Church Fundraisers

Common questions

How do I raise money for my church online?

Start a fundraiser, name the need and the number, and add the church as the recipient. In practice that means: log in, click Start a GiveSendGo, pick the recipient's country (locked once you create it), set a goal, choose the Church category, write your title and story, add a photo or video, and publish. Then add the recipient. For a church, that's the Business bank-account type with the church's legal name and bank details, completed by an authorized adult who verifies their identity. GiveSendGo charges no platform fee, so what's deducted is the payment processor's 2.7% + 30¢ per gift in the US, 3.5% + 30¢ outside it.

Can the church itself receive the money, or does it have to go to a person?

The church can receive it. The recipient form has a Business bank-account type, which takes the legal business name plus the business's own bank details, so transfers go to the church's account. But an authorized human representative still stands behind it: 18 or older, living in the fundraiser's country, with a government-issued photo ID, a tax ID in that country, a phone number, and a residential address. That person completes identity verification before any funds move.

Are donations to a church fundraiser tax-deductible?

Nothing given on GiveSendGo is tax-deductible unless it goes through GiveSendGo Charities, the 501(c)(3). That includes the Giver Army, which is Charities' recurring giving program. The one exception is a recipient that is itself a verified 501(c)(3). GiveSendGo itself is not a 501(c)(3), does not verify any recipient's tax status, and does not issue tax receipts for a personal fundraiser. When the recipient is a nonprofit, the receipt comes from them, not from us.

If your church is a verified 501(c)(3), say so yourself: state your status, your legal name, and your EIN in the fundraiser story and in a custom thank-you message. The official GiveSendGo donation receipt can't be edited to add it.

Do we need 501(c)(3) status or an EIN to start?

No. Anyone can start a fundraiser. A church plant with no incorporation yet can raise money the same day a hundred-year-old parish can.

How fast can a church raise money for an urgent repair?

You can publish the fundraiser and start receiving gifts immediately. Getting the money out takes a little longer, and the timeline is worth knowing before you promise a contractor anything. Verification review starts once the recipient has uploaded ID and the fundraiser has received its first donation, whichever comes later, and typically completes in 1 to 2 business days after that. Your first gift becomes available 5 days after it's received, then every gift after that on a rolling 3-day basis. Once you request a transfer, it typically lands in your bank in 2 to 3 business days.

How do churches fundraise online effectively?

It comes down to six key elements: a realistic goal, a specific breakdown of what the money covers, a clear personal story with a direct ask, strong photos or a short personal video, regular updates, and consistent sharing rather than a single announcement. For a church that usually means the bulletin, the pulpit, the group text, and the church's own social accounts. A fundraiser page reaches the people you send it to.

How do I raise money for a church building fund?

The same way as any other fundraiser here, with two things worth doing deliberately. If the plan runs in phases, name the phase you're raising for and say so. Creators who are honest that this is the first of three raises don't have to explain later why the number moved. And break the cost down line by line, because a congregation reading a five-figure goal wants to see what it buys. The recipient's country is locked at creation, so if your church's bank account is in a different country than you first selected, you'd have to start over with the correct one.

Can we keep the fundraiser out of public search?

Yes. Set it to private and it won't appear in GiveSendGo search results or category listings; only someone with the direct link can open it. Creator and recipient names still show on the page itself. GiveSendGo is a public platform and a fully anonymous fundraiser isn't possible.

A published, public fundraiser can take up to 48 hours to appear in GiveSendGo search, and it appears in its category listing once it has been published for 5 days and raised $100 USD or equivalent in online donations. Offline donations don't count toward that.

Can churches use PayPal for online giving here?

Givers can give by credit or debit card, bank transfer directly from their bank, Google Pay where it's available, and Link, the one-click checkout tied to a saved Link account. PayPal isn't one of the supported methods. Givers can also choose a single donation or a monthly subscription at checkout.

What does GiveSendGo actually check before money moves?

Before any transfer, the recipient completes identity verification, and the trust and safety team checks that the recipient's relationship to the person or body receiving help is appropriate and that the fundraiser's information is consistent and transparent. After that, ongoing monitoring watches for irregular activity, and any fundraiser can be placed on hold for review. Identity verification is a standard financial-industry requirement and isn't waived for anyone.