Family Fundraisers

What families raise money for here

The Family category holds the needs that don't fit a sharper label. The category you pick doesn't change how well a fundraiser can do. Most fundraisers land here because of a bill nobody planned for: rent or a mortgage payment that can't be covered this month, a car that finally died, funeral costs after a sudden death, the medical bills insurance left behind, or the cost of a household that just grew by one. Anyone can start a fundraiser on GiveSendGo. You don't need a nonprofit, an EIN, or anyone's permission. When you set one up, you pick the recipient's country, set a goal, choose a category, write your story, add a photo or a short video, and publish. If writing the story is the part that stalls you, MICA, GiveSendGo's AI writing assistant, can draft one from a short description and you can edit it from there.

An ordinary bill is a real reason to ask

Most fundraisers in this category aren't built on one dramatic day, and there's no diagnosis or lawsuit behind them, just a month where money's tight or there's an unexpected expense. Creators here often feel like a burden and spend more words apologizing for asking than being honest about what they need, but that gets it backwards. Name the bill, say what it covers, and say what changes once it's paid.

Our help desk names the same key elements every time: 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 steady sharing rather than a single post.

"We kind of felt a little guilty. Do we really need to start a GiveSendGo? We need the help, but it feels like a bit of a big ask. My buddy said, 'You start the campaign, and we'll get you taken care of.'"

— Brennen H., who raised for a move to Alaska

How to raise money for medical bills

Medical bills are one of the most common things families raise for here. They're also easy to get stuck on when writing, because the overall total is frightening while the smaller pieces are what people can actually cover. Four things to get down before you publish:

• List what's owed, piece by piece. Name the hospital balance that's still open, the specialist your insurance denied, the prescription, and the drive to treatment, because each line gives someone a specific thing to pay for.
• Set the goal to the number in front of you rather than the whole projected cost of the year, so the page shows real progress instead of a gap that never closes. You can always increase the goal later as you hit smaller milestones.
• Name who receives the money. The fundraiser creator who sets a fundraiser up and the recipient whose bank account receives it don't have to be the same person, which matters when the patient is in no shape to be typing.
• Keep the page updated as things change. Regular updates and steady sharing sit on the help desk's short list of what makes a fundraiser work, so plan to post more than once.

Start a GiveSendGo

Write the list before you publish

A fundraiser doesn't reach anyone on its own, and the people most likely to give are the ones who already know you. So write out who you'll send it to before you publish. Make that list longer than the handful you'd think of first: extended family, your church or small group, coworkers, neighbors, old friends, and any parent or school group you're part of. Then send it as a plain text message rather than one broadcast post, because a link addressed to one person gets opened. "I set this up for my mom's hospital bills, would you take a look?" is enough.

What it costs, and when the money reaches your bank

GiveSendGo doesn't take a cut. There's no platform fee. What's deducted is the payment processor's fee: 2.7% + 30¢ per gift for US fundraisers, 3.5% + 30¢ outside the US. On a $100 gift to a US fundraiser, $97 reaches you. GiveSendGo runs on the optional tip at checkout, so no percentage of what a family raises comes to us.

Your first gift becomes available 5 days after it's received. Every gift after that becomes available on a rolling 3-day basis. Once you request a transfer, it typically lands in your bank within 2 to 3 business days. Non-USD transfers can take longer.

The rest of the mechanics, in one place:

• Who can receive it: the recipient must be 18 or older, live in the fundraiser's country, and have a bank account there. If their country isn't supported, a trusted adult in a supported country can be named as recipient and pass the funds along.
• Verification comes before any money moves. Every recipient completes identity verification before any transfer, and review starts once their ID is uploaded and the first gift has arrived, whichever comes later. It usually finishes 1 to 2 business days after that, and it isn't waived for anyone.
• Choose the country carefully at the start, because the recipient's country can't be changed after the fundraiser is created.
• Getting the money out: request a transfer from the Transfers tab whenever funds are available, or set transfers to go out weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. In the US, use a checking account, since transfers are sent as checking transactions and a savings account may be rejected by the bank. Minimum transfer amounts vary by country.

Start a GiveSendGo

If you came here to give rather than to ask

Every fundraiser listed above names its creator and its recipient, so you know who your gift reaches before you send it. Card details run through a PCI Level 1 certified processor, the highest tier in the payments industry, and they're never stored on GiveSendGo's servers. A receipt reaches you by email as soon as the gift goes through.

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