Guidelines for a trustworthy GoFundMe
GoFundMe is fortunate to see incredible stories of communities that rally together and help those in need; the support we see is touching and powerful. We’ve put together a few tips to help you make sure your community trusts and understands your fundraiser.
How to build trust within your community
The clearer your story, the more trust your community will have in you. We find that building trust is one of the most important parts of being a successful organizer, and it's our goal to help get you there.
Including the information listed below will build trust with your donors and help our Trust & Safety team quickly review your fundraiser in the future if needed. If our team isn’t able to find the information listed below in your story, they may reach out to you for additional information. For more information regarding your safety, please visit this link.
All fundraiser stories should include:
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How the funds will be used / what your expenses are
- If there are multiple expenses, clarify the primary reason for the GoFundMe and how any additional funds will be used.
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Who is responsible for the expenses listed on the fundraiser
- If you're not responsible for the expenses, clarify how you'll deliver the donations to the intended recipient; more on this below.
If you're raising funds for someone else, you can build trust by:
Adding a beneficiary
If you're raising funds on someone else’s behalf, the best option is to add them as the beneficiary so they can withdraw funds to their own bank account. You can read more in this article about what to consider when adding a beneficiary.
Withdrawing on their behalf
If you're in touch with the person you’re raising funds for, but they aren't able to withdraw the funds themselves, you can withdraw the funds yourself and send them to the intended recipient outside of GoFundMe. If you'll be doing this, we encourage you to be clear about the following in your fundraiser story:
- How are you related to the parties you're raising funds for?
- How will the money be transferred to the parties you're raising funds for or be used on their behalf? (Be as specific as possible.)
If you aren't in touch with the person you're raising funds for, we ask that you reach out to them prior to raising funds and receive their authorization. If you’ve already started a fundraiser and aren't in contact with the recipient, that's no problem! Please reach out to our team by clicking "Contact us".
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