How to set up a donation page and raise money for what matters

24 April 2026 | 13 min read Fundraising strategy

A donation page is a dedicated website where supporters can learn about your fundraiser, get regular updates and make donations.

If you’ve decided to dive into the world of crowdfunding, you might be wondering how to create a donation page that will inspire others to give. Maybe you want to get help with bills for medical treatments or funeral costs. Or you might be running a race for charity to raise funds to help hurricane victims recover, support a children’s hospital, or raise money for an animal shelter. Whatever your cause, it’s crucial to set up a donation page that is compelling and tells your unique story.

Asking for donations can feel daunting at first, but creating a donation page is easier than you might think, whether you’re raising money for a charity, or for a personal cause. Since every new venture is easier with some solid advice, we’ve put our top fundraising tips together to help you choose your fundraising platform, show you how to set up a donation page, share your fundraiser and manage donations.

Start a GoFundMe

Which crowdfunding platform is best for your donation page?

With the rising popularity of crowdfunding, there are dozens of fundraising websites to choose from. So how do you know which platform is right for you and your cause?

Top crowdfunding sites don’t just offer fundraising and a simple set-up process; they’ll also throw in some great extras. A user-friendly mobile app, 24/7 customer support and a blog packed with fundraising tips are all features to look for.

Some fundraising websites, including GoFundMe, make it simple for charities to use Gift Aid and the Charitable Donation Scheme. This scheme means that if an individual donates €250 or more in a year, they can allow a charity to claim a refund for the tax paid on that donation, effectively increasing their donation.

If you’re still not sure how to choose a platform for your personal donation website, have a look at our Why GoFundMe page to find out what else makes us stand out from the crowd.

Lay the foundation with a fantastic title for your donation page

The first step in knowing how to set up a donation page for yourself, a loved one or a charity is choosing a catchy title. Your fundraiser title should attract the attention of potential supporters on social media channels, in emails and in text messages. A memorable title that instantly conveys what you’re raising funds for will encourage people to click your link and read your story. For more ideas about how to choose the best title for your page, see our blog post tips for creating a fundraiser title that will drive donations.

How to write a story that makes people want to donate

A fundraiser story that is both detailed and compelling will encourage people to support your cause. It’s perfectly normal to want to get your donation page off the ground as quickly as possible, but it’s important to take the time to create the most meaningful description possible.

Your fundraiser description length should be between 300 and 500 words, and it should cover the who, what, when, why and how of your situation. Here are the most important questions your story should answer:

Who is benefiting from your fundraiser? Describe the beneficiary as honestly and completely as you can. Explain why this person, family or organisation is so deserving of financial help. If the fundraiser is for yourself, don’t be afraid to open up and explain why support from others would make a big difference in your life.
What is the situation or cause? Tell potential donors what problems you or the beneficiary is facing.
When do you need the funds by? It’s important to tell your supporters when the funds are needed by, so that they understand the urgency of your appeal.
Why do you or the beneficiary need help? Tell people why their contributions are critical. Take a cue from local radio stations, which do a great job of answering the “why” in their fundraising appeals. It’s okay to say, “I’ve never done this before, but I need/care about this.”
What will the funds be used for? List specific expenses that you or the beneficiary need help paying. These details help people understand exactly what impact their donations will have.
What happens next? Explain your plans for the money and what the next steps are.

Remember, people respond to authenticity. Try to be honest and genuine without being overly dramatic or exaggerating and don’t feel the need to apologise for asking for help. Try to write the same way you speak, avoiding overly formal, stiff language. Consider asking a trusted friend or family member to read it over and see if it sounds like it’s in your own voice. Be sure to show respect for the situation or cause, especially when raising money for others.

Add photos and videos to bring your donation page to life

Visual content can help tell your story in a powerful way. Adding photos and videos will liven up your donation page and make people want to find out more about your cause. Ensure that your main photo is high-quality – pixelated images may make your fundraiser look suspicious. Choose photos and videos that really convey your or your beneficiary’s personality.

Photo Tips

Ensure your photos look good by:

Use good lighting, natural light if possible.
Make sure your face is clear and visible.
Avoid blurry or pixelated images.
Dress as you normally do.
Smile if you feel comfortable doing so.

Video tips

Make your video stand out by:

Keeping it short, between 30 seconds and two minutes.
Speak naturally rather than reading from a script.
Your phone camera will work perfectly; people don’t expect high-tech gear.
Find a quiet place with good lighting
Don’t worry about perfection; authenticity matters more

If you have any privacy concerns, remember, you can always blur faces or initials if needed.

Don’t worry about the images or videos being perfect; you can always add or change photos later on.

Choose a fundraising goal that makes sense

When you’re deciding what your fundraising goal should be, it’s best to start small and increase it as necessary. Why is it best to start small? Reasonable fundraising goals may encourage people to give, while overly ambitious goals might make people feel like their donation won’t count for anything in the bigger scheme of things. A goal of €500 that you reach feels like a win, while a goal of €10,000 that you only reach €2000 of can feel discouraging.

Calculate your goal by creating a clear overview of all the costs you need to cover, whether they’re medical bills, rent, funeral costs or anything else. If you’re raising money for charity, you might want to consider the impact you’re hoping to have and how much money will be needed.

Breaking down your goal is both useful for you and helps to create transparency with your donors. If you’re raising funds for a medical procedure, this might look like breaking down the costs of each provider (e.g. your surgeon, your anaesthetist, the hospital stay, any post-op care). If you’re raising money for a charity, you might break it down into milestone goals (e.g. X number of meals provided, X number of people helped).

Remember that you can increase your fundraising goal whenever you like. You can also keep all of the donations you receive, even if you don’t meet your fundraising goal.

Share your donation cause

The first few days of a fundraiser can have a big impact on its longer-term success. Before you start promoting your fundraiser left, right and centre, it’s best to share it with a few close friends and ask for their feedback. Since people are more likely to give if others have already donated, a launch strategy will ensure that you have a few solid donations before you share your fundraiser with everyone else over social media.

Start your fundraiser by sending personal fundraising letters to your closest friends and relatives. You can share the link directly via text with people you know or send personal emails explaining your fundraiser. This will help bring in a few initial donations even before you share your fundraiser link on social media.

Using social media to promote your fundraiser is one of the easiest and most effective methods to let people know about your cause. You can use Facebook, X and Instagram to spread awareness in a low-pressure way. Another way to encourage people to share your cause is to create a fundraiser hashtag. A simple hashtag like #HelpingX or #SupportingXCharity, makes it easy for people to find your social media posts and interact with them.

You can also use WhatsApp to share directly with contacts or in group chats. For close friends and family, face-to-face conversations and personal phone calls can be powerful.

If you’re fundraising for a charity, get in touch with them and ask them to share your page with their supporters.

How to write a sharing message

Keep the tone personal and friendly
Explain briefly why you’re asking
Include the link and ask people to share it
Make it easy for people to donate by sending them directly to your donation page

For more ideas about how to ask for donations, see these resources:

Sharing is perhaps one of the most important aspects of running a fundraiser. Sharing your donation page far and wide helps raise awareness for your cause and encourages your network of friends and family to support you.

Share your page multiple times throughout your fundraiser to ensure you reach the most people. Sharing regular updates is a great way to keep people aware, without overdoing it. Remember, you don’t want to spam people repeatedly or exaggerate your cause.

For more fundraiser sharing tips, take a look at these blog posts:

Managing your donations and saying thank you

When somebody donates to your fundraiser, you’ll receive a notification via email or the app showing you the donation amount and the donor’s name, unless they chose to donate anonymously. The money will either go into your bank account or directly to your chosen charity. Donations are usually deposited within 1-3 business days.

Check your donation page dashboard regularly to stay up to date with donations and keep a simple spreadsheet or list of donations to help you send out ‘thank yous’. Make sure to keep an eye on your bank account to confirm the money has arrived. If you’re fundraising for charity, watch for updates from them.

Thanking donors

When you’re busy setting up and running a donation page, it’s sometimes easy to forget to thank your donors. But showing gratitude is important. After all, without the generosity of donors, your fundraiser wouldn’t be possible.

Thanking your donors is also key to building an engaged community that remains committed and dedicated to your cause. Sometimes it can even inspire repeat donations and help with donor retention.

Write a thank you letter to each donor or try sending handwritten notes or individual emails if you have time. Human kindness is a wonderful thing, especially when it’s repaid with more human kindness.

A simple “Thank you so much for your donation. It means the world to me and will help with [cause]” can go a long way. You can also include information about what their donation will specifically be used for and share updates about your progress. For example: “Thanks to your help, I’ve been able to pay for my medical tests/[charity] was able to help X people”. You can find more thank you letter tips here.

Don’t forget to post fundraiser updates!

Updates are a simple way to keep your donors in the loop while also letting them know that you might still need their continued support. And if your fundraiser stalls, updates can help it build up momentum again.

An update can be as simple as a photograph with a line of text or a few paragraphs explaining any recent developments with your fundraiser or financial goals. You can also use updates to acknowledge and thank your special donors. Once you’ve mastered how to write a fundraising update, you can aim to post one about once a week.

If you go beyond your goal

If you end up raising more than your goal, you have a few options. If it’s a personal fundraiser, you can keep the extra funds and let donors know how you’ll use them. You could also donate the money to a related charity or return it to donors. If you’re raising funds for a charity, all the money will go directly to them, and they’ll decide how to use it.

Closing your fundraiser

You can close your fundraiser any time, and you can always re-open it if you need more help later. Keeping the page up will let people see your story and impact, letting you post updates showing how the money has had an impact.

Privacy and security

Never share donor information publicly and be sure to keep your bank account information secure with two-factor authentication.

Stay aware of scams and if anything feels wrong, report it.

Are you ready to get started? Create a donation page today

Now that you have the tools for successful fundraising at your fingertips and you know how to set up a GoFundMe, all that’s left to do is create your donation page! Start your fundraiser today and begin raising money for what’s most important to you.

Start a GoFundMe

FAQs

What happens if I make a mistake when setting up my donation page?

It’s easy to make changes to your donation page by simply selecting your fundraiser and selecting ‘edit’ below the fundraiser title. You can then change your title, goal amount, main image, story, url, category and location.

Can I close my donation page if I reach my goal early?

You can close your donation page at any time by selecting edit under your fundraiser, heading to ‘settings’ and unticking ‘allow donations’. Just remember to hit save before you close the page.

How long does it take to get the money?

Once a donation has gone through, it usually takes one to three business days to receive the money.

What’s the difference between fundraising for a personal cause and a charity?

Fundraisers for personal causes usually raise money for one person, a family or, occasionally, a specific community. The person running the fundraiser may be the one receiving the money, or they may be fundraising on behalf of someone else. They’re usually to cover specific costs, e.g. medical bills or funeral costs.

Charity fundraisers raise money for a charitable organisation. The funds will be given to a charity, and they will decide how to use them, usually to support a specific cause such as homelessness or animal welfare.