Fundraising UniversityFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Fundraising University franchise requires a total initial investment of $80K – $84K, including a $60K franchise fee and an ongoing 8.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $893K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 20.0% charge-off rate across 11 loans[1]. Verdict grade: F. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $80K – $84K
- 25th pct Education
- Avg gross sales
- $893K
- 32nd pct Education
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- 31st pct Education
- Units
- 58
- 50th pct Education
- SBA default
- 20.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Education · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Education avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Each dollar invested generates 10.9x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
20.0% of SBA loans charged off across 11 loans, above the 16% franchise average.
Franchised units fell from 51 to 50 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $80K – $84K including a $60K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $893K/year.
- Verdict F (Bottom Quintile) with a risk score of 84/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 20.0% across 11 loans (above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- Auditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Coaching Matters, LLC
- Incorporated in
- WY
- HQ
- 1603 Capitol Avenue, Suite 413 C1165, Cheyenne, WY 82001
- Auditor
- DA Advisory Group PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.7M
- vs $3.2M prior year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2025
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Overview
About
Fundraising University franchisees provide fundraising consulting, training, and coaching services to nonprofits, educational institutions, and community organizations. Day-to-day operations typically involve client relationship management, delivery of fundraising workshops or one-on-one coaching, donor strategy development, and grant-writing support. Franchisees may work solo or with a small team, operating from a home office or local workspace.
- CEO
- Michael Charles Bahun
- Headquarters
- WY
- Founded
- 2018
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 21
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $60K | $60K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $750 | $1K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $19K | $23K |
| Total initial investment | $80K | $84K |
Source: Fundraising University 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$107K
12.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
130%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
9 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $80K – $84K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $750 – $1K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $60K – $60K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- Gross Sales · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 11.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $750 |
| Transfer fee | $30K |
| Renewal fee | $15K |
| Total fee load | 11.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $893K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- N/A
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 29 units
- vs category median 14 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $150K→$1.6M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 2 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · below
Compared against 237 Education brands
Revenue is 10.9x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
vs Education averages
How Fundraising University Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 58
- Opened
- 5
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 7
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 88%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- -13.6%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +2.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 7
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 18 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
A system losing more than 10% of its units year-over-year is a red flag. Check whether closures are concentrated in specific regions.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 11
- Loan volume
- $1.3M
- Median loan
- $150K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 20.0%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 80.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 20.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 4
- Defaults
- 1
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Fundraising University's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 4 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 7 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 3-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
A 20.0% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 5 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Declining unit count, undisclosed financials, franchisor litigation history, and going concern status create significant uncertainty around franchisee profitability and franchisor stability.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · DA Advisory Group PLLC⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 84 / 100 rating
- 01MEDUnit count declined 13.6% YoY (58 units) — indicates system contraction and potential market saturation or franchisee dissatisfaction
- 02MINORNo Item 19 financial disclosure (avg revenue/net income not provided) — impossible to validate ROI claims or compare against $79,550–$84,027 investment and 8% royalty burden
- 03HIGHLitigation history with settlement requiring franchisee to pay $37,000 in future royalties — suggests franchisor enforces contracts aggressively and disputes are not rare
- 04HIGHGoing Concern status — red flag for franchisor financial stability; raises questions about ongoing support, marketing, and system viability
- 05MINORHigh franchise fee ($60,000) + startup costs (~$79,550–$84,027) with no transparent earnings claims — investors cannot assess payback period
- 06MINOR8% royalty on gross (not net) sales is above-average burden; combined with declining unit count, suggests existing franchisees may struggle to profitability
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Territory type | Population / Student Count |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 180 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Arizona |
| Litigation count | 1 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 105 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- POS system
- QuickBooks
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: QuickBooks
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
30 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Fundraising University · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Fundraising University franchise?
The total investment to open a Fundraising University franchise ranges from $80K – $84K, with an initial franchise fee of $60K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Fundraising University franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Fundraising University FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $893K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Fundraising University's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Fundraising University has a charge-off rate of 20.0% across 11 loans, meaning 20.0% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Fundraising University franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Fundraising University has 58 total units in the United States, including 51 franchised units and 7 company-owned units. 5 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Fundraising University a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Fundraising University as a F-grade franchise with a risk score of 84 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.