What Can You Use GoFundMe for Beyond Personal Emergencies

GoFundMe can be used for more than just personal emergencies. Many people use it to fund their education, such as a college student who needs to cover tuition fees.

Funding for education is a common use of GoFundMe, with over 100,000 campaigns created for this purpose.

If you're looking for a fundraising platform with more engaging and convenient features, check out some of the popular GoFundMe alternatives.

Givebutter is a truly free GoFundMe alternative that provides the free toolset you need for long-term fundraising success. It takes less than 5 minutes to sign up for a free Givebutter account.

Fundly is the best GoFundMe alternative, offering a range of features to help you reach your fundraising goals.

Double the Donation is best for extending fundraising impact, allowing you to tap into a wider network of potential supporters.

For specific wishlists, FundRazr is the way to go, providing a convenient and engaging way to raise funds.

If you're looking to create a fundraising campaign for a creative project, Kickstarter is the platform to use, offering a unique opportunity to bring your vision to life.

Fundraising for a nonprofit can be made easier with Classy, a platform designed for larger organizations.

If you're an entrepreneur looking for funding, Onevest is a great option, providing a platform to connect with potential investors.

For faith-based fundraising, GiveSendGo is a good choice, offering a platform specifically designed for this type of fundraising.

For mobile fundraising, Snowball is a great option, providing a convenient way to raise funds on-the-go.

Kickstarter is a popular platform for crowdfunding, with over $5 billion pledged to projects since its launch in 2009.

You can also use platforms like Indiegogo and GoFundMe to raise funds for various causes. GoFundMe has helped raise over $9 billion for individuals and organizations in need.

These platforms allow you to create a campaign and share it with your network, making it easy to spread the word and reach a wider audience.

FundRazr is a crowdfunding platform that allows individuals and nonprofits to create branded fundraising pages in minutes.

You can add photos, videos, and more to engage your donors and create a sense of community.

FundRazr offers wish lists, which are registries of items you need, allowing donors to donate directly to a specific thing.

Perks are also available, offering prizes to those who give at specified levels.

FundRazr has several pricing packages, including a plan with $0 in platform fees, plus the standard credit card processing fee, if you're willing to ask your donors to tip them.

Nonprofits with specific wish list items to fulfill or those looking for an easy way to organize perks in exchange for donations might find FundRazr particularly useful.

Kickstarter is a popular platform for creative projects, allowing fundraisers to share their projects and receive backing from donors throughout the process.

Kickstarter uses an all-or-nothing model, where fundraisers only receive funding if they meet their goals, which can be a strong motivator for both fundraisers and supporters.

The platform collects 5% of total funding for completed projects, plus a payment processing fee of 3% + $.20 per pledge.

If you're fundraising for a specific wish list of items, consider using Fundrazr, a GoFundMe alternative that helps nonprofits obtain specific lists of items.

Fundrazr is perfect for groups that need to raise funds for a particular set of items, such as a school that needs sports equipment.

You can easily communicate your needs to supporters and contact contributors with announcements, thank-you letters, and updates, all from one centralized hub.

Get started with Fundrazr's platform for free, and fill out the information form for a personalized experience and pricing.

Donorbox is a great option for fundraising, and it's free to get started. You only pay a 1.5 percent Donorbox platform fee per transaction.

You can even ask donors to cover this fee, which makes it a convenient option. Donorbox uses Stripe and PayPal for payment processing, which also comes with a small fee.

This fee structure makes it easy to manage your donations and keep track of your fundraising progress.

Getting started with online donations is free, thanks to Donorbox.

You'll only pay a 1.5 percent Donorbox platform fee per transaction, which you can pass on to your donors.

Donorbox's pricing model is transparent, with no hidden fees.

A small payment processing fee from Stripe/PayPal is also added to each transaction.

This fee is a standard practice for online payment processing.

You can learn more about Donorbox's pricing by visiting their website.

Donate Kindly is a simple donation platform that allows you to customize your giving fields to meet your organization's requirements.

The platform offers a straightforward donation form that can be easily embedded on a crowdfunding campaign page built by your organization.

You can create separate forms for each of your individual campaigns, giving you flexibility in managing your fundraising efforts.

Donate Kindly doesn't charge a platform fee, instead asking each donor for tips as a way to support the platform.

A standard credit card processing fee still applies, so be sure to factor that into your fundraising strategy.

Campaign management is a crucial aspect of a successful crowdfunding campaign. Look for platforms that allow you to easily share updates on the campaign page, via email, and social media to keep your donors engaged.

A feature to add updates directly to the fundraising page is a must-have. This can include thank you messages, impact stories, and deadline reminders.

Having a goal tracker to show real-time donation updates is also essential. It creates a sense of urgency among donors, inspiring them to contribute more.

For example, some platforms, like Donorbox, have an updates tab as well as a goal tracker to keep track of received donations.

Social proof is a powerful tool to boost your crowdfunding campaign. By showing that people are supporting your mission, you're offering social proof that yours is a cause worthy of donations.

Social sharing buttons are essential to make it easy for your supporters to share your campaign with their social network. The New York Urban League's campaign features social media buttons that visitors can click on to share the fundraising campaign and spread the message.

A donor wall is another way to offer social proof, where donations can be made public and donors can leave messages. This feature acknowledges your donors and their gifts, encouraging them to make donations in the future.

Snowball is a fundraising platform that allows you to run multiple campaigns at once. Their intuitive platform helps you build a customized donation page with a goal thermometer and social sharing buttons.

Snowball's Essential plan is free, with the exception of credit card processing fees. Paid plans start at $549 per year and go up to $999 per year.

Social proofing is a powerful tool to increase donations. By showing that people are supporting your mission, you're offering social proof that yours is a cause worthy of donations.

Social sharing buttons on your crowdfunding campaign page make it easy for supporters to share with their social network. This is exactly what the New York Urban League did on their page.

A donor wall is another way to offer social proof. It lists down donations, donors' names, and any messages from them, acknowledging donors and encouraging them to make future donations.