- GoFundMe
GoFundMe
check_circle VerifiedGoFundMe, the world's largest crowdfunding platform, is committed to turning compassion into action by providing individuals, teams, organizations, and nonprofits with the means to raise money for the causes they care about.
The process of creating a GoFundMe campaign is quick and easy. Users must first create a GoFundMe account, through with they set a fundraiser goal, tell their story, and then share the campaign with friends via email, text, and/or social media. Once donations begin coming in, users can easily manage funds and withdraw them as needed.
Whatever your fundraising needs may be, GoFundMe is a great option. Continue reading for pros and cons, and GoFundMe reviews from real customers.
Top Ranked Companies
The Good
- Fund Type
- Fees
- Maximum Allowed Raise
- Deadlines
- GoFundMe Charity
- Administrative Work Options
- Receiving Funds
Fund Type
GoFundMe uses a 'Keep What You Raised' funding type. With GoFundMe, reaching your goal is not required. This works well because you keep each and every donation you receive, no matter if you are running a personal campaign or a campaign on behalf of a team or organization. Some other crowdfunding campaign platforms operate under an "all-or-nothing" model, meaning that if you don't reach your fundraising goal, you won't receive any money.
Fees
GoFundMe doesn't charge anything to create and share your online fundraising campaign, nor do they charge for using the platform. GoFundMe is almost entirely free except for the payment processing fee or transaction fee, which is approximately 3 percent and will be deducted from each donation. This fee helps GoFundMe remain as a safe place to donate.
There is no partial or non-completion fee in the case you do not complete your campaign. There are crowdfunding companies that do charge you a fee if you fail to meet your campaign goal, so this is definitely a perk of going with GoFundMe.
Maximum Allowed Raise
Many crowdfunding platforms using donation models for individuals have a maximum amount or limit to what funding amount you can raise. GoFundMe has no funding limit. This lets you raise as much as you want or need in one campaign.
Deadlines
With GoFundMe, there are no deadlines or time-limits. Your campaign will remain live until you choose to stop donations or remove the campaign altogether. In some cases, users have left their campaigns up indefinitely as a lasting memory of all the wonderful comments and support they received. This is a great policy for personal fundraisers. Sometimes people can't donate within 30 or 40 days (a typical deadline for many crowdfunding platforms), so having an indefinite deadline can work well.
GoFundMe Charity
Through GoFundMe Charity, charities across North America can support and amplify their causes, subscription-free. Designed specifically for nonprofit organizations, the platform provides access to a variety of resources, including donor analytics and event registration software and more.
Administrative Work Options
GoFundMe offers users several automated features for administrative tasks, which are extremely helpful for individuals trying to run an effective campaign without past experience. Even if they have experience, admin tasks take a lot of time and can get confusing the larger the donator pool gets.
GoFundMe's automotive administrative task features include: Thank You Messages: You can thank donators individually by selecting a recent donation and clicking the 'Say Thanks' button. GoFundMe will let you personalize the message and send it directly to the donor's email address.
Update Feature: In doing so, you can choose to share the post with your current supporters and donors - you can even share the Update on Facebook to attract more support. Update messages can also include up to 3 photos or videos. GoFundMe's 'Update' feature is a great way to keep your campaign fresh and your donators up to date without having to do it manually, which would take a lot of time away from campaigning.
Quick Assistance: GoFundMe will generally respond to your emails within 30 minutes during the day with any questions you have about your campaign.
Receiving Funds
Typically on crowdfunding platforms you have to wait until the end of your campaign to begin collecting funds. With GoFundMe, you can request your money right away as the donations come in or you can choose to withdraw your balance directly to your bank account (campaigns in the US may also request a check). Withdrawals may be made daily, weekly, or monthly and will always process for the full available balance in the user's WePay account. Funds may be received via electronic bank transfer within 2-5 business days, or paper check within 7-10 business days. (Daily checks are not available, weekly or monthly only.)
Although you can request a withdrawal at any time, the time it takes to receive funds is a bit long when compared to other crowdfunding sites that can sometimes do it in as soon as 24 hours.
The Bad
- Model Type
- No PayPal
Model Type
GoFundMe operates as a Donation Model. Equity model campaigns are not offered through GoFundMe. A donation model is a good thing for personal fundraising, but GoFundMe recommends signing up with your Facebook account if you want to appear in GoFundMe's Public Search Directory.
Although this is optional, it actually isn't if you want your campaign to be featured publicly on their website. Not everyone has a Facebook account or wants to open one, or perhaps they would prefer to keep their profile off a public platform like GoFundMe.
No PayPal
It's important to note that although PayPal Giving Fund is GoFundMe's payment processor for their charity campaigns, there is still no PayPal for personal fundraising.
The Bottom Line
It's no surprise that GoFundMe is one of the world's most popular crowdfunding sites. The company is highly successful. Customer Happiness representatives deliver answers to questions in a timely manner, (often within 30 minutes or less of submission), there's plenty of flexibility with funding options, and there are no limits on how much you can raise and no time restraints. GoFundMe is also the cheapest crowdfunding platform out there. A downside is that equity model campaigns are not offered and PayPal cannot be used for personal fundraising, but all in all, users can expect a convenient, simple experience when funding.
Based on customer reviews, the majority of which are positive, we would recommend GoFundMe for your fundraising needs. Satisfied customers most often remark on how easy it is to use GoFundMe, including setting up a campaign and managing funds. In addition, they note how GoFundMe is a trustworthy company and they feel comfortable donating through the platform. Of the negative reviews, customers most often detail withdrawal difficulties and unexplained account issues.
User Reviews
Star Rating
393 Reviews
Review Breakdown
Sentiment Criteria
Shante Reeder
I have used this company for personal reasons, as well as donated to others who have used it. Such a cool way to spread the word about others who need help! I love that I can do this from the comfort of my own home!
Bobby The One
NO matter how much you provide and how much or lil you raise the withdrawal to your account will not happen. Providing all the bills, lease, business reg, bank info and certifications yet still they want to phish people govt ID and even or those who gave them DL, passport and all still they are awaiting money over 2 yrs. AND, they expect us to provide government ID which in Canada it is illegal, it's even written on the ID and passport: NOT to be used as ID, property of Canadian government. The privacy act is clear on that, and keeping the money hostage in return for govt ID is a federal offence here,yet they still do business here and impose these rules. I have reported them to RCMP fraud dept. They know about them, not the first person to be scammed by them. They keep replying that it's their terms, who cares, if the terms are illegal doesn't make them ok! People with positive experience are 3yrs and before, looks like mostly all negative after that. Don't try to email back and forth to explain you will not win any argument even if they know you are right. AVOID AT ALL COST! It's quite disturbing using people in need urgently and scam them like this.. I read that they use the funds to invest hence why they keep you in a loop of 'security verification' all bogus claim. Be very wary if you have money in donations, best you ask to send back to people and get them to send you directly with PP or FB donations, which I knew that before!
Angelica Dela Cruz
A perfect establishment for raising money for organizations, etc. Very easy to use too!
Tyler Jenkins
GoFundMe is literally the reason I got to travel with my all-state band. It made it easy for my friends and family to help me reach my goal and travel to Japan.
Lizzy Puentes
GoFundMe is such an easy way to raise money for any cause you need raising money for. The website is easy to set up and they give you a link to your fundraiser that is easily sharable to other social platforms or can be directly sent to others.
Anita pea
GoFundMe was very helpful with kickstarting my company. The service was easy to use and amazing pricing. Now my company is a well known place.
Natalia Correa MDTribe
I recently did a gofundme campaign to raise money for a medical mission trip. It was super easy to set up and manage! Highly recommend!
Sage Loveland
I have donated to several causes through GoFundMe. I love how easy it is to use. It makes it so effortless to give and I totally trust that the money goes where it is supposed to.
Qiao
This web is very helpful for the needed, I used it to donate money to my friend kids and church friend who had serve disease and need immediate help for medical treatment, we raised $100.000 in two days.
Lindsey Newman
GoFundMe is such a cool way to help people in need. I specifically have been the recipient of huge amounts of help during a really tough time when my baby was being evaluated for lung transplants. It really saved us.
Summer Porter
GoFundMe makes fundraising incredibly accessible. Account setup is easy and once done, you can publish it to all different media sources. The app is great too - once you're logged in, it will send push notifications to update you on fundraising status.
Michelle Rios
I have read many stories on GoFundMe. I have donated many times to people that I have read about raising funds on a GoFundMe page. I feel that they offer a wonderful service, helping those who have no other way to pay for any number of things. I understand that there is a fee to provide this widely viewed service, I just wish it could be adjusted depending on the reasons that money is being sought. Some people need every single dime that is donated to help them get through, others can "afford" to pay a larger fee.
Tiffany I
I’ve used this for a couple fundraisers. Success really depends on the person pushing it. But it’s a great way to involve people in your cause.
Eddie Rios
What a wonderful creation GoFundMe is. I have built a campaign and have also invested in other GoFund me initiatives. It is creative, it is innovative, it is safe. What a way to get the funds to the right place. Superior technology meets innovative thinking. Absolutely first rate!
Kimsreview
I like using GoFundMe. It is super convenient and easy to set up and send out. People trust it and it makes it easier to find raise.
Beverly Schacher
I have donated to a few different causes. It was very easy to do and I sometimes get updates on how things are going. I can only comment on the experience from a donor though. It's a great idea for connecting people to small donors that can make a huge difference for people in need.
Tori smith
Go fund me is so self explainatory and it’s so convenient that it Allows you to share the link
Amanda
I used GoFundMe to fundraise for my trip to Nicaragua and I was able to reach out and raise a lot of money.
Taylee Warner
This works the best and I always love reading everyone’s GoFundMe’s that they have posted. I have used it and it works very well.
Laura
-1 Star: Platform Automatically added a tip, stated it would be refunded within 3-7 days. Never received and then took the refund out of the funds donated....horrid when family going through tragedy has to see a deduction in their campaign. Still no credit to my credit card over two months later.. They have 120 days to return the money and will take the entire period while I have to sit tight and wait for my $500. HUGR JOKE IN CUSTOMER SVC. Essentially none. Probably admins are sitting on a beach on their laptops responding “when they can/feel like it”. What a joke for a “goodwill” crowd sharing platform. Will never use again with all of the games they play to try and dissuade someone from disputing....you’ve met the wrong person when it comes to giving up. Not a chance. Complete FRAUD.
judith stoll-stark
Had a go fund me for friend who battling with cancer initiated . As I withdrawn the money for her, a couple days later I received an email my account was negative! Donor rebattled his donation as i contact go fund me i got an email stating a lot of donors don't realize the draft it does not say go fund me. Seriously company is aware of that problem, but doesn't ensure donors be notified what the bankdraft will say on bank statement. didn't even get a warning ,money was taken out of my account before I got notification , but go fund me keep there fee, never again .Bad business
Anna
My sister`s nice set up a funeral fundraiser called "Arek`s Wish` to help her manage the costs of her husband`s funeral. She raised over 17 000 Canadian dollars. It happened at the beginning of July. Until today my sister has not received any money despite multiple attempts of money withdrawal. The family is devastated because they really need this support during the hardest of times and it affects their life in a very dramatic way. It seems like the raised money have been purposely held back and every day they are losing hope for a positive ending. All the donors that generously donated have been deceived as well. Cannot get over this company`s cruelty and ruthlessness. Hopefully the court will get them the money back if it comes to that. Do not use GoFundMe!
Javier
I open a GoFundMe page to help my dad get a surgery he badly need. I notice the withdrawal failed. So I’m being trying to get an answer of why this happen. The website explain that might be cause my SSN or my Bank account number is not accurate wish is not the case. So I’m just trying to get a simple answer to see how can we fix this issue. I’m still waiting for a response from them. They say that will replay you in 24 hours. I’m being waiting days now and no one to speak with. And the worse part it’s that they don’t even have a phone number to speak with someone. The customer service is terrible. And who knows if my dad will get the help he needs and my friends help me to fund the money.
roxanne
What an amazing site, i love donating to good causes and know my money is in safe hands with this company
Helena Rutherford
What started off as a honeymoon fundraiser for my mother has now turned into a major loss in personal finance. My account was suspended and all funds frozen. After weeks of jumping through hoops and running in circles, I get an email saying donations will be reimbursed within 10days. A month later and I get an email saying my funds have now been locked with National Treasury and I will need to apply for a liscense to access account. HUH? No response except the spam link to national treasure website. An impressively unhelpful platform.
G
I set up a fund for a high school classsmate's family to help with hospital and funeral bills. We have gotten about $2k in donations but the family is having issues connecting and withdrawing funds. I submitted a help request and got an e-mail back. The GFM person asked if we could loop in the recipient. Of course, I agreed and we waited and waited and waited and she never got back to us. There is no phone support. This has been a disappointing, frustrating and time-wasting experience. Not sure how GFM has gotten this far and become a top-ranked fundraiser. Consider some other way if you're planning this.
Ruth
I'm very confused about this? I Don’t know what happened but gofundme dropped my account! Good thing the refunded all donors money back. There is no way to contact anyone to find out why. If anyone knows how, please let me know! Much appreciated!
Andrew
So a friend of mine who has fallen on hard times had his Playstation break on him and his kids. A bunch of his friends and I told him to start a go fund me and we would all chip in to help him out. So his wife started one of these go fund me accounts. Within an hour or 2 he had enough to replace his broken playstation so his children and himself could enjoy so form of entertainment. The next day I get a refund notice because my friend "violated" the terms of service for this pathetic company. We all inquired as to what the issue was when he was told that his wife needs to prove her identity. They did as instructed just to be told that it wasn't good enough and refunded everyone's money. They would not tell him or any of us why it was violated. They just used their standard refer to terms of service. Which we all looked through but could not find 1 term that was violated. To add to this absolute B.S, thanks to these scammers that is go fund me, they waited to refund me when the exchange rate was less so that I don't even get my full refund back. Their scamming ways still cost me $4. Which in all honesty is nothing for me but its the principle of them screwing all parties involved and then trying to show how wonderful they are. I truly believe that the REAL reason they canceled his go fund me was because no one donated part of their donation to their website and the choose to screw him over. NEVER would i use this scam of a website again.
Reply from GoFundMe
Feb 27, 2019
Hi Andrew, thanks for sharing your feedback with us. We can see our team has reached out to you regarding these issues, and we would like to confirm that we would never close a campaign or account if donors choose not to tip GoFundMe. If a campaign does not comply with our Terms & Conditions, we will remove it, but we are happy to answer any questions your friend may have.
Dennis Tetlock
I like the way it operates,but e-transfers and paypal need to be incorporated for secure payments,I do not do credit card pay on the internet and I know alot of people that feel this way also,otherwise keep up the great work.
Reply from GoFundMe
Jan 17, 2019
We truly appreciate the feedback, Dennis! Our certified charity campaigns do accept PayPal, but we're not able to support PayPal for our personal campaigns. However, all of our campaigns use the latest security measures to ensure that your donation is made safely and securely. Thank you for your kind words!
Tanner Cook
I’ve been able to donate to causes for friends that have really needed help. My friend needed money for his cancer expenses - donating to the cause was easy and overall a great platform to help out so many people.
Reply from GoFundMe
Jan 17, 2019
We're glad that GoFundMe could help and host your friend's campaign, Tanner. Our thoughts are with him in his fight against cancer, and we're always here to support you and your friend if any issues arise with donations on GoFundMe.
Laura Weaver
I have been attempting to make withdrawals for some time now but I never get any type of a confirmation when I enter my bank account information in and everytime I email these guys they never get back to me!!! I will never use the gofunme platform again...it looks like I will never be able to make any withdrawals from my donors so now I love issues going to the doctor's; thank you GoFundMe for being a complete waste of time and effort. You guys are complete garbage and I am speaking nicely about you when I say that!!!!!
Darius Williams
have used this service for a family event to raise money. was a very easy process
Reply from GoFundMe
Jan 17, 2019
We're so happy you found GoFundMe easy to use, Darius! Please let our team know if we can assist with anything at all.
Matthew Carbaugh
I enjoy browsing the personal and business fundraisers on GoFundMe. It feels good to be charitiable and know exactly what my donation is going to be used for. Also like learning about different blossoming industries entrepenuers are trying to break into.
Reply from GoFundMe
Jan 17, 2019
We're glad to hear you enjoy being on GoFundMe, Matthew! We're proud to host campaigns for a variety of causes, and we work each day to ensure that the safety of all campaigns is maintained. Should you have any questions about a campaign, please contact our Customer Happiness team!
Tiffany
Great way to give without having to take out cash. This site has helped so many people i know when it comes to funeral costs to helping friends with medical conditions.
Reply from GoFundMe
Jan 17, 2019
We're so glad to hear your community has benefited from using GoFundMe, Tiffany! Our team is working around the clock to consistently improve our site for a safer and easier fundraising experience. Should any issues come up, please contact our team!
Fernando Delgado
Very easy website to use to be able to donate and to setup a donation for any family/friends emergency's.
Reply from GoFundMe
Jan 17, 2019
We're glad you were able to donate easily on GoFundMe, Fernando, and our thoughts are with those close to you who faced that emergency. If we can assist with anything at all, our Customer Happiness team is available 24/7.
Mary Kelley
My donation made it to where it was going. No problems.I'm glad to have found this even tho I know Kate the persons company I was donating to has used it for a long time. I'm pleasantly grateful for the honest service. We can always use honesty now days. And Go Fund Me has shown to be honest all these years.
Reply from GoFundMe
Jan 17, 2019
We're flattered to receive such kind feedback, Mary! If our team can assist in any way during your time on GoFundMe, please let us know!
Kathie Bowman
I tried to contact gofundme.com, but could not get past the robot prove you are human by checking the box because it kept spinning around and around for over five minutes. Heard they do not like to answer questions. I donated $50 to a Fund and was charged $7.50, or 15% extra to process it. That really angered me. How much did the Fund have to pay to receive the donation, and how do I even know they received it or the fund received it? I really disliked having to give my credit card information and won't do it again. If I can't donate directly or by Paypal, I will not use my credit card info with the CCV. GoFundMe feels like a scam operation, excessively profitable for them
Eric
I have had a couple of friends in a real financial struggle after a tragedy and they have used GoFundMe to get back on track. Sites like this are great when used honestly. Gofundme is a great and simple way to raise money for good causes across the world.
Reply from GoFundMe
Jan 17, 2019
We're so glad to hear your friends have been able to use GoFundMe when they need it most, Eric. We're proud to be available to those who would like to raise funds for causes that are important to them.
K mcc
Go fund me set a bridge to the terms and conditions in completely close my account and will not answer any emails explaining why . I donors are very upset .
Amber C Frey
I've donated to a handful of GoFundMe campaigns. It's a good service but you really do need to be weary of who you donate your money to. There's a lot of people that use it fraudulently just to get money from people. But the honest ones are worth donating to most of the time.
Reply from GoFundMe
Jan 17, 2019
We truly appreciate your feedback, Amber! Our team is consistently looking for ways to keep our platform safe, and if you have any concerns about the legitimacy of a campaign, please select the "Report this Campaign" button at the bottom of any campaign.
marj
Well I typed go fund me in the search engine and this is what it says...…."""" The most trusted free online fundraising platform. """"" so if its free, how do they take $5 off when you withdraw......That ISN"T FREE
Savanah Gugyelka
Gofundme helped make it easier for my family and I to raise money to help my grandpa pay for his medical and travel expenses. Now the Doctors say he is cancer free!
Reply from GoFundMe
Oct 18, 2018
We're so glad to hear that positive diagnosis, Savanah! We're honored to be the platform you and your family chose to receive these funds to your grandpa. Our team is hoping for all the best for you, your grandpa, and your family!
Leslie
We used GoFundMe for a fundraiser for funeral expenses after my brother passed away. It was easy to use and recognizable to others who wanted to donate. I would definitely recommend!
Reply from GoFundMe
Oct 18, 2018
We're sorry to hear of the circumstances that brought you to GoFundMe, Leslie, but we're glad to be the platform to help you raise funds for these expenses. Our team is sending support to you and your whole family during this extremely difficult time, and we'll always be here to help if you have any other questions or concerns while using GoFundMe.
Ciara
Hello I was wondering have any one had a problem with getting your money from go fund my money is stuck and my dates keep changing I put one because I’m trying to find out what going on but I would rate it 5 beverage it is a good thing to do
Marie Doherty
I am very appreciative of the staff at GoFundMe for their understanding and assistance to rectify an error that I made in my donation. I inadvertently selected the wrong campaign for my donation. After a few unsuccessful attempts at resolving this issue with the campaign I donated to in error I contacted GoFundMe and they were very responsive, helpful, understanding and assisted me in correcting my error. What could have been a very unpleasant experience for me turned out to be a positive one all thanks to the staff at GoFundMe.
Reply from GoFundMe
Oct 18, 2018
We're so glad to hear our Customer Happiness Team could help with this issue, Marie! We'll always do all we can to ensure that you're able to donate to the intended campaign, and our team is here for you at any hour of the day. If we can help with anything else at all, just let us know.
Cindy
I wanted $100 to go to the family but somehow it got donated to GFM. Customer service promptly refunded my $100. I had no problem with the donation itself.
Reply from GoFundMe
Oct 18, 2018
Thanks for sharing your kind feedback, Cindy! We never want to keep a tip you didn't mean to give to GoFundMe, and if we can help with anything else at all, our Customer Happiness Team is always here to help.
Donna Powers
Celine was incredibly helpful and supportive and prompt with replies. Even if there was nothing to report, Celine replied by email that she was working on the situation which really helped ease potential stress! Once the banking was set up properly, everything has been easy and deeply appreciated. This has made a big difference in our financial stress levels as my husband moves closer to his surgery.
Reply from GoFundMe
Oct 18, 2018
We're so glad to hear that Celine was able to help, Donna! Our team is always here to support you, and we're here for you and your family, 24/7.
wanda
when you donate to GoFundMe, they ask for a "tip" you choose the percentage you want. i think there was 5%, 10%. i didnt see a phone number anywhere to call, i wanted to ask about this and why are they wanting a "tip." I emailed them and didn't get a response. i just chose the lowest percentage just so i can complete my donation. but beware at the end of your donation you will see that.
Jim Kettinger
Help Desk provided good response to getting the correct link to the campaign I was interested in. The list when the campaign ended of the number of donors and names/amounts (for non-anonymous donors) was a good read.
Reply from GoFundMe
Oct 18, 2018
We're glad our Customer Happiness Team could offer support, Jim! We're always looking for ways to implement customer feedback to our platform, and if you have any other questions, concerns, or more you'd like to see from us, please do let our team know!
Christina Corbett
I managed a campaign for a friend. It was very easy to set up and use, and customer service was very responsive and helpful when I had questions.
Reply from GoFundMe
Oct 18, 2018
We're so glad to hear you had an easy fundraising experience, Christina! Our Customer Happiness Team is proud to help answer questions at any hour of the day. If our team can help with anything else at all, please feel free to contact us, 24/7!