Answers to Common Fundraising Questions

You start your GoFundMe by telling your story and setting a goal. You will then receive a fundraising page to accept donations and share your campaign. Signing up is easy and every donation is yours to keep, whether or not you reach your goal.

GoFundMe makes it incredibly easy to raise money online for the things that matter to you most. In just a few minutes, you’ll be able to personalize your fundraiser and share it with the people in your life. In fact, over $9 billion has been raised by individuals on GoFundMe.

Raising money for yourself or a loved one has never been easier. Plus, we’re here to help. GoFundMe will respond to your emails 24/7.

How it works

We see people use GoFundMe to raise money for themselves, friends and family, or even complete strangers in random acts of kindness. People raise money for just about everything, including medical expenses, education costs, volunteer programs, youth sports, funerals & memorials, and even animals & pets.

We’re always amazed at the ways people use GoFundMe to raise money. Check out some recent success stories, or see how GoFundMe works.

GoFundMe features the very best in secure payment encryption technology. Your donors’ online payments are safe, and your money is stored securely until you’re ready to request a withdrawal via electronic bank transfer.

Once your GoFundMe starts receiving online donations, you can easily request a withdrawal at any time. Withdrawing money does not affect the progress meter displayed on your campaign. Simply click ‘Withdraw’ while logged into your account and follow the instructions. You can withdraw your balance directly to your bank account. Bank transfers take 2-5 business days to arrive.

Learn how to start withdrawals

Yes. GoFundMe makes it easy for another friend or family member to securely access the funds you have raised. Through GoFundMe, they will receive direct access to the money you have raised. Please note: You will not be able to enter their bank information during the withdrawal process; they will need to do this themselves.

Learn how to invite a beneficiary

While there are important withdrawals deadlines you’ll need to observe to avoid donations being refunded to donors, your fundraiser will remain live until you choose to turn off donations or remove the campaign altogether. Most organizers leave their campaigns active indefinitely to refer back to the kind comments and support they received.

Learn more

No problem. Reaching your goal is not required. With GoFundMe, you keep each and every donation you receive. Your campaign will be able to accept donations even after your goal is reached. Once the goal is reached, the progress meter on your campaign will show that you have received more than your goal amount. If you’d like to continue raising money, you can keep your campaign running for as long as you’d like.

Learn more about goals

GoFundMe provides an easy way to raise money from your friends, family, and online community. Our platform makes it simple to share your campaign in a variety of ways to bring in donations, track your progress, and post updates to engage your community. Check out our fundraising tips and fundraising ideas for advice on how to raise more donations.

Review our list of supported countries and currencies to ensure that your country is supported.

Absolutely. With GoFundMe, organizers can easily raise money for you and even make sure that donations go directly to your bank account.

Learn about being a beneficiary

GoFundMe gets your funds to you quickly because we know that many fundraising needs are time-sensitive. You can set up withdrawals and add your bank account as soon as you accept the campaign organizer’s invitation to make you a beneficiary. Bank transfers then take 2-5 business days to arrive.

Learn about being a beneficiary