If you've ever run or donated to a personal crowdfunding campaign there's a good chance you've heard of GoFundMe. They are by far the largest personal crowdfunding site, raising several million dollars every day through the hundreds of thousands of active campaigns on their site.
But does the fact that GoFundMe is the biggest site make it the best? We think not. Although the front pages will show extremely successful campaigns, you don't see the tens of thousands of unsuccessful campaigns that raised $0 buried deep in the site. And being on a big site doesn't actually help your exposure, as some might expect. Rather, you're now in competition against those hundreds of thousands of other campaigns, and unless you go viral on your own you're not going to be on that front page.
The reality is that in order for a personal crowd funding campaign to be successful it's going to be largely dependent on your own network of friends and family. Occasionally there are campaigns that get picked up by news outlets or appeal to a broad audience, and those can raise significant amounts from strangers, but even then it all starts with your close personal network in the beginning. The platform itself doesn't make a difference in your campaign's success, only the campaign itself and your own efforts determine whether or not the fundraiser will work. For more information about what makes a campaign successful or not, please see "Why Your Personal Crowdfunding Campaign Will Make $0."
So, given that the particular site you're on does not determine the success of your fundraiser, how do you choose the best site to use? Let's compare a couple of key features that make FreeFunder a much better choice.
First, FreeFunder does not charge a platform fee. GoFundMe takes 5% of every donation made to your campaign. That's on top of the transaction fee charged by the payment processor, which is typically 2.9% + $0.30 and is unavoidable for anyone accepting credit cards (including FreeFunder). So, apples to apples, FreeFunder charges the fundraiser 0% and GoFundMe charges 5%. (Fees changed in some countries, see edit below)
Second, FreeFunder is the only crowd funding platform that will actually donate to your fundraiser based on shares. We know how important it is to get the word out to your personal network, so we donate $20 to your campaign when you reach 100 Facebook Shares, and another $50 when you reach 500 Facebook Shares. This encourages you to share, but also encourages your friends who may not be able to contribute financially to share as well - this real-world incentive to share can make a HUGE difference in how well your campaign does. GoFundMe does not provide this incentive, only FreeFunder does.
You might be wondering, "How does FreeFunder stay in business if they don't charge a fee and they actually donate to fundraisers on their site?" In true crowd funding fashion, FreeFunder relies on the voluntary donations of contributors to keep the lights on. For example, if someone donates $20 to your campaign, they have the option to donate $1 (or less, even zero) to FreeFunder as well. In most cases, this is no problem for the person donating, and they willingly make the donation. This way that original $20 goes entirely to the fundraiser, instead of $19 which would happen with GoFundMe.
Over time, this difference is significant! $1 doesn't sound like much, but if you raised $10,000 you're talking about losing $500 that was intended for your fundraiser. Keep that extra 5% by creating your fundraiser on FreeFunder, and even get bonus cash from FreeFunder based on Shares!
Edit regarding GoFundMe Fees, posted Sep 19th, 2019:
About a year after FreeFunder's launch, GoFundMe changed their monetization structure to be very similar to FreeFunder's in some of the countries in which they operate. In those countries, instead of the 5% fee, they have a recommended "tip" amount that goes to the platform. This tip amount defaults to 15%, and can be adjusted between 10 and 20%, or you can manually change this to a custom amount (including zero).
While GoFundMe is an excellent choice if you are fundraising outside of the US or Canada, there are other, better alternatives out there. As more creative projects, charitable causes, and individuals attempting to raise money need a reliable platform to gain support, other crowdfunding websites are emerging as a solution.
One of the leading GoFundMe alternatives is FreeFunder. This crowdfunding platform is a peer-to-peer fundraising site that anyone can use for free.
It is a great fundraising platform for those who are attempting to raise money for a project, start a crowdfunding campaign, or simply raise funds for an event or cause. FreeFunder allows for easy integration with a variety of websites for minimal fees, making it extremely easy for campaigners to donate.
There are many fundraising sites like GoFundMe available now, with some requiring minimal platform fees. On top of that, there are a few GoFundMe alternatives that don't ask for a platform fee at all, with FreeFunder coming out on top.
However, fundraising sites like Fundly, Bonfire, DonateKindly, Classy, etc., are also worth checking out for peer-to-peer fundraising.
Unlike most GoFundMe alternatives, FreeFunder is a unique crowdfunding campaign site that donates money through social network shares.
In a nutshell, for 100 Facebook shares, this fundraising platform will donate $20 to the fundraising campaign. Similarly, 500 Facebook shares will result in a $50 donation from the fundraising platform. This ultimately ensures a steady and successful fundraising campaign.
On top of that, the method allows financially incapable friends and families to contribute to creative projects as well. All they need to do is share your post as many times as possible for you to raise money for your cause!
Most GoFundMe alternatives tend to be a lot like the original site. However, with time, we've seen a few underdogs making their entry - with FreeFunder being the best so far. This platform is very affordable for raising money, thanks to its zero platform fees.
The payment processor, Stripe, does charge a fee of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, which is the industry standard for online payment processing and cannot be avoided no matter which platform you use.
True to its mission, FreeFunder relies on voluntary donations from its supporters in order to pay for and operate the platform.Other than that, campaigners are allowed to create as many crowdfunding campaigns as they want without having to spend a cent. With no platform fees and a multitude of fundraising tools, the platform enables users to reach their fundraising goals free of cost.
Having to pay a hefty platform fee is what prevents most campaigners from raising money for their cause. However, one of the best GoFundMe alternatives available right now is FreeFunder. It's a completely free online fundraising page requiring zero cash from the user.You can raise funds easily for your crowdfunding campaign through FreeFunder. The platform also provides users with crowdfunding tips and tools, helping individuals make the best out of the online fundraising site.
Overall, FreeFunder is the best GoFundMe alternative for those looking to raise money for a cause or project. Thanks to its nil platform fee and comprehensive donor analytics, FreeFunder provides the features and benefits that any fundraiser needs. On top of that, it's free, so you don't have to worry about the platform fee eating away at your fundraising campaigns.
GoFundMe is an online crowdfunding platform that has become a common fundraising tool for many people. It is often used when people need help to cover their medical bills and expenses or to fund their creative projects.
However, there are many other crowdfunding platforms available. While selecting the right platform for your purpose can be challenging, it's important to find the one that's the best fit for your needs.
FreeFunder is an online platform that allows you to quickly and easily raise money for anything from creative projects to medical expenses.
Best of all, FreeFunder does not charge any platform fees. There are no set-up costs. On top of that, you don't have to worry about your monthly credit card processing fee either, so you keep all the money you raise in your campaign.
Targeted primarily toward funding projects, Patreon is an increasingly popular platform. Donors and patrons can choose from different levels and reward tiers of support, while entrepreneurs and artists can get ongoing donations as well as feedback at regular intervals. You can keep 90% of the money you raise through Patreon, and the platform charges a 5% fee for each payment made.
This website is one of the fastest-growing crowdfunding site in the US. Fundly's fees are also fairly affordable, with the platform charging 4.9% + $0.30 per donation.It also offers you access to a wide range of nifty perks, such as professional-level fundraising coaching and promotional materials, fully customizable donation forms, and a 'thank you' page to keep donors engaged.
FreeFunder is the ideal platform for those who regularly need to raise money for their various initiatives or projects. With no added platform fees or charges, this crowdfunding site allows you to keep all of the funds raised without a fuss. You can also track your donations and gain insights into who is contributing to your campaigns.
When Nancy Dear hit some rough times and needed help in order to pay her rent (both personal and for her hair salon), she set up a FreeFunder campaign as a last resort. Friends and community members starting pitching in immediately. Nancy needed $2,500 in order to get caught up, and after donations came in from 59 people in only 2 weeks, she ended up raising $2,655.
"Yesterday was particularly rough, but I made it through, got a hefty pile of sleep, and woke up this morning to the beautiful miracle of community support! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! You have saved my business baby, saved my home, saved me. I LOVE YOU. HAIRPARTY LOVES YOU. YOU ARE AMAZING. " - Nancy Dear