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Type of site | Crowdfunding |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Headquarters | , United States |
| Owner | GoFundMe, Inc. |
| Created by | Brad Damphousse Andrew Ballester |
| CEO | Tim Cadogan |
| URL | gofundme.com |
| Launched | May 10, 2010; 15 years ago (2010-05-10) |
| Current status | Active |
GoFundMe is an Americanfor-profitcrowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and graduations tochallenging circumstances likeaccidents andillnesses.[1] From 2010 through early 2024, more than $30 billion has been raised on the platform, contributed by over 150 million donors.[2]
The company was founded in May 2010 by Brad Damphousse and Andrew Ballester. Both had previously founded Paygr, a website dedicated to allowing members to sell their services to the public.[3] Damphousse and Ballester created the website under the name "CreateAFund" in 2008 but changed the name to GoFundMe after making numerous upgrades.[4][5] The site was built off of PayPal's API.[6] GoFundMe was founded inSan Diego, California.[7]
In March 2017, GoFundMe became the biggest crowdfunding platform, responsible for raising over $3 billion since its debut in 2010. The company receives over $140 million in donations per month and in 2016 made $100 million in revenue.[8] In June 2015, it was announced that Damphousse and Ballester had agreed to sell a majority stake in GoFundMe toAccel Partners andTechnology Crossover Ventures. Damphousse and Ballester stepped down from the company's day-to-day oversight. The deal valued GoFundMe at around $600 million.[9] In January 2017, GoFundMe acquiredCrowdRise.[10] GoFundMe's CEO isTim Cadogan.[11] Ballester remains on the board of directors and holds an undisclosed stake in the company.[12]
Members describe their fundraising cause and the amount they hope to raise, and upload photos or video.[13] Once the website is created, GoFundMe allows users to share their project with people through integrated social network links (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and email. People can then donate to a user's cause through the website using a debit card or credit card[14] and track the funding. Those who donate can also leave comments on the website. The person raising funds is not charged.[15] Payment processors collect 2.9% and $0.30 from each GoFundMe transaction.[16]
GoFundMe is unique to crowdfunding in that the company is not an incentive-based crowdfunding website. Although it does allow projects that are meant to fund other projects for musicians, inventors, etc., the business model is set up to allow for donations to personal causes and life events such as medical bills.[17][18][19] GoFundMe also has a special section dedicated solely to users who are trying to raise money to cover their tuition costs.[1] A prominent tuition project helped a user raise $25,000 for an out-of-state tuition to a PhD program.[20] A 2014 tuition project raised over $100,000 for a homeless high school valedictorian to attend college and help his family.[21]
GoFundMe targets social media platforms to create awareness for campaigns, and encourages individual users to promote their fundraiser onsocial media throughout a campaign. According to a 2018 report by GoFundMe based on past campaign data, a donor sharing a campaign on social media results in $15 of donations on average, while any share of a campaign on social media, regardless of whether the user donated to the campaign, results in $13 of donations on average.[22]
In 2015, GoFundMe announced that it would no longer support legal defense funds after the site suspended funding for the defense ofSweet Cakes by Melissa, a bakery that was fined for refusing to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding.[23] As of November 2017[update] GoFundMe's terms and conditions allow for campaigns for certain kinds of legal defense.[24]
In November 2017, GoFundMe announced it would no longer charge a 5% fee per donation for US, Canada, and UK individual campaigns, and instead rely upon tips left by donors to support the website. The processing fee for online credit card payments still applies to donations.[25]
In June 2019, GoFundMe terminated a $3 million fund-raiser for an Australian rugby player,Israel Folau, to finance a court case to appeal his multi-million dollar dismissal. He had quoted1 Corinthians 6:9–10 on social media, which was said to be homophobic.[26] An alternative fundraising site was set up by theAustralian Christian Lobby with the public donating $2 million in 24 hours.[27]
In May 2022, GoFundMe announced the acquisition of nonprofit donation siteClassy. It was announced that Classy will remain and operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of GoFundMe.[28]
In October 2025,KGO-TV reported that GoFundMe had set up pages for 1.4 million nonprofit organizations without consulting with the nonprofits themselves. The organizations are able to claim these pages or unpublish them from the site.[29]
GoFundMe has described itself as the "leader in online medical fundraising".[30] One in three campaigns is intended to raise funds for medical costs, with about 250,000 campaigns for a total of $650 million in contributions each year.[30][31] This is partly attributed to the inadequacies of theU.S. healthcare system in which GoFundMe is used to bridge the gap.[30][32]
CEO Rob Solomon has said: "When we started in 2010, it wasn't purposefully set up and built to be a substitute for medical insurance. We weren't ever set up to be a health care company and we still are not. But over time, people have used GoFundMe for the most important issues they are faced with."[31] He added that the large medical fundraising is the result of severe problems in his country's healthcare system, saying: "The system is terrible [...] there are people who are not getting relief from us or from the institutions that are supposed to be there. We shouldn't be the solution to a complex set of systemic problems."[33][34]
After themurder of George Floyd, his brother Philonise Floyd established the fund "to cover funeral and burial expenses, mental and grief counseling, lodging and travel for all court proceedings, and to assist our family in the days to come as we continue to seek justice for George. A portion of these funds will also go to the Estate of George Floyd for the benefit and care of his children and their educational fund." One week after the tragedy and only four days after the start of the fund, it had already raised $7 million, putting it in ranking as one of the most highly funded GoFundMe campaigns to date.[35]
Created by entrepreneurs and investors Alex Iskold and Minda Brusse in response to thenovel coronavirus pandemic, The $1K Project uses individual GoFundMe pages to match specific donors with specific families who have been adversely affected by the pandemic. Donors agree to contribute a minimum of $1,000 per month for three months, for a total of $3,000 per family. Small-dollar donors can make contributions that are pooled together and then matched to a family. In August 2020,Andrew Yang's Humanity Forward Foundation committed to matching donations, dollar-for-dollar, up to $1 million. As of mid-October 2020, more than 800 families had been fully funded.[36][37]
In 2015, after the site suspended funding for the defense ofSweet Cakes by Melissa, a bakery that was fined for refusing to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding, GoFundMe announced that the site would no longer support legal defense funds on their platform.[23] As of November 2017[update] GoFundMe's terms and conditions allow for campaigns for certain kinds of legal defense.[24]
Created by Kelly Wright to raise money to help former intelligence analyst and whistleblowerChelsea Manning pay $256,000 in court fines levied against her after her refusal to testify to a grand jury aboutWikiLeaks founderJulian Assange. Nearly 7,000 contributions ranging from $5 to $10,000 were made within two days.[38]
Nominally a legal defense fund for Louis Daniel Smith, who faced criminal charges in relation to him selling "MMS" (Miracle Mineral Supplement). On May 27, 2015, Smith was found guilty offraud and other charges.[39] On May 31, 2015, the mmsdefensefund was removed from GoFundMe (an archived copy is available).[40]
This fundraiser was created by Kate McClure, Mark D'Amico, and Johnny Bobbitt Jr. todefraud people. Their fictitious story was that Bobbitt, a homeless veteran, spent his last $20 to assist McClure on the highway when her car ran out of gasoline. Widely reported in the US and internationally, it exceeded its goal by 4000% but when they began publicly squabbling for the money, an investigation was launched and all three were arrested and charged withtheft by deception. They pleaded guilty and were sentenced to one year and a day, five years and five-year special probation, respectively.[41][42][43][44][45][46][47]
Created with the goal of building a wall as private citizens to inhibit illegal entry along theMexico–United States border.[48] The founder,Brian Kolfage started a nonprofit with the money,We Build the Wall, which has constructed sections of the wall.[49] Currently most money raised on GoFundMe,[citation needed] but in August 2020, Kolfage was indicted, along withSteve Bannon and two other co-defendants, on federal charges ofdefrauding hundreds of thousands of "We Build the Wall" donors by diverting money that was raised to personal use. Federal prosecutors said that despite "repeatedly assuring donors" that Kolfage would not be paid, the defendants engaged in a scheme to divert $350,000 to Kolfage, "which he used to fund his lavish lifestyle." He was separatelyindicted in May 2021 on federal charges of defrauding theIRS and filing false tax returns.[50][51]
This project was created for Jeff Bauman after he lost both legs during theBoston Marathon bombing.[52][53]
Celeste and Sydney Corcoran were both victims of theBoston Marathon bombing: Sydney suffered severe injuries as a result of being hit withshrapnel, and Celeste lost both legs below her knees. This campaign page was created for their ongoing rehabilitation.[54][55]
This fundraiser was created byEquality Florida to help the victims of anightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida.[56][57] Over 90,000 people have contributed to this campaign. GoFundMe headquarters donated $100,000 and waived every transaction fee for this campaign.[58]
This fundraiser was created to help the victims ofa mass shooting from theLas Vegas Strip inParadise, Nevada.[citation needed]
There are a number of fundraisers for individual victims of the February 14, 2018,Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting inParkland, Florida to help survivors' recovery and to fund causes chosen by family members in honor of the deceased.
In January 2022, Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau announced that truck drivers crossing into Canada would have to be fully vaccinated.[59] In response, some truckers organized a convoy toOttawa under the nameFreedom Convoy 2022.[60] A GoFundMe project was then created with the claim of raising money for fuel and food for the convoy.[61] On February 4, 2022, GoFundMe announced the fundraiser had been removed from the platform for violating terms of service, specifically "violence and other unlawful activity".[62] The company initially stated that $9 million in donations from the fundraiser would be redistributed to "credible and established charities" and would only be refunded upon application, subject to a two-week time limit. Following criticism, the company subsequently stated on Twitter that all donations would be refunded within 10 business days.[63][64]
In March 2019, GoFundMe banned fundraisers fromanti-vaccine activists, includingStop Mandatory Vaccination founder Larry Cook, citing violations of their terms of service.[65][66] Despite the ban,The Independent found that several anti-vaccine campaigns were still running on GoFundMe as of May 2019.[66]
In December 2021,The Sunday Times reported that GoFundMe had enabled the donation of over €300,000 to anti-vaccine campaigns and challenges to vaccine certificates.[67][68]
In January 2023, the Britishdisinformation analysis organizationLogically reported that GoFundMe had funneled over $330,000 in donations to fundraisers for injuries supposedly caused by theCOVID-19 vaccine.[68]
On Tuesday, 27 June 2023, 17-year-oldNahel Merzouk was killed by a French police officer after he failed to comply with traffic stops. While the police officer has been arrested on suspicion of "voluntary homicide by a person in authority",far-right activistJean Messiha organised a controversial crowdfunding in favour of the police officer's family which reached €1.6 million. The killing sparkedwidespread protests and riots in France.[69] Nahel Merzouk's family has filed a complaint against Jean Messiha.[70]
In August 2023, GoFundMe froze more than $90,000 from 1,100 contributors toThe Grayzone, citing unspecified "external concerns".Grayzone founderMax Blumenthal said he believed the concerns were political and related to the platform's coverage of theRussian invasion of Ukraine.[71][72][73]
In December 2024, multiple campaigns for thelegal defense fund ofthe alleged shooter involved in thekilling ofUnitedHealthCareCEO Brian Thompson were removed.[74][75][76][77][78][79][80] However, aGiveSendGo fundraiser remained live,[81] and has raised over $125,000 as of December 16.[82]
A fundraiser campaign for victims of theAbundant Life Christian School shooting was started by April Landphier, a parent of a student of theAbundant Life Christian School sister schoolLighthouse Christian School.[83][84] It received $80 in its first 24 hours.[83][85] As of December 18, it has raised $260.[83]
 | This list has noprecise inclusion criteria as described in theManual of Style for standalone lists. Pleaseimprove this article by adding inclusion criteria, or discuss this issue on thetalk page.(September 2024) |
 | This article needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(February 2026) |
Unless otherwise stated, the following amounts are inUS dollars. Days raised is the number of days between Date raised and As of.
| Project | Amount raised | Target amount | Success rate | As of | Date raised | Days raised | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support For Butler PA Victims - President Trump Authorized[citation needed] | $5,399,200 USD | $1,000,000 USD | 539.92% | July 19, 2024 | July 13, 2024 | Active | |
| Freedom Convoy 2022 - Canada[citation needed] | $7,893,526 USD ($10,003,900 CAD) | $150000 USD ($200000 CAD) | 5,001.95% | February 2, 2022 | January 14, 2022 | 19 | Terminated |
| OfficialGeorge Floyd Memorial Fund[86] | $14,595,200 | $1,500,000 | 973.01% | July 10, 2020 | May 28, 2020 | Terminated | |
| Help the Anwars Find Peace[87] | $1,051,250 | April 1, 2021 | March 24, 2021 | Active | |||
| The $1K Project[36][37] | $2,500,000 | October 14, 2020 | April 9, 2020 | Active | |||
| America's Food Fund[88][89] | $45,155,532 | April 6, 2022 | April 1, 2020 | 735 | Terminated | ||
| Stand With Ukraine[90] | $37,059,792 | $30,000,000 | 123.53% | March 2, 2022 | Active | ||
| Help Chelsea Manning Pay Her Court Fines[38] | $267,000 | $256,000 | 104.30% | March 14, 2020 | March 12, 2020 | 2 | Terminated |
| Buffalo 5-14 Survivors Fund[91] | $5,539,786 | September 20, 2022 | May 16, 2022 | 127 | Terminated | ||
| Coronavirus, rafforziamo la terapia intensiva[92][93] | $4,271,200USD (€3,800,000) | $224,800USD (€200,000) | 1,900.00% | March 12, 2020 | March 9, 2020 | 3 | Terminated |
| Texas Elementary SchoolSchool Shooting Victims Fund[94] | $6,527,700 | $6,400,000 | 102.00% | September 26, 2022 | May 24, 2022 | 125 | Terminated |
| Help KyoAni Heal[citation needed] | $2,369,520 | $750,000 | 315.94% | August 1, 2019 | July 18, 2019 | 14 | Terminated |
| We The People Built the Wall![49] | $25,462,400 | $1,000,000,000 | 2.50% | February 26, 2020 | December 16, 2018 | 215 | Terminated |
| Children Lost Both Parents In Wreck[citation needed] | $500,075 | $7,000 | 7,142.86% | May 31, 2020 | November 3, 2015 | 0 | Active |
| Navajo & Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund[95] | $8,116,169 | $13,000,000 | 62.43% | March 15, 2020 | Active | ||
| Support for FBI Veteran Pete Strzok[96] | $448,357 | $500,000 | 89.67% | January 17, 2019 | August 13, 2018 | 157 | Active |
| Funds forHumboldt Broncos[97][98][99][100] | $15,172,213 | April 19, 2018 | April 6, 2018 | 13 | Terminated | ||
| In memory ofHyunJungKim to support my brother & I[101][102][103] | $2,927,488 | $20,000 | March 18, 2021 | Active | |||
| March for Our Lives[citation needed] | $3,531,110 | April 12, 2018 | February 18, 2018 | 53 | Unknown | ||
| Stoneman DouglasVictims' Fund[104][105] | $10,102,857 | $10,000,000 | 0.00% | June 30, 2018 | February 15, 2018 | 135 | Terminated |
| Time's Up Legal Defense Fund[106][107][108][109][110] | $24,256,172 | $24,500,000 | 99.00% | May 29, 2019 | December 20, 2017 | 525 | Terminated |
| William Osman's Fire Relief[citation needed] | $172,471 | $10,000 | 1,724.71% | June 17, 2018 | December 5, 2017 | 194 | Unknown |
| Paying it Forward[41][42][43][44][45][46] | $402,826 | November 10, 2017 | Unknown | ||||
| Las VegasVictims' Fund[111] | $11,874,100 | $15,000,000 | 79.16% | April 12, 2018 | October 2, 2017 | 192 | Active |
| Justice for Breonna Taylor (official)[112] | $6,856,608 | June 2, 2020 | Active | ||||
| Students with Puerto Rico[citation needed] | $216,180 | $150,000 | 144.12% | December 31, 2018 | September 20, 2017 | 467 | Active |
| Stefan Karl's Year of Healing[113][114] | $169,670 | October 10, 2016 | Unknown | ||||
| Support Victims ofPulse Shooting[56][57][58] | $7,853,140 | $10,000,000 | 78.53% | September 30, 2018 | June 12, 2016 | 840 | Active |
| Support The Grimmie Family[115][116] | $192,396 | June 26, 2016 | June 11, 2016 | 15 | Unknown | ||
| Saving Eliza[citation needed] | $2,025,540 | $4,000,000 | 50.64% | January 5, 2016 | April 18, 2015 | 262 | Terminated |
| Saving Eliza Continued[citation needed] | $2,115,870 | $3,000,000 | 70.53% | July 19, 2019 | September 29, 2017 | 658 | Active |
| mmsdefensefund[39][40] | $131,796 | $200,000 | 65.90% | May 27, 2015 | December 17, 2014 | 161 | Unknown |
| Support Officer Wilson[117] | $183,259 | $250,000 | 73.30% | August 27, 2014 | August 27, 2014 | 0 | Unknown |
| Homeless Valedictorian College Fund[118] | $105,000 | $60,000 | 175.00% | May 10, 2014 | July 7, 2014 | 58 | Terminated |
| Build Barbara Garcia a Home[119][120] | $73,810 | May 21, 2013 | Unknown | ||||
| Bucks for Bauman![52][53] | $810,230 | $1,000,000 | 81.02% | July 19, 2019 | April 16, 2013 | 2,285 | Terminated |
| Celeste & Sydney Recovery Fund[54][55] | $797,430 | $1,000,000 | 79.74% | July 19, 2019 | April 16, 2013 | 2,285 | Active |
| Emily Scott's Dream 2014 Sochi, Russia[121][122] | $59,380 | $15,000 | 395.87% | April 12, 2013 | Active | ||
| Voddie Baucham's Medical Expense Fund[123][124] | $1,073,180 | $1,250,000 | 85.85% | February 16, 2021 | February 13, 2021 | 3 | Active |
| The Chasing M's Foundation Community Toy Drive[125] | $8,980,850 | $2,500 | 345,659.20% | January 9, 2023 | January 1, 2020 | Active | |
| The Family of Arlene Connolly O'Neill[citation needed] | $349,294 | $500,000 | October 16, 2024 | 1 | Active |
Aaron Maté is a Canadian journalist for the far-left blog, The Grayzone, which is known for its pro-Kremlin editorial line and its support for the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, and has published content denying that the Syrian government used chemical weapons against civilians.
After weeks of sitting on the internet, the cache of Brexiteer emails was picked up by fringe website the Grayzone, which promises "original investigative journalism" on "politics and empire" and has earned praise from Hollywood director Oliver Stone, famous for his interest in — and occasional embrace of — conspiracy theories.
Media related toGoFundMe at Wikimedia Commons
