creative professional on laptop with boxes
The set up process for a GoFundMe campaign is relatively simple.
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Crowdfunding platform GoFundMe has become more commonplace on social media than ever. GoFundMe campaigns are used to launch creative projects, cover medical costs, prevent evictions, and more.

GoFundMe’s are easily shareable and the company takes a small cut (2.9%, plus 30¢ for each donation) of the proceeds. Most of it ends up in the campaigner’s pockets, which is great for folks in a tough spot.

Launching a GoFundMe is easy and will take you less than an hour. Account verification takes one to two business days, after which you’ll be able to withdraw funds from your donations. 

How to set up a GoFundMe campaign

Launching your campaign won’t take long, but account verification is not instantaneous. The site needs to verify your identity before passing off hundreds or thousands of dollars in donations.

1. Visit GoFundMe’s sign-up page.

2. Enter your name, email, and phone number.

3. GoFundMe will send you a verification text. Enter the code and click "Verify."

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Enter the code that was texted to you, and click "Verify."
Vivian McCall/Business Insider

4. Enter your financial goal, the title of your campaign, who the money is being raised for, and your zip code.

5. Choose the category of the campaign: What's it for? Get this right so people can locate your campaign.

6. Click "Next."

7. Upload a high-resolution cover photo or a YouTube video summarizing the point of your campaign.

8. You'll be prompted to write a story telling people why they should donate. Spend some time on this. A compelling narrative can make the difference. The site recommends that you: describe who will benefit; detail what the funds will be used for; explain how soon you need the money; and describe what the support will mean to you. Click "Save" once you're done in the "Story" field. 

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Type a compelling narrative in the "Story" field and click "Save" when you're done.
Vivian McCall/Business Insider

9. Click "Complete Fundraiser."

10. The site will prompt you to share your campaign on social media. This is the best way to get attention and raise funds. Come up with a smaller, shareable version of your story that can fit in a tweet or post. Avoid copying and pasting what's on the campaign already - walls of text are overwhelming on social media.

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Make sure to share your fundraiser on social media.
Vivian McCall/Business Insider

11. The site will then ask you to invite three of your friends to join your fundraiser as "team members." They can help you post updates and thank donors. You can't continue until you've done this.

12. Your campaign is now launched.

Next steps for running your GoFundMe campaign

Now that your campaign is up and running, there are a few things you will want to keep in mind.

Add or verify your banking information 

You'll need to verify your financial information in order to withdraw the donations you receive. To add or verify your banking account:

1. Sign into your GoFundMe profile. 

2. Click the "Withdraw" button on your page.

3. Click "View withdrawal overview."

4. Click the pencil beside the words "Bank information."

5. Add or verify your routing and account information and click "Confirm" to confirm it. 

Verify your email address 

You'll also need to verify your email address within 14 days of the first donation to avoid a pause on donations. If you don't verify your address within 30 days of the first donation, GoFundMe will fully refund any donations to your donors.

  • To verify your email address, track down an email labeled "Verify Your GoFundMe Email" in your inbox and follow the email's prompts to verify your address. 

Share widely 

Your campaign won't raise money if you don't promote it. While this may be uncomfortable for you, good people are not likely to judge someone in financial need. Any worries about that will begin to melt away once you start to see the results.

Be patient

Your campaign may not take off right away, but that doesn't mean it won't. Don't post incessantly about it, but don't be shy either. Campaigns grow exponentially one share turns to three, three shares turns to nine, and so on. Even if you think sharing on Facebook wouldn't yield a big response from friends or family, someone from your past or present life may be eager to help you.

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