Vertical Raise review: read the agreement twice

What it is

A rep-led digital campaign platform out of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho — the closest structural competitor to Snap! Raise, with product and pledge options bolted on. If you've seen a Snap! campaign, you've seen this: athletes submit contacts, the platform pushes emails and texts, the campaign runs about two weeks. (The two companies know it too: Snap! sued Vertical Raise and its CEO in a case that reached the Idaho Supreme Court in 2024.)

The fee record — why we score it down

Reported platform takes run 17–24%, plus 3–4% processing. The problem isn't the rate — it's that the rate groups report experiencing hasn't always matched what they thought they agreed to: multiple BBB complaints allege fees deducted that differed from the agreement, and fee-related litigation includes a confidential settlement in 2021. The company's position is that terms are "clearly outlined and agreed upon prior to launch." Our rubric weights fee transparency at 25% precisely because of patterns like this, and it's where Vertical Raise loses most of its points.

Questions to ask the rep, in writing

• What is our exact rate, and does it change with participation or total raised?
• What do donors pay in processing, and is it disclosed to them at checkout?
• Who owns the donor contact data after the campaign, and can we export it?
• What per-athlete expectations will be communicated to our kids, and by whom?

Who should pick Vertical Raise

Programs that want the rep-led model, have a rep they trust locally, and are willing to negotiate the rate card into writing before launch. Who shouldn't: anyone who won't have time to read the agreement — the record says that's exactly when this goes wrong.