Funeral fundraising tips to help cover memorial costs
When you’re grieving the loss of a loved one, you shouldn’t have to worry about how you’ll pay for a funeral. Crowdfunding for funeral expenses helps ease financial stress during this difficult time and allows you to focus on saying goodbye. Below, we offer funeral fundraising tips that will help you raise money to honor your loved one’s memory.
Tips for funeral and memorial fundraising success
Losing a loved one is incredibly difficult, and asking for financial support during such a personal time can feel overwhelming. You’ll learn how to write a compassionate fundraiser, share it with the right people, and keep supporters informed along the way.
Tell your loved one’s story
Your fundraiser story is an opportunity to write a tribute to your loved one and explain what he or she meant to you. Include images and videos from different points in their life. This helps others reminisce about shared memories, or learn something new. Here are some other tips:
- Create a descriptive fundraiser title. “Paying tribute to Marie,” is far more interesting than “Funeral expenses.”
- If you’re not related to the deceased, be sure to clarify your relationship to them so there’s no confusion among donors.
- Share a few of your favorite memories of your loved one.
If you’re having a hard time finding the right words, read our blog post Your fundraiser story: a comprehensive guide.
Share specific financial needs
The high cost of funeral services is a huge point of stress for many families who have just lost a loved one. If you have a large fundraising goal, it’s important to let your supporters know what items you’re fundraising for. This will help others understand why you’ve chosen a specific fundraising goal and can encourage more giving.
See these blog posts for more memorial fundraising tips:
List other ways people can help
Coping with death can affect every area of someone’s life. That means there’s a lot of room for others to pitch in. Maybe you need someone to pick your kids up from school or walk your dog. Or perhaps you need someone to write an obituary and deliver a eulogy at the service.
List these needs under a title that says “Other ways you can help” on your fundraiser page. This will allow people to show their love and support in creative ways if they aren’t able to make a monetary funeral donation.
Related reading: How to help someone who is grieving
Share your fundraiser far and wide
Sharing your fundraiser with everyone you know is the number one way to receive donations. You can use social media to promote your fundraiser, and then ask others to share your posts with their contacts.
If you’ve exhausted social media efforts, why not try fundraising without social media? You can reach out via email, phone, and text. It isn’t always easy to ask for donations while grieving, but our fundraising email templates can make seeking support less intimidating. You can also ask friends or close family members to help with outreach efforts. You can also include your fundraiser link in the obituary notice or funeral program. This helps people attending the service find and support it easily. If asking for donations feels too overwhelming, consider asking a trusted friend to handle outreach and share your fundraiser on your behalf. If you’re holding an in-person memorial, you can also print a QR code for your fundraiser, so attendees can donate with a quick scan.
Keep your supporters involved
Once people donate, they’ll want to know how their donations have helped, or if you still need help reaching your goal. Posting fundraiser updates is the perfect way to keep supporters in the loop while showing them your appreciation. Here are some other ideas of what to include in updates:
- Give progress updates on your fundraising goals to inspire more donations.
- Write a donation thank you letter to individual supporters for large contributions, or post a general thank-you message to everyone.
- Share a favorite memory of your loved one with a photo.
Stories of support and remembrance
Families across the country have used GoFundMe to raise money during some of life’s most difficult moments. Here are two examples of how others have used crowdfunding to honor a loved one’s memory.
Laura’s Cancer battle
Laura touched many lives as a program manager at the University of Houston. After she passed away, students and colleagues wanted to honor her memory and help Laura’s husband. They started a GoFundMe that raised close to $5,000 to pay for medical and funeral expenses.
Our amazing friend Jae Haydon
After Jae lost his life while traveling in Bali, Indonesia, his good friend Mark took action and created a GoFundMe for his family. Mark helped raised over $68,000 so Jae’s family could bring him home to Australia for a proper celebration of life.
How to set your fundraiser goal
Setting a realistic fundraising goal can help donors understand exactly what their contributions will support. Start by asking the funeral home for an itemized General Price List, or GPL. Funeral providers are required to give you one under the FTC’s Funeral Rule. According to the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), the 2023 national median cost of a funeral with viewing and burial is $8,300, while a full-service cremation costs a median of $6,280.
From there, add a buffer for extra costs. Think flowers, an obituary notice, travel, or memorial keepsakes. It’s also perfectly reasonable to set a higher goal if your family needs help with living expenses, lost income, or other costs during this difficult time. To better understand common funeral expenses, see our guide to the cost of funeral services.
Begin your funeral fundraiser and cover memorial costs
If you’re having trouble finding organizations that help with funeral expenses, or you could use additional financial support, GoFundMe wants to help. Through our fundraising model, you can keep more of the money you raise, and funds can be withdrawn as donations arrive. Whether you’re raising money for your own family or helping a friend, memorial fundraising allows you to dedicate your time and energy to what matters. Sign up and start a fundraiser for funeral expenses today.
Funeral fundraising tips FAQS
Starting an online fundraiser makes it simple to reach supporters wherever they are, and anyone with the link can contribute. You can also raise money offline through in-person collections, church or community fundraisers, or word of mouth. Nonprofit organizations and government assistance programs often involve eligibility reviews and waiting periods, whereas crowdfunding typically has no approval process and no eligibility requirements, though transaction fees, including credit and debit charges, may apply. For a list of organizations that can supplement fundraising with additional financial assistance, see the guide to organizations that help with funeral expenses.
Funds from an online fundraiser can be withdrawn at any point, so you don’t need to wait until your target is met. This means families can begin covering funeral expenses as donations arrive, regardless of whether the final goal is reached. Transaction fees, including credit and debit charges, apply to all donations received.
There is no required end date for an online fundraiser. Many families keep it live for several weeks or months after the service, as some supporters prefer to give once the immediate grief has settled. Posting updates as you cover expenses, or to share memories of your loved one, keeps supporters engaged and can encourage additional contributions. You can close the fundraiser at any time once you have covered your costs, or leave it open if the family still needs ongoing support.