How To Find a Cause to Support on GoFundMe

The internet has changed our world in too many ways to count, but one of the most wholesome things to come from the popularity of the internet is crowdsourced fundraising. Sites like GoFundMe were developed with Kickstarter in mind, but instead of focusing on funding new gadgets and other electronics, GoFundMe comes from a place with a bigger heart. Launched in 2010, GoFundMe has created quite a following, whether its made of people looking to support a cause they consider good and just, or for people who love to read success stories of those who have been saved through online donating.

GoFundMe allows anyone to start a campaign to raise money for their cause so long as they’re withing GoFundMe’s terms of service, but what if you’d rather look for something to support online. If you’re a kindhearted person blessed with the ability to give to others, you may want to consider donating to a good cause on GoFundMe’s site. Of course, you’ll have to ensure you find a cause worth supporting first. Here’s how to do just that.

Finding a good cause to support on GoFundMe

If you have some spare cash, finding a cause on GoFundMe is one of the best places you can spend it. Your money goes directly to someone in need, with only a small fee taken by the service to keep the site running. Your donation isn’t skimmed by a poorly-run charity, and when tax season comes, you can deduct your GoFundMe donation on the charity line. If you’re ready to donate some cash, here’s how to find someone in need.

Visit the GoFundMe website here.
If you are looking for something specific, use the search box in the center.
If you want to browse, select the type of cause you want to support with the icons under the search box. You can also use the ‘Recommended For You’ section under the center box.

You can also log into GoFundMe with Facebook, instead of having to log into the site using a unique identifier.

Once you find a good cause to support, select Donate Now.
Enter your details in the next page along with a dollar amount to donate.
Leave a comment if you like, or hit Continue.
Confirm the donation.

All donations are final and non-refundable, with the exception of GoFundMe stepping in for dangerous campaigns, so make sure you’re sure your information is correct before hitting submit

Making sure the cause you support is legit

GoFundMe is an amazing idea that helps the many support the few. It can bring out the best in people, but also the worst. There have been stories of very compelling GoFundMe campaigns that have been completely fake. If you see a high profile shooting or tragedy on TV, a couple of hours later, you will likely see one or more GoFundMe pages appear offering to support the family involved.

Many of these will be legitimate, others may not. GoFundMe has procedures in place to help prevent scams but they aren’t foolproof. In situations like a disaster with multiple GoFundMe campaigns, the company manages the money on behalf of all pages and deposits monies directly with those directly involved. The people who started the campaigns do not see any money at all.

This goes a long way to preventing the worst scams but cannot possibly prevent all of them.

How to spot a GoFundMe scam

GoFundMe is a great site worthy of your support. If you have cash to donate, you could earn serious karma points by doing it here. But be careful who and what you support. Here are a few ways to spot a GoFundMe scam.

Check out the person who created the campaign – The person who creates the campaign will ideally be linked to the beneficiary of it. They will also have their Facebook page linked to the campaign. Check them out and see if it looks okay. Not all campaigns are run by those directly related so don’t use this criteria on its own.

Check out where else the campaign is advertised – A GoFundMe campaign should only appear on the GoFundMe website. It can be promoted elsewhere and should be. However, all links should lead back to GoFundMe. If there are other websites and other campaigns elsewhere, it could be a scam that is spreading its net as wide as possible.

Only pay through GoFundMe – Any campaign that requests payments outside of GoFundMe’s own payment system is likely a scam. The payment system is there to prevent fraud and asking you to step outside it is against their T&Cs.

GoFundMe is doing a lot of work to prevent scams as much as possible but lowlifes always find a way. Don’t let it put you off giving though as it is often a lifeline for those genuinely in need.