The Reverse Fundraiser: How Schools Raise Money Without Selling Anything

Every school year starts the same way: wrapping paper catalogs, cookie dough order forms, car wash sign-up sheets. Families give what they can, volunteers give their weekends, and the same few parents carry most of the load.

The Reverse Fundraiser works the other way around. Your organization asks families for nothing. Instead, families who already want a lower electric bill talk with Solar Advantage directly, and your organization earns a donation every time one of them goes solar.

How It Works

1. Share it once. Add a short note to something you already send families: a newsletter, an email, or a flyer. We provide the wording and the flyer.
2. Families reach out on their own. Interested families contact Solar Advantage directly. We analyze each family’s home and bills, determine the solution with the best savings, and match the family with one of several licensed installation partners, who designs and installs it.
3. Your program earns. When a family’s installation is complete, Solar Advantage sends the donation to your organization.

What Your Organization Earns

• $1,000 for each completed solar and battery installation
• $500 for each battery added to a home that already has solar

There is no cap on the number of installations, and your organization is never invoiced or charged. Expect about 3 to 6 months from a family’s first conversation to the donation, since the system has to be designed, permitted, and installed first.

What It Never Asks For

• No selling. There is nothing to sell and no donations to collect.
• No student information. We never ask for rosters, and nothing is asked of students.
• No pressure on families. Families decide for themselves whether to reach out.
• No lock-in. Your organization can pause or end the fundraiser at any time.

Your organization decides how the funds are used, and your own advisors decide how the donation is recorded.

Who It Is For

The Reverse Fundraiser is open to schools, PTAs and PTOs, booster clubs, athletic programs, nonprofits, churches, and community groups. It works best for organizations whose families include homeowners, since the donation comes from completed home installations.

Individuals Can Earn Too

You do not have to run a fundraiser to take part. Customers, friends, and real estate agents earn $1,000 when another homeowner they refer completes an installation. The payment is for another homeowner’s installation, not your own home, and you never need to buy anything.

The Fine Print, in Plain Words

Payments are made by Solar Advantage after each installation is complete and we have a completed IRS Form W-9 from the person or organization being paid. Referrals must be new to Solar Advantage, and the first referral we record counts. The full Program Terms cover eligibility, payment timing, and the rules for sharing.

If your school, club, or nonprofit is planning this year’s fundraising, start a Reverse Fundraiser and we will send the flyer and the wording.

This article is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Each project is unique, and all information is subject to change based on project requirements.