gofundme accounts

[MrsDuck]

They're awesome if the cause is justified and warranted.

I've seen too many that are just friends/family trying to raise money for stuff they could paid for (a trip, etc) and THAT irritates me. But, I don't donate and just move on.

 

[eliza61]

I also like them. first I like the fact they are more personal. When I contribute to some other things like united way, I'm always wondering how much of my donation actually helps some one.

Like others have said, some of them are a bit selfish (someone started one to pay for his stomach reduction surgery, I know there is another name for it, can't think of it) but others are just regular folks trying to make a difference.

A local school teacher, started a chess club for inner city kids who would never have the opportunity to learn or play, he started one to get the kids to a big competition. I thought that was cool.

 

[Jedana]

(Just stating, not asking!)

We started one for my DH. We've been saving and scrimping for the kidney transplant, but we knew it would cost OOP about $10,000. We had, on hand, a little less than $2000. We expected the transplant to take 4 or 5 years to happen, but it came up in just over 2 years.

The medication cost for one prescription (that he has to be on for 3 months) is $3300 a month. Our deductible is $7000 annually (and the insurance doesn't pay a penny, even on medications, until that is paid---but the medications count towards the deductible). Plus he would be out of work for 6 weeks or so, and the rest could cover our bills and the cost to pay someone to watch DS. We asked several people to help us out by handling the fundraising stuff or by taking the dog and cats for a few weeks or by babysitting DS while DH was in the hospital, but it's amazing how all those "whatever we can do to help" people become "um, sorry, can't answer the phone" people when things really happen.

We managed to get a little over $2000. So, we're working out a payment plan with the pharmacy, so DH gets his meds and they will get their money sometime over the next few years. We really appreciate those who helped us out (and I sent each one a thank you card if I had their address, and a thank you online if I didn't).

I told DH though, I should have said I wanted to learn how to cook a pork chop like a southern woman----we probably would have gotten $50,000 for that.

 

[puffkin]

I just donated to one for an old classmate. Her 10 year old niece was hit by a car and in pretty bad shape (coma). She had set up one for the parents to help cover transportation, meals, hotels, etc to be with her at the hospital. I felt comfortable donating because it was someone I knew who set up the account, they update us on her condition regularly on social media, and those are very obvious costs that their insurance won't cover.

What rubs me the wrong way is that my SIL's father died a few months ago. They set up a Go Fund Me to cover funeral costs and they posted and reposted it on Facebook for weeks. I did end up sending a donation. Just found out from my MIL this past week that my SIL in herited about $50K from her father and bought a new car with some of it. That just really bugs me.

 

[rszdtrvl]

We donated one time on gofundme.com. It was for a brother of a classmate of DS. He and his brother were skateboarding down a hill and the brother lost control and his head slammed into the pavement. He was rushed to the state trauma center and was there for a few months. His brain basically got all shook up in his head. He has lasting issues from the accident.

When the gofundme.com account was set up, we made a small donation. I feel good doing so, and in this type of instance would do it again in a heartbeat. I felt a pull that told me that I needed to make a donation. Doing so for a honeymoon or a college tuition (hello? Student loans??) would be a no go for me.

 

[marmalade]

I've donated to medical ones for friends and family. I would never donate to someone looking to take a vacation, class trip, kitchen remodel, etc.....

 

[Pooh2]

There are several gofundme requests on my facebook right now. One is a 15 year old who "needs to raise $2,500 for recording equipment". One of his 15 year old peers informed him that there is conventional way to raise that money. It's called "get a job".
The other is a request to pay off college student loans for a young woman who decided that after accruing $60,000 in debt that she would like to be a missionary so does not want to be tied to a job.
Have not seen any that make me want to donate. We have so many people in our community with serious basic needs right now so that is where we choose to keep our donations.

 

[Ginny Favers]

I have no faith in them. While I think it's perfectly fine if you know the person you're donating to, I will never again let my heartstrings lead me to donate to someone based on what he or she is presenting on his or her gofundme page.

I recently had someone send me an email to fund a campaign for a girl whose grandmother had died and she could not afford the funeral expenses. After I contributed I learned that the girl had used the money to pay her rent and that her grandmother had died and been buried months ago. There are just too many people out there who live off of scamming others, and sites like gofundme make it only too easy. When I read a news story and it says a gofundme site has been set up, I roll my eyes. I don't know these people. I have no idea what will be done with the money. Call me suspicious, but there are all kinds of crazies out there, and on the internet, their craziness can run wild and unchecked.

 

[pryncess527]

I won't blanket refuse to donate to them, but the vast majority of requests I have seen are not the type I would give to, or would ask for.

A very close relative created one to fund a trip to Africa. I opted not to donate to that one.

I had a friend from HS who created one I found very disingenuous. She started a page stating that her son needs expensive surgery. I was surprised because I did not know she had children. Called my mom and found out she doesn't, her "son" is her dog, and he ate a bath towel and needed surgery. I did not voice my disdain to anyone other than my mother and spouse, but I found that pretty tacky. I love my animals like my children, and they may be the only "children" we ever have -- but using the term "son" seemed intentionally manipulative.

 

[Luvchefmic]

I seriously consider starting one when I'm not sure how I'm going to pay the rent, the utilities, or put food on the table. Two years ago someone did something at work that caused me to suffer injuries. It was a worker's comp case. In FL you can't sue for personal injury/suffering when it's a comp case. It's also a right to work state and you can be let go for any reason. I worked for one of the largest corporations in the world, they fired me due to attendance. I hired the most famous law firm in FL, the only suit I won was to have a small settlement of the comp case...a few thousand dollars. I am 60 years old and have been trying to get a job since March 2014 when they fired me. My age and the firing surely go against me. My husband works, but as a truck driver his pay is unpredictable. I have helped people, and animals, all my life. I never asked for a thing. Then I hear someone elses story and you know what I count my blessings. It was a bad accident but I didn't die and I didn't end up paralyzed and I could have so easily. I can see that some having a go fund me account, or one of the many others, may be lying. Too many people in this world don't know what hardship really is and are opportunistic.

 

[Colleen27]

I have mixed feelings about them. Like someone else mentioned, I don't like that they don't have a shut-down built in. If the goal is $10,000, why not shut the donation link down when that amount is reached? And it does seem like a lot of people set up pages for frivolous, stupid, or just plain selfish reasons - I've seen them for a woman with student loans who wanted to be a stay-at-home-mom, a couple wanting to remodel their kitchen, countless people looking to fund study abroad or mission trips, etc.

But when it comes right down to it I suppose they aren't all that different from the benefit dinners and such that are fairly common in my community when a family experiences a tragedy like a house fire or accident that overwhelms their financial means. Since I prefer to direct my charitable giving to local causes I've never given to a Gofundme campaign but I suppose I would if that was how a particular local cause was set up. The social element makes spaghetti dinners and such more fun, though.

 

[barkley]

I have a coworker that started one this week. She wants to have excess skin removed (2nd surgery for that) and breast implants after a massive weight loss 9 years ago. She had a tummy tuck and other skin around her middle removed 3 1/2 years ago but still has more. I don't know what to say about all that. Of course I wish her well and hope she gets her surgery but I also know she hasn't been dedicating all her money towards this surgery herself. She doesn't spend an excessive amount of money on things that I can tell but she doesn't live the super saver type of life either and I guess that is what I expect if you are going to ask me for money for something that isn't a sudden, unexpected need.

I also know of a young woman that started one last week because her son is very ill and she says she wants the money to help him get better. The child has medicaid so she isn't paying medical bills. I would be afraid of how that money would be spent unless she gave a very specific reason for needing the money and how she would be spending it. So I haven't donated to either of these causes, at least not yet. Further information from either one may change my mind.

when I first heard of these types of websites I immediately was glad I didn't administer Medicaid programs anymore, and I always wonder if good intentioned people who set them up for sick/injured people on these programs realize they can have the exact opposite effect than they desire. the rules have changed allot since I worked these programs, but back in the day when in place of these people would set up bank accounts that donations could be sent to unless it was done in a very specific way (like a special needs trust) these funds could create ineligibility for Medicaid continuing to cover the person. I remember the Medicaid head honcho for the public agency I worked for shaking her head every time the local news media covered a story for one of our clients and made a pitch for donations saying 'I hope the account is set up right so they don't lose eligibility' all too often they weren't and it just created a worse situation all around.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

They are starting to get to me. I get a request every couple of weeks. Another reason why I spend less time on facebook.

I recently had a friend request money so her cat could get medication. I donated (soft spot for animals). Days later she is posting pictures of her meal and cocktails at a swanky restaurant. ?

Another friend was short on his mortgage. I was happy to help out, but when his goal was reached he changed the amount and explained he was several months behind and would appreciate further help. I started to get almost daily update emails. I had to stop notifications.

 

[Luv2Run]

They are starting to get to me. I get a request every couple of weeks. Another reason why I spend less time on facebook.

I recently had a friend request money so her cat could get medication. I donated (soft spot for animals). Days later she is posting pictures of her meal and cocktails at a swanky restaurant. ?

Another friend was short on his mortgage. I was happy to help out, but when his goal was reached he changed the amount and explained he was several months behind and would appreciate further help. I started to get almost daily update emails. I had to stop notifications.

I've experienced the same flood of gofundme.com requests on FB, and so far, none of them have gotten a red cent from me. I have one friend who has been asking for money to help fund her son's homeschooling for the past few months now. Just recently, she said that the money from that will also go towards their rent/utility bills since she can't work because she has chosen homeschooling. It's gotten to the point where she simply just posts the gofundme.com link as her status update. It's annoying. I am not responsible for funding your life choices.

 

[scrapquitler]

I have only donated to one gofundme thing, and it was for someone I personally know. A young man was killed in a farming accident and left a pregnant wife and young child, and they were in the middle of building their own home on the farm. Some money was needed to finish making the home habitable.
At the time I did not know that gofundme takes such a large percentage. Had I known that at the time, I would have sent a check.

I would not likely donate to one for someone I did not know personally. I might consider donating to one for someone local that was like a friend of a friend type thing, but as I just stated, more likely to participate in a community based fundraiser, especially given the % taken out. (I also don't donate to paid telemarketers most of the time for the same reason).

I think its ridiculous that the ones where the goal has been so far surpassed don't shut off the donations. That seems greedy to me.

 

[SirDuff]

I think its ridiculous that the ones where the goal has been so far surpassed don't shut off the donations. That seems greedy to me.

Given that they get 8% of the donations, it is in Gofundme's best interests to let them get as high as possible, so I don't see them ever putting on a cap.

 

[runsandjumps]

I can't even watch the news anymore because it seems like they always end in "an account has been set up....."

Call me pessimistic, but when people whine to social media and then get their way, the entitlement just astounds me! The dad with the baby, the man who walked to work, the family who lost everything.... Doesnt this kind of thing happen everyday to random people all over the world?

What gets me the most is that it's not just every once in a while you see these pleas for money, it's every time you open your phone.

 

[Sabeking]

I have mixed feelings. I have given to a few that I thought were legitimate.

I had someone reach out to me via email though that really irritated me. I received this email asking to fund a girl that decided to finish all her high school classes early and go to college a year early. The parents said since she was going early they did not have time to save enough money. I thought well, what about a loan? Here is the part that really got me though. I had to send the mom an email back and ask her who she even was! She informed me that her younger daughter, not the one one going to college was on a town softball team with my daughter when she was seven. That was eleven years ago! Uh no, not feeling it.

 

[scrapquitler]

Given that they get 8% of the donations, it is in Gofundme's best interests to let them get as high as possible, so I don't see them ever putting on a cap.

True. But I wasn't even thinking of GoFundMe turning off the donations button as much as the person who started the appeal. If I was planning to raise $10K for a cause, I would not want to take more donations beyond that simply out of thinking "I met my goal, I was successful and I don't need to keep asking for more". But that's just me, I suppose.

 

[TeresaBelle]

I've never donated to one, but I might, if it was for a legit medical or hardship reason, and someone I know. Never to strangers.

A woman I work with started one for her son to fund a school trip to Spain. My DD is going to France this Spring and she (and I) have been fundraising by working concessions at local sporting events and concerts, etc.. to raise money, for the last year. I believe this is something a child should work towards, to appreciate more, the opportunity. Not something you should just "beg" for money for.