You have to question any campaigns where only strangers are donating.Ĭonsider the case of a woman who raised more than $2,000 with the help of 28 people. More specifically, if you don’t see any from people who identify themselves as family members or close friends of the beneficiary, that could be a red flag.īecause if your family member or friend were running a genuine fundraiser, you'd surely support them. Looking through the comments from people who have donated could also reveal a GoFundMe scam.
GO FUND ME CHARITY ANDROID
Related: The Best Android and iPhone Apps for Donating to Charity That’s okay in some cases, but donors often prefer knowing what happens to their funds with certainty before parting with them.Ĭharitable organizations can typically provide that, but such transparency is not always possible with GoFundMe campaigns. Plus, some GoFundMe campaigns get far more than needed, leaving the creator to specify other ways they intend to use the money. However, it’s usually easier to verify where your money goes in those cases compared to GoFundMe campaigns launched by individuals. For example, choosing a sponsor-a-child campaign allows you to directly contribute to the communities where young people live, making life better for everyone there.Ĭharitable organizations are not perfect. If you feel the same, consider looking beyond crowdfunding platforms. That finding emphasizes that people are eager to donate when they can. A 2021 charitable giving report showed that 69 percent of donations came from individuals. GoFundMe is a well-known crowdfunding platform, but it’s not the only way to financially assist someone in need. Taking the time to read the GoFundMe campaign information carefully can help you decide if you’re giving money to a sensible cause.ĭoes the person asking for money provide clear details about the reasons for needing financial assistance to make you feel confident about contributing? If not, perhaps it’s time to look elsewhere. Her initial goal was only to raise $2,000 to stay in her house, so that’s a valid way to spend the excess. She also reiterated an earlier commitment to use the money raised to set up a savings account for each child.
GO FUND ME CHARITY UPDATE
GoFundMe later required her to post an update on the platform to state that she’s not their biological mom but a mother figure in their lives. She appeared on national news describing herself as the mother of three young girls, but the media outlet ultimately realized that it was a misleading statement. This actually occurred when a woman raised more than $200,000 to prevent her eviction. When GoFundMe identifies a potentially fraudulent campaign, it may require the people involved to clarify things for the site’s users. Related: Ways to Volunteer Online From Your HomeĪnother straightforward way to spot a scam is to read the campaign description and any associated updates thoroughly. That approach caters to people who want to help and reduces the chances they’ll fall for an online trick. They also named another campaign where individuals can donate and know that all proceeds support the woman’s family. A local police union warned people of several known fundraising scams. Consider the example of Ella French, a Chicago police officer killed in the line of duty. This strategy may also reveal valid donation avenues. He thanked people for their kind words and urged them to give money to homeless people instead, particularly since his abode remained intact. In one such case, an Alabamian meteorologist whose yard got damaged by recent tornadoes saw his name used to promote several fake fundraisers. It's an easy way to verify that the claims, at least, are real. So when you chance upon a fundraiser, navigate to Google or another search engine in a different tab and search for one or more of the parties involved. One simple way to avoid a GoFundMe scam is to use an external source to verify that a fundraiser’s dollars genuinely go to the victim. The internet and its crowdfunding sites make it easy to do that in seconds by using a credit card or external service like PayPal. When people hear of tragic events, many naturally feel compelled to do whatever they can to help. Here are some actionable ways to identify a legitimate campaign and steer clear of a GoFundMe scam.ġ. Yes, scammers will even use charitable fundraisers to get money out of good-intentioned victims. However, fake fundraisers still occur even with those measures in place. If something fails in that regard, the GoFundMe team issues refunds.
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The site has a dedicated team to ensure the money raised goes to the intended recipients. GoFundMe is one of the top online platforms people use to ask others for donations to help themselves or their loved ones.