Fundraising as a small charity

Thousands of UK charities have raised money for their causes on GoFundMe.

Fundraising in just three steps

1

Launch your fundraiser

Create your fundraiser in a matter of minutes using your own photos, videos and text to tell your charity’s story. You can even create a customised fundraiser link!

2

Enrol in PayPal Giving Fund

If you haven’t already so, enrol with PayPal Giving Fund to set up withdrawals, view donor information and download itemised reports.

3

Receive donations

Donations are made to PayPal Giving Fund, which will deliver all the funds it receives (including Gift Aid) to the benefiting charity via PayPal deposit or cheque, per its policies.

Start a small charity fundraiser

Common questions about charity fundraising

• How do I join GoFundMe?

  Unlike other fundraising platforms, UK charities do not need to apply to join GoFundMe or pay any subscription or set-up fees. As long as your charity is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales or you’re enrolled with PayPal Giving Fund, you can find your charity in GoFundMe's charity database and launch a fundraiser straight away.

• Do I need to create a profile for my charity on GoFundMe?

  You do not have to create a profile for your charity, but by creating a permanent fundraiser on GoFundMe, you can enable people to give quickly and easily support your mission. You can customise your fundraiser with your charity's logo or an image that represents your charity, your charity's story, mission statement and any other information that you feel is important to encourage people to support your cause.

  Find out how to add a Donate button to your website

• How do I get my charity added to your list or enrol with PayPal Giving Fund?

  Our list includes charities registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, which contains publicly-available data and those that have already registered with PayPal Giving Fund. To see if your charity is already listed in our database, search for your charity by name or Registered Charity Number (RCN).

  If your charity isn’t listed, your financial administrator can follow these three simple steps to get it added:

  1. Create a PayPal account or make sure that your existing PayPal account is upgraded to a business account
  2. Confirm your charity's status. After you've submitted your request, PayPal will review your documents and reply by email within seven working days. You can move on to Step 3 after you've received PayPal's confirmation email
  3. Enrol with PayPal Giving Fund using the link in your confirmation email or via their website

  Access the enrolment guide here

• How will my charity receive the raised donations and Gift Aid?

  GoFundMe has joined up with PayPal Giving Fund to deliver donations for charity fundraisers.

  Donations are processed via PayPal and GoFundMe and then sent to PayPal Giving Fund, a registered UK charity (No. 1110538) which receives the donations and grants them to the recommended charities according to PayPal Giving Fund policies.

  PayPal Giving Fund files for Gift Aid with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) after delivering the original donation to your charity. PayPal Giving Fund typically passes on Gift Aid the month after the original donation is granted. Gift Aid is passed on in full, without deductions.

  If your charity has not yet enrolled with PayPal Giving Fund, you’ll be invited to enrol to receive the funds quickly and securely, and to review donor details (where these are shared). If a charity does not enrol and meets PayPal Giving Fund's Charity Certification Policy, a cheque will be sent within 90 days of the original donation date to the postal address on file in the Charity Commission's entry.

  Find out more about withdrawing funds as a charity

• How can I find out whether people are already raising money to benefit my charity on GoFundMe?

  After you enrol with PayPal Giving Fund, you’ll have access to a dashboard where you can view any donations being made in support of your charity through GoFundMe.

• Can we add a donate or fundraiser start button to our own website?

  GoFundMe will be launching an embeddable donation widget in the coming months (check back soon!). In the meantime, there are simple ways to connect your donors directly to your fundraiser or enable your supporters to start their own.

  When you create your fundraiser, you’ll have the option to set a unique URL. To link directly to the donation experience, simply add “/donate” to the end of that URL.

  Here’s an example: https://uk.gofundme.com/iamwarrior/donate

  You can also create a link that will enable your supporters to create a fundraiser of their own using your Registered Charity Number. Through the template below, you can direct them straight to the fundraiser creation process, with your charity information already populated:
  https://uk.gofundme.com/sign-up?bnf=charity&rcn=YourRCN

  Here’s an example: https://uk.gofundme.com/sign-up?bnf=charity&rcn=1113172

• Where can we access the contact information about donors?

  Once you’ve enrolled with PayPal Giving Fund, you’ll be able to view the contact details of donors who have opted to share their information and see donation breakdowns and summaries in your PayPal Giving Fund dashboard:

  1. Log in to your PayPal Giving Fund account
  2. Click 'Activity' at the top of your screen
  3. Select and filter your activities. To see the donations made during a specific time period, set the date and time you need
  4. The information displayed can be downloaded in CSV format

• Can I add other people from my charity to help organise the fundraiser?

  Absolutely! By selecting the 'Team Fundraising' option when you sign up, you will be able to invite people from your organisation who will play a helpful role in managing and sharing your fundraiser.

  Learn more about fundraising as a team