If you are creating a fundraiser in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, or Canada, GoFundMe has two different fundraiser types to choose from: personal or charity. We compare the differences between these two options below:
| Personal or Organization | Certified Charity | |
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Causes you can raise money for |
Raise money for anything that is within our terms and conditions. |
Raise money for a 501(c)3 or registered charity in the US, the UK, Australia, or Canada. Supporters will see charity details and a badge on the fundraiser.
If you are raising money for a charity and wish them to use it for a specific purpose, we recommend that you get in touch with the charity before raising funds on GoFundMe to ask if they are able to accommodate that. |
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Who can withdraw |
The GoFundMe organizer can withdraw the funds to their own bank account, invite someone else to withdraw, or send the funds to an affiliated business or organization. |
The GoFundMe organizer doesn’t handle the money; instead, funds are sent directly to the charity by PayPal Giving Fund. Learn more about charity withdrawals here. |
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Withdrawal frequencies |
Automatic withdrawals can be sent daily, weekly, or monthly*. |
The charity receives payouts at the end of each month for the money donated before the 15th of that month. |
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Payment processing |
Donations process through WePay, Adyen, or Stripe, and money is sent to the GoFundMe organizer or beneficiary's bank account. |
Donations process through PayPal and money is paid out to charities by PayPal Giving Fund. |
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Issuing Refunds |
The GoFundMe Organizer, or assigned beneficiary, can request to refund a single donation, multiple donations, or to refund all donations. These can be most easily processed if the funds have not been withdrawn and the donations were made in the last 180 days. |
Donations made before the 15th of the current month can be refunded before the 20th of that same month. For example, if a donation is made on May 5th, it is available for refund until May 19th. Donations made after the 15th of the current month can be refunded before the 20th of the following month. For example, if a donation is made on May 17th, it is available for refund until June 19th. You will need to reach out to our team to process refunds for certified charity fundraisers. |
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Donor tax deductions |
Donations are typically personal gifts and are not guaranteed to be tax-deductible. |
Donors receive receipts from PayPal Giving Fund, which may allow them to claim tax benefits. |
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Fees |
*In Canada, only daily transfers are available for certain accounts.
How to set up a fundraiser for an individual or for an organization.
On the first fundraiser creation page, you will need to select "Myself or Someone else" when it asks who the funds are for. After you've finished creating your fundraiser and you've arrived at your fundraiser management page, known as the Dashboard, you will be able to set up withdrawals for yourself, for another person, or for an organization, by choosing "Withdraw."
From there, follow the steps to set up the proper individual to withdraw. Be sure to choose who withdraws wisely, since you can't change who handles the funds after they have already been sent to their bank account.
Please click here for more information and a helpful video on how to withdraw.
If you're an organization setting up a fundraiser, the beneficial owner at the organization must withdraw. If you don't know the beneficial owner, you must withdraw the funds to your own bank account and send them to the organization outside of GoFundMe.
A beneficial owner is someone with significant responsibility to control, manage, or direct the organization (e.g., a Chief Executive Officer, Vice President, Treasurer, or a controller).
How to create a certified charity fundraiser
To set up a charity fundraiser, you will need to choose "Nonprofit or organization" on the first page and fill out the charity's name or EIN. Be careful to make sure you’re selecting the correct organization, since we cannot direct the funds to another organization once raised.
If you don’t see your organization listed, you will need to ask the person in charge of the finances at the organization to enroll with the PayPal Giving Fund.
Check to see if your charity is already on our list here.
Learn more about how to get on the GoFundMe charity list if you don't see your organization in our system.
Learn more about withdrawing from a certified charity fundraiser