So you've decided to start a GoFundMe donation campaign - but where do you start? How do you increase the chances of others donating to your campaign?

We’re going to break down the best ways to have a successful GoFundMe campaign.

1. Make your campaign look its best

 Take a look at these two campaigns. Which one do you think looks better?

 or 

We recommend doing the following things to create a compelling campaign:

• Use a great photo or make a video. This is your shot at a first impression and it should create a strong reaction, like “Wow!” or “Awe!” or “I need to know more about this…” Try to use photos of the people involved whenever possible. They get stronger reactions than a graphic or text. Be sure to avoid blurry or low quality images.
• Write a catchy and descriptive title. Which title sounds better? “I Need Money!” or“Julie's Rally Against Cancer”.... the second one, right?
• Your Campaign Description will fill in the details and answer any questions donors and visitors may have. The best campaign summaries include an introduction of yourself, a brief explanation of what you’re raising money for, and why the cause is so important to you. You can also use this area to add more photos or videos.

2. Share with Friends and Family on Facebook

If you're raising money for something that you strongly believe in, chances are that the people in your life will be eager to support you. The most important thing to remember is that most of your donations will come from your own network of friends and family. This means that sharing your campaign with this network should be your #1 step.

Even if all your friends and family are not able to donate, you can ask them to help you spread the word by sharing your campaign with all of their own friends.

We found that sharing on Facebook is the best way to reach out to those closest to you, and let them know what or who you are raising money for. Your friends and family will be the ones most willing to contribute and more likely to reach out to others on your behalf to share your campaign as well.

Key points:

• Sharing your campaign on Facebook increases donations by 350%. It really is that important. If you do not have a Facebook account, consider asking a close friend or relative who does to share your campaign to their Facebook for you.
• Be sure to add a personalized message when you share, explaining why your campaign means so much to you - a simple, direct, and heartfelt appeal will get you the most views. 
• Ask your friends and family to “Like” and share your campaign on Facebook.

If you don’t use social media, you’ll still want to be sure to reach out to everyone you know using emails, text messages, or phone calls. You may be surprised how big a difference a personal outreach can make.

3. Share your link through email, text messages, and other social networks

After sharing your campaign on Facebook, you’ll want to spread the word to any other social networks and communities that you are a part of. Building a strong sense of community and awareness around your campaign will go a long way with maintaining consistent donation volume.

Every GoFundMe campaign is given a unique link that's easy to share with others. You can even customize this link so it’s easy to remember, but the original one will always work!

4. Post Frequent Updates

Donors and followers love to know how their donations are working for you. Keep your story fresh and interesting by posting frequent ‘Update Messages’ to your campaign. Make sure that you check the options to also post your updates to Facebook, Twitter, & Email.

5. Show Your Appreciation

Thank your donors! They’re spending their hard earned money to help you do something that is special and important to you. We’ve made it simple for you to let  them know just how much their support means to you.

6. Withdraw Your Funds

Once you've started raising donations, you'll want to set up withdrawals so you can use them for your cause. Withdrawals can take a few days to arrive  so it’s important to get these started as soon as possible! Click here for more information on how to set up withdrawals. 

Key Points:

• Double check your banking information with your bank before submitting it!
• Making a withdrawal will not affect your campaign in any way! You can still accept donations just as you did before, and your campaign will not end until you choose to close it.
• Keeping the funds in your payment account for too long can cause donations to your campaign to be paused, or even refunded.
• You only have to request a withdrawal once. From there, you’ll be enrolled in automatic withdrawals, and any future funds will be sent to you on a regular basis.

We hope you found these tips helpful! We wish you the best of luck with your campaign.