Here are three fast and safe ways you can help people in Turkey and Syria

1. Donate to a verified fundraiser that supports relief efforts. Our Trust & Safety team has verified the fundraisers on this centralized hub and will continue to add verified fundraisers to it as more become available.
2. Start a certified charity fundraiser for a verified organization providing critical support to those affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
3. Start an individual fundraiser for an impacted friend or family member, subject to review by our Trust & Safety team.

While we accept donations worldwide, only people in supported countries can start fundraisers for their friends and family members. We understand that many diaspora communities want to start fundraisers and transfer money directly to those impacted. To help our team complete this process as quickly as possible, please include the following in your fundraiser description: 

• Who you’re raising money for
• Where your beneficiary is located
• How they will use the funds raised
• How you will deliver funds to your beneficiary

For example, if it is a fundraiser to support medical aid for your family in Turkey, please include those details in your description. Our Trust & Safety team is carefully reviewing fundraisers related to this crisis. This is an important step to help ensure the fundraiser is compliant with the evolving regulations, international laws, strictly enforced policies from our payment partners, and our Terms of Service. It’s also important that we protect the generosity of all donors by taking steps to help ensure that any funds raised on GoFundMe can be delivered as intended by the organizer.

Update: How to safely fundraise for Syria

Following the updated Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) guidance released on February 9, individuals can now use GoFundMe to raise funds for humanitarian aid efforts in Syria, including through personal remittances to those impacted by this crisis. 

All fundraisers to aid Syria must be reviewed 

To ensure GoFundMe and our payment processors remain in compliance with international sanctions, all fundraisers to aid Syria must be reviewed before they are able to raise or withdraw funds. 

Fundraisers to aid Syria must be complete by July 31, 2023

Per our payment processors, all donations to fundraisers supporting aid to Syria and transfers from their balance must be completed by July 31, 2023, and fundraisers will be closed following this date. If the fundraiser balance is not transferred by this date, GoFundMe will be required to refund the balance back to donors.  

As the situation evolves and new information is released by government agencies, our fundraising guidance is subject to change.