs, and community organisations. It replaces high-effort fundraising with a simple membership model that generates ongoing revenue, while delivering real value to the supporters, all without selling products, running events, or relying on constant donation appeals.
This article explains what Swoodle is, how the fundraising model works, and how much a school or club can realistically earn by using it.
What Is Swoodle and Why Was It Created
Swoodle is a digital fundraising platform designed specifically to help Australian schools, grassroots sporting clubs, and community organisations raise funds through a membership-based model rather than donations or product sales.
It was created to counter volunteer fatigue, support continuous fundraising revenue, and enable communities to fund essential needs without repeated events or manual administrative tasks.
Swoodle exists to solve four main fundraising problems:
- High-effort fundraisers that depend on volunteers
- One-off events that do not create financial stability
- Constant donation requests that cause supporter fatigue
- Limited earning potential tied to small local networks
Instead of asking supporters to buy products or donate repeatedly, Swoodle lets them purchase a Swoodle membership that gives them access to exclusive offers across dining, retail, travel, activities, health and well-being, and services. When a supporter buys or renews a membership, 40% of the membership fee is paid to the fundraiser they select. This removes the pressure to donate and turns support into value.
Swoodle is designed as a cashless, low-effort fundraising platform that replaces traditional admin with automation. Fundraisers never handle payments, product orders, or cash transfers. Everything is automated through the Swoodle app and its dashboard, which also provides live fundraising data and payout tracking.
Fundraisers can join for free. There are no platform fees or any cost for fundraisers, and no minimum purchase requirements. The platform is built for Australian schools and clubs, works Australia-wide, and supports both small and large fundraising communities equally.
Because of this structure, Swoodle offers fundraisers several advantages that traditional and donation-based platforms cannot, including recurring revenue through annual renewals and a low-effort setup that reduces volunteer workload.
Key Benefits of Fundraising with Swoodle for Schools and Clubs
- 100% free to join
- No product selling, ticket sales, or events
- A recurring fundraising model that earns money year-round through annual membership renewals
- Higher revenue per supporter compared to low-margin fundraisers
- Live fundraising dashboard tracking for members, renewals, and payouts
- No volunteer roster, no door-to-door selling, no logistics management
- Works for school fundraising committees, P and C groups, sporting clubs, and community organisations
- Supporters save money while contributing, thereby increasing engagement and reducing fundraising fatigue
- Access to ready-made marketing tools such as posters, social tiles, and email templates
How the Swoodle Fundraising Model Works
Once a club joins Swoodle and sets up a fundraiser page, the platform handles the rest, including marketing assets, payouts, and tracking.
Here is what the full fundraising journey looks like from start to finish.
1. The Fundraiser Registers
A school, sporting club, or community organisation creates a free Swoodle fundraising account. There are no setup fees,contracts, or technical requirements.
Once registered, the organisation receives a branded Swoodle fundraising page, marketing assets and access to the Swoodle dashboard, where all campaign activity is tracked in real time.
2. Supporters Buy a Swoodle Membership
Supporters, including parents, families, alumni networks, and wider community members, buy a Swoodle membership for$49.99 per year. The members get access to many offers across food and beverage, retail, services, activities, health and well-being, and travel.
At checkout, each supporter selects which fundraiser receives the 40% revenue share. Unlike donation-only fundraising platforms, this model gives supporters something they can use in real life while still contributing to a cause.
3. Local Businesses Power the Membership
The offers each Swoodle member get are provided by Swoodle partner merchants such as restaurants, retailers, and other service providers. These businesses join Swoodle for free and gain new customers, repeat visits, and positive community exposure in return.
Their participation is what makes membership valuable, which keeps fundraising revenue flowing.
4. Swoodle Automates Tracking and Reporting
All activity is managed through fundraising automation in the Swoodle dashboard. Fundraisers can view supporter numbers, renewals, total funds raised, and payout details at any time.
There are no spreadsheets, manual tallying, or donation processing tasks. This replaces hours of volunteer admin work normally required with traditional fundraising.
5. The Fundraiser Earns 40% of Every Membership Sold
Swoodle allocates 40% of each membership fee to the selected fundraiser. Payouts are issued 30 days after Swoodle receives the membership payment and processed at the end of each month.
There are no platform fees, no percentage deductions, and no waiting period. When a membership renews, the revenue renews too, creating a recurring fundraising model rather than a one-off fundraiser.
Many online fundraising tools for schools and clubs still depend on donation campaigns that expire. Swoodle is different because it generates continuous fundraising revenue without events, volunteers, or asking families and sponsors to donate repeatedly.
How to Launch a Digital Fundraiser With Swoodle
Setting up a fundraiser with Swoodle takes only a few steps and can be launched in a few hours. There is no software to install, no design work required, and no fundraising experience needed.
- Sign up as a fundraiser: Create a free fundraising account for your school, club, or community group. Registration takes a few minutes and does not require payment, contracts, or approval delays.
- Create your customised fundraising page: Swoodle automatically generates a branded fundraising page that you can personalise with your logo, messaging, goals, and images. This page becomes the main link you share with families, supporters, and alumni networks.
- Access built-in marketing tools: Every fundraiser receives ready-to-use promotional assets, including shareable graphics and a unique fundraising URL. These include posters, social tiles, and email templates and can be used in emails, newsletters, social media, and club communications to drive member sign-ups.
- Track fundraising revenue in the dashboard: The Swoodle dashboard shows the total accumulated revenue, the portion already paid out, and the amount pending for the next payout cycle. It displays these amounts in a clear, transaction-style view just like a bank statement, providing clear visibility over membership numbers, renewals, and fundraising progress at any time.
- Receive cashless payouts automatically: Funds are paid out 30 days after Swoodle receives the membership payment, with all payouts processed at the end of each month. There is no handling of cash, products, or orders, and no minimum payout threshold.
For organisations that want a deeper look at what this process entails, refer to our blog on How to Set Up a Fundraising Campaign with Swoodle.
Example Scenarios: What a School or Club Could Raise With Swoodle
To show how Swoodle scales across different environments, here are three example fundraising outcomes by community size and supporter engagement.
- A small primary school with around 250 students and alumni could raise around $4,397 if 220 supporters purchased Swoodle memberships during 20 weeks.
- A medium-sized school with around 700 enrolled students and 7,000 past students could raise more than $10,000 if 525 supporters joined via email and social media fundraising promotion.
- A large school with 1,500 current students and 19,000 alumni could raise more than $25,000 if 1,300 memberships were purchased.
These figures are not guaranteed, but they show how a single Swoodle campaign can outperform several traditional fundraisers, such as chocolate drives or weekend BBQs. Unlike many donation-based digital platforms, the revenue continues as memberships renew rather than ending when a campaign closes.
Swoodle offers a simpler way to fundraise without selling, events, or repeated donation requests. It allows Australian schools and clubs to raise more money with less effort, while giving supporters real everyday savings. Instead of relying on repetitive campaigns, Swoodle turns fundraising into ongoing revenue. Annual membership renewals keep funds flowing without additional volunteer workload.
If your school, club, or community group is looking for a low-effort fundraising option that works Australia-wide, you can register a free Swoodle fundraising page and begin raising funds as soon as supporters start purchasing memberships: no fees, no admin load, and no volunteer burnout.
FAQs
Does Swoodle replace traditional fundraising, or can it be used alongside it?
Swoodle can operate as a standalone fundraiser, but it doesn’t have to replace existing campaigns. Many schools and clubs use it alongside events like trivia nights or raffles, because Swoodle generates revenue in the background while volunteers focus on other activities.
Do supporters need to live locally to buy a Swoodle membership?
No. Anyone in Australia can buy a Swoodle membership and choose to support your fundraiser, even if they don’t live in your area. This means alumni, grandparents, extended family, and remote supporters can still participate.
Is there a minimum number of memberships required before funds are paid out?
No minimum applies. The fundraiser’s 40% revenue share appears in the dashboard as soon as a membership is purchased. Payouts are issued 30 days after each purchase and processed monthly.
Can a fundraiser run multiple campaigns over time, or is it a one-off setup?
Yes. Fundraisers can run multiple campaigns over time without needing to start from scratch.
