If you are creating a fundraiser in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, or Canada, GoFundMe has two different fundraiser types to choose from: personal or charity.
For a personal fundraiser, you’ll either transfer funds to a personal bank account or to the bank account of an organization you’re associated with. Funds on a charity fundraiser are transferred directly to the charity via PayPal Giving Fund.
We compare the differences between these two options below.
| Personal or Organization | Charity | |
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Causes you can raise money for |
Read our terms for more information. |
If you want a charity to use the funds for a specific purpose, we recommend that you get in touch with them before raising funds to ask if they can accommodate. |
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Where will the money be transferred to |
GoFundMe organizer sets up bank transfers to either:
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The GoFundMe organizer doesn’t handle the money; funds are sent directly to the charity by PayPal Giving Fund. |
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Bank transfer frequencies |
Automatic transfers can be sent daily, weekly, or monthly. In Canada, only daily transfers are available for certain accounts. |
Charities enrolled with PayPal Giving Fund receive payouts at the end of each month for the money donated before the 15th of that month. Charities not enrolled with PayPal Giving Fund will receive a mailed check within 3-5 months of the first donation. Learn more about enrollment here. |
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Payment processing |
Donations are processed through Adyen or Stripe, and money is sent to the GoFundMe organizer or beneficiary's bank account. |
Donations are processed through PayPal and money is paid out to charities by PayPal Giving Fund. |
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Issuing Refunds |
The GoFundMe organizer or beneficiary can request refunds of donations. These can be processed if the funds have not been transferred and the donations were made in the last year. |
Charity donations are typically non-refundable. This is because donations are typically irrevocable and undesignated contributions, and there may be tax implications for the charity and/or donor as a result of refunds. Donations made to charity fundraisers are subject to the terms found here. |
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Donor tax deductions |
Donations are typically personal gifts and are not guaranteed to be tax-deductible. |
Donors can claim tax benefits. |
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Fees |
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How to create a fundraiser for an individual or organization
On the first fundraiser creation page, you will need to select "Myself or Someone else" when asked who the funds are for. After you've finished creating your fundraiser you will be able to set up bank transfers for yourself, for another person, or for an organization.
When setting up the bank transfers, follow the steps to set up the proper individual. Be sure to choose who receives the money wisely, since you can't change who handles the funds after they have already been sent to their bank account.
If you represent an organization setting up a fundraiser, the beneficial owner at the organization must receive the funds. If you don't know the beneficial owner, you must receive the funds in your personal bank account, then 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 fundraiser for a charity
To set up a charity fundraiser, you will need to choose "Charity" and fill out the charity's information on the fundraiser creation page. 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 the organization listed, you will need to ask the person in charge of the finances at the organization to enroll with PayPal Giving Fund.
To create a charity fundraiser for a charity you work for, sign up for a GoFundMe charity account.
Raising money for multiple charities at once
GoFundMe charity fundraisers can only connect to one benefitting charity per fundraiser. If you would like to raise money for multiple organizations, you will can do one of the following:
- Create a different charity fundraiser for each organization that you would like to fundraise for. Since the fundraisers will be separate, you can choose a different charity for each.
- Create one personal fundraiser and transfer funds to your own bank account. Once you have received the funds, you can split the money between the organizations. Keep in mind, you will need to be explicit in your story about how the funds will be shared between the entities.
Raising money for a charity that isn't eligible for a charity fundraiser
If you want to use GoFundMe to fundraise for your charity, but your organization is not a United States 501(c)3 public charity, registered charity with the UK Charity Commission, Canada Revenue Agency, or Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, one option available to you is fiscal sponsorship.
Fiscal sponsorship means that you would set up a charity fundraiser for a an eligible charity. This charity (known as your fiscal sponsor) will collect funds raised on your behalf, then honor a predetermined agreement to give those funds to you at the end of the fundraising period.Use the steps in the section above to create a charity fundraiser using the fiscal sponsor's tax ID. You will be the fundraiser organizer, so you will be responsible for sharing the fundraiser and asking for donations. Be sure to understand how your fiscal sponsor receives funds and the scheduled frequency to plan how funds will be transferred to your intended organization in the end, and within what time frame.
All language on GoFundMe (including confirmation emails and donation receipts) will indicate that the fiscal sponsor is the benefiting charity. It is the responsibility of the recipient organization to work with the fiscal sponsor to communicate to donors how their funds will be used. We recommend including language in the story section of your fundraiser to explain the fiscal sponsorship relationship.
Additional resources
- Check to see if your charity is already on our list
- Learn more about how to get on the GoFundMe charity list if you don't see your organization in our system
- Learn more about bank transfers on a charity fundraiser