Welcome! GoFundMe is the world’s largest crowdfunding platform, with over $9 billion raised so far. With a community of more than 50 million donors, GoFundMe is changing the way the world gives.
With GoFundMe, it’s easy to raise funds quickly for the causes you are most passionate about. Donors from all over the world can securely donate using any major credit or debit card. Backed by the GoFundMe Guarantee, GoFundMe is the safest, most secure platform for giving. The GoFundMe Guarantee protects donors’ generosity and ensures funds are sent to the right person.
Signing up is completely free and every donation is yours to keep, whether or not you reach your goal. While it’s free to launch your GoFundMe, transaction fees are deducted from each donation. For more information on our fee structure, click here.
Before you get started, here is an overview of what to expect when you start a GoFundMe.
What can I use GoFundMe for?
The short answer is: you can use GoFundMe for just about anything.
Most people use GoFundMe to raise money for themselves, a loved one, or a friend in need during life's most important moments. This can include anything from medical expenses, education costs, trips & aspirations, volunteer programs, youth sports, funerals & memorials, or animals & pets. GoFundMe can also be used to raise money for your favorite charity.
We encourage you to check out some recent Success Stories or Take the Tour. You may also review our Terms & Conditions if you're unsure that the content of your campaign is allowed.
Is my GoFundMe allowed?
In an effort to keep the platform safe, we do have some rules about what we allow. If you're unsure whether the content of your campaign is allowed you may review our Terms & Conditions or reach out to our Happiness team for guidance. If you have additional questions, the Prohibited Conduct section has listed out the most common types of campaigns we do not currently permit.
Starting your account
To sign up, you will need to use an email address that you use regularly. You can also use your Facebook to create an account, but first check that your Facebook email is one that you still have access to, to ensure you can receive our important emails regarding withdrawals.
Creating your campaign
After signing up, you will begin creating your campaign.
If you already have a GoFundMe account, all you need to do is choose to “start a new campaign”. You can have up to 5 active campaigns on your account at one time! If you need more, reach out to our team.
1. Choose goal amount
Your goal is important but you’ll want to make sure it’s attainable. It’s always a good idea to reflect on how much you’re looking to raise, but you always have the option to edit this later in your campaign if you find the goal is too low or too high.
Important: Please choose the currency that you plan to withdraw the funds in. You will not be able to change the currency after creating your campaign, and we cannot convert the currency once funds have been raised. You can also check out the withdrawal requirements here.
2. Create a campaign title
This is your chance to stand out. Create a title that is specific to your cause, using names or a call to action. For example, ‘Help Kelly Smile Again’ has more impact than ‘funds for the dentist’. It has to be 35 characters or less, so make sure it fits!
3. Who are you raising funds for?
This helps establish whether you’re creating a personal campaign (for an individual or organization) or a certified charity campaign (for a charity or non-profit). You can find out more about either of these options here.
4. Enter your zip or postal code
GoFundMe is home to many causes around the world but we aren’t in every country just yet. This helps our site know if the currency you’ve selected matches up with the code you’re entering.
5. Choose your category
Choosing a category is a way to help us keep campaigns organized. It’s mainly helpful for our team to provide tips that are related to your category. Don’t overthink it!
6. Are you fundraising as a team or as an individual?
You can choose either of these options when setting up your campaign. If you’re the sole organizer, then you will manage all aspects and sharing for the campaign. If you want a bit of support from friends or a club that can help you share the campaign and post updates with you, then this might be a good option for you. Find out more about teams here.
You can always opt in to adding a team after your campaign has already been created.
7. After agreeing to our terms and privacy policy, you will add a main image.
We always suggest adding an image of yourself or what you’re raising funds for. The image you choose should be 550 pixels wide by 300 pixels tall. You will want to use a JPEG, PNG, or BMP to ensure that it’s uploaded properly. Check out this article on image tips.
You also have the option of embedding a video that you uploaded to YouTube. Make sure it’s public, so that everyone can see it!
8. Write your story
A great story will be open and descriptive, and include a bit about who you are, what you're raising funds for, and how the money will be spent. If you're raising money for someone else, it's a good idea to share how you know them! You can also use the bold formatting or photo upload links in this section to further bring your story to life!
Read more about campaign stories here.
Sharing your campaign
At this point, your campaign can start receiving donations. However, no one will see your campaign until you start to share it!
That’s why we ask you to connect your Facebook and even attach your Facebook photo! If you don’t have social media (or prefer not to connect it just yet) you can skip this option.
Another option is to email your friends about your campaign. You can start to share it by connecting your email with GoFundMe. This is a great way to import your contacts and send invitations to invite your network to view your campaign.
Remember, sharing is the key part to getting donations on GoFundMe. If you aren’t sharing your campaign with your friends and family, then it’s likely not going to get donations. Using your personal network can help get you closer to your goal.
Finally, you can create your own memorable link to easily share. You can simply choose the “Edit link” button to change it to something personal to your cause. You can only change your link once, so if you make an error, reach out to our team and we can get that edited on our end.
Managing your Campaign
You should now be taken to your dashboard. This is where you’ll manage all aspects of your campaign. Edit your story, share your campaign, post an update, set up the withdrawals, add contacts! It’s all found here!
