Topic: GoFundMe was created to let everyday people fund whatever they need funded

[Software Santa]

GoFundMe was designed to allow everyday people to do wonderful things with the money they raise online

1. How to Fundraise Online? GoFundMe makes it super simple to fundraise online for the things that matter to you most. From honeymoons to memorials and everything in between, it's easy to invite family & friends to donate to your important life events, projects & causes.

How to Fundraise: Simply sign up, create your donation website, share your link with friends and collect donations. You automatically receive each donation in real-time.

Like what? GoFundMe allows you to raise money online for just about any idea, event, project or cause your family, friends & personal contacts might believe in.

Some helpful links...
Need some inspiration? Check out our list of Fundraising Ideas
Not sure about us? Millions of dollars have been raised on GoFundMe. Need proof?
What is the media saying? Have a look at our Reviews & Press


   2. How do I accept donations online? With GoFundMe, it's all built-in! After signing-up you'll share your donation page link with friends, family & contacts. Your visitors complete their donation on your page using a debit or credit card and you instantly receive each payment.  The entire process takes less than a minute. Take the Tour.


    3. When do I get my money? GoFundMe users can select between 3 different campaign types...

Personal Donation Campaigns (most popular)
 'Personal Donation' campaigns receive their money immediately - there are no time limits or collection requirements. Each and every payment you receive is yours! Your GoFundMe page will continue to accept donations even after your goal is met.

Charity Fundraising Campaigns
 Money raised for 'Charity Fundraising' campaigns will be sent to the selected charity on a monthly basis. All donations received will be sent via check to the charity or non-profit you select from our certified list.

All-or-Nothing Crowdfunding Campaigns (New!)
 Select this option if your project or idea requires a certain amount of money. Your supporters will only be charged if you're able to reach your funding goal before your deadline arrives. If your goal is reached, then your supporters will be charged and you'll receive your money. If you don't reach your goal prior to your deadline, then your supporters will not be charged. Learn more about crowdfunding.


    4. How do I get my money? Simply click the 'Withdraw' link inside of your GoFundMe account to request a check or electronic bank transfer. Making a withdrawal does not affect your fundraising progress or what's displayed on your page.


    5. Do my donors need an account? Nope! Your donors simply visit your page link and complete their payments using a debit or credit card.


    6. Will GoFundMe charge me any fees? GoFundMe will automatically deduct a 5% fee from each donation you receive. If you don't receive any donations, then you won't pay anything at all.
Since our fee is deducted from each donation in real-time, you'll never need to worry about getting billed or owing us any money. Your donors are NEVER charged fees.
Remember, GoFundMe is the BEST fundraising solution available and all those extra donations you collect should more than make up for the fee.
Beware of other sites that claim to be "100% Free" - they will actually charge your donors instead. GoFundMe will never charge your donors anything.


    7. How are payments processed? US Customers: A WePay account is automatically created for you inside of GoFundMe during the sign up process. WePay charges a fee of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (exactly the same as PayPal).
All payments you receive will immediately appear inside of your WePay account. Simply click the large green 'withdrawal' button inside of your GoFundMe account to request a check or bank transfer.
NOTE: All this fancy account setup happens inside of GoFundMe. There's no need to visit other websites or worry about complicated account settings. It just works.
International Customers: You'll be asked to connect or create a PayPal account inside of GoFundMe during the sign up process. PayPal charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.
All payments you receive will immediately appear inside of your PayPal account. Simply visit your PayPal account at any time to withdraw your money.
Certified Charity Customers: Our partner, FirstGiving, deducts a 4.25% fee to process and deliver all charity donation payments. PayPal & WePay fees DO NOT apply if you're raising money through this feature.
All payments you receive will be collected by FirstGiving and prepared for delivery to your selected non-profit or charity. FirstGiving will normally issue payments on a monthly basis, if not sooner.
NOTE: FirstGiving's fee ONLY applies if you are raising money for a non-profit or charity listed in our database.


    8. Why wouldn't I just use my own 'donate button'? You could think of PayPal and other online payment services as a good 'cash register', but without the 'store'. In other words, payment services won't give you and your donors an engaging destination that's engineered for results.
That's where we come in.
GoFundMe is more than a payment form - it's a entire fundraising system that's always working to help you raise more money. Beyond beautiful donation pages and powerful sharing features, GoFundMe gives you a complete online fundraising command center that you'll be sure to love. View actual success stories!


    9. Do I have to be a non-profit to use this? No! Anyone can raise money online using GoFundMe's customizable donation pages. Our users often raise money for themselves or for friends they want to help out. GoFundMe was designed to allow everyday people to do wonderful things with the money they raise online.
That said, many non-profits do use GoFundMe because it's such a great way to raise money online. GoFundMe users can also raise money for their favorite charity.


    10. How does the 'Charity Donations' feature work? GoFundMe has teamed up with a trusted partner called FirstGiving to process and deliver all donations to your favorite charities and non-profit organizations in the US & UK. FirstGiving deducts a 4.25% fee to process and deliver all charity donation payments.
Visit our Charity Donations page and search for the charity you would like to raise money for. Click the orange 'Raise Money' button to customize your personalized donation page for your selected charity.


    11. Will my donors get charged any fees? No! Donors do not get charged any fees for donating to your GoFundMe page. Other sites that claim to be "100% Free" will actually charge your donors - not cool!


    12. Are there limits to how much money I raise? No way! GoFundMe users can raise as much money as they want. Your page will continue to accept donations even after your goal is met. You can even withdraw your money at any time without affecting your donation page.


    13. Can I raise money on Facebook & Twitter? Of course! Connecting to Facebook & Twitter is part of what makes GoFundMe work so well. The best part is that visitors to your donation page end up doing most of the sharing for you – helping you to attract more donors!


    14. How will I know when people donate? We send you an email each time somebody donates to your page. After receiving the email, you'll see the new donation appear in your GoFundMe dashboard and added to your overall account balance.


    15. How do I know it's safe to donate to someone? In terms of online security, all payments are securely processed using industry-standard Secure Socket Layer encryption, or SSL.
As a rule of thumb, only donate to people you personally know and trust. When in doubt, don't donate and report any suspicious pages or activity to our team here.
Learn more about your Safety & Security when using GoFundMe.


    16. What about taxes? We're unable to provide specific tax advice since everyone's situation is different. While this is no means a guarantee, most donations on GoFundMe are simply considered to be 'personal gifts' which are not taxed as income in the US.
Additionally, only donations made to a legally registered non-profit or charity may be considered eligible for donors to claim as a tax deduction. Again, every situation is different so please consult with a tax professional in your area.


    17. What countries and currencies are supported? GoFundMe works in countries that are supported by our payments partners. We realize that payment companies like PayPal operate in many countries, but only some countries are fully supported to work with GoFundMe.
Supported countries and currencies include: United States of America ($USD), United Kingdom (£GBP), Canada ($CAD), Australia ($AUD), and European Union countries that use the Euro as their official currency (€EUR).
Simply set your country and currency during the Sign Up process.
 

http://www.gofundme.com