GoFundMe is a fantastic platform to raise money for a great cause. For example, you can raise money to fund your relative’s medical bills or feed the homeless in your hometown.
However, raising money on the platform is not guaranteed and can be tricky!
In this blog post, you’ll learn the seven best tips that ensure you reach your funding goal or even raise more. So without further ado, let’s get into it.
What is GoFundMe?
In case you’re unfamiliar with GoFundMe, it’s one of the most popular fundraising platforms. Its purpose is to help people in need, whether it be you, someone else, or a non-profit.
It was first founded in 2010 and has built a massive community over time. There are over 50 million donors who have been able to raise over $5B!
These fundraisers include:
- Official George Floyd Memorial Fund (over $14M raised)
- Saving Eliza (Over $4M raised)
- Homeless Valedictorian College Fund (over $100K raised)
- Build Barbara Garcia a Home (over $70K raised)
So whatever cause you are raising money for, there will be help for you. All you need to do is follow the tips mentioned down below, and you’ll get your funding sooner than you can imagine.
Tip #1 – Create a Catchy Headline
The title of your GoFundMe campaign is the most crucial part. It’s the first thing a person will notice and is what will draw them in. Without a catchy headline, no one will be captivated or want to know more, and you won’t raise any money.
But how can you make sure that your headline is a great one? Here are a few tips for you:
- Make it short. The first tip is to keep your headline short and sweet. According to GoFundMe, the highest converting campaigns contain headlines of four to eight words. So, try to keep yours within that range.
- Include the beneficiary’s full name. Another thing your headline should mention is the beneficiary’s first and last name. That is something that donors look at first.
- Make it specific. The more specific you make the headline, the easier it is to make people care. And the best way to do that is by adding some keywords.
Tip #2 – Write a Great Description
Let’s say your headline was effective, and someone clicked on your campaign. Great! Now, you need to keep their interest by writing a fantastic description.
But how do you keep them hooked? It’s by using storytelling!
Follow these steps to include the most important components.
- Write an introduction. Start by writing about the campaign. What is it? Who will benefit from the money? Your objective here is to create a personal connection with your potential funder.
- Go into detail about your campaign. Now that you’ve got someone’s attention, it’s time to talk about the details of your campaign. Include everything, from the initial campaign idea to execution. Also, be transparent about where you’ll spend the raised money. This increases trust amongst the funders.
- Tell them your ‘why.’ While explaining your campaign in detail helps build trust, nothing will convince a funder more than your reason for creating the fundraiser. Your story will make them feel empathy for you and your cause.
- End the description by thanking your reader. Once you’ve included the above information, make sure you thank the reader. That makes people more inclined to support your cause.
When following those four steps, keep these two requirements in mind:
- First, your description must be easy to read. That means you should use headings and subheadings to break up your text. Also, use as many simple words as possible.
- The description should be at least 400 words long. GoFundMe has found that longer descriptions usually receive more donations.
Tip #3 – Update Your Donors Regularly
It’s not enough to just create a great campaign and then forget about it! If you want to raise enough money, you’ll have to be active and communicate with your donors.
Here are some examples of communication to have:
- Thank your big donors. People love to get noticed for doing something remarkable, so when somebody gives you a significant sum of cash, the least you can do is mention them in your next update.
- Update them on your progress. Whenever you reach a milestone, it’s good to write a post to show your gratitude for all the people helping out your cause and encourage others to join in.
- Talk about your progress. If your cause has taken a big step forward, let your donors know! With the update, you’ll not only assure people that their money went to good use, but you’ll build trust with potential supporters as well.
- Explain your fundraiser changes. Need more money than you first anticipated? Then go ahead and update your campaign, but also be transparent about it. Like all other updates, this will only build trust with the people around you.
Whatever posts you publish, make sure to speak passionately about your cause! If you do, you’re more likely to receive donations.
If you wish to learn more about using GoFundMe, click here to access my FREE GoFundMe course.
Tip #4 – Spread the Word Online
Keep in mind that promotion is key. If you want to achieve your goal, you have to reach as many people as possible. One of the best ways to reach them is through social media.
There are a few ways to do this:
- Talk to your followers about the campaign. If you have a social media following, then take advantage of it. Ask them to donate to your cause, and someone is likely going to help you out.
- Talk about the campaign in Facebook groups. If you’re an active Facebook group member, consider spreading the word in your communities. Just make sure you don’t break any group rules! If a post violates the rules, try to contact the group owner to see if they’ll let you publish it.
- Create social media ads. If you’re a non-profit organization, then this might be the best course of action for you. With the power of ads, you’ll be able to reach millions of people and raise as much as you need.
- Work with influencers. If you don’t have a large following on any social media platforms, the best next thing is to contact some influencers. Their audiences will usually convert better than those viewing social media ads. And if you’re lucky, the influencer might even post about your campaign for free.
For information about GoFundMe ads, check out my YouTube video, “GoFundMe Facebook Ads – Should You Run Them?”.
Tip #5 – Promote Offline
While the internet is a powerful way to reach millions of people, do not underestimate the power of promoting your cause locally. The conversion rate is usually higher than with any online platform! You can learn more about that here.
But how can you do it? Here are three ways:
- Talk about the campaign with your friends and family. This strategy is the highest converting way to get donations on GoFundMe. Your inner circle has known you for years, and for this reason, these people trust you more than anyone on social media.
- Get your local businesses to promote. It doesn’t matter if it’s a local cafe or a nightclub; if your cause is good enough, they will likely agree to promote. Plus, it builds a positive image of their business, so it’s a win-win situation.
- Reach out to journalists. Lastly, you might want to reach out to a local journalist to see if they would be interested in promoting your cause. If you’re successful, you could get featured in your local newspaper and find some more donors.
Marketing your GoFundMe can be expensive! To learn more about expenses, I recommend you listen to my audiobook, Crowdfunding Personal Expenses.
Tip #6 – Use High-Quality Media
Your campaign’s text is just one element of a successful GoFundMe fundraiser. Be sure to make your campaign visually appealing by using pictures.
However, don’t use just any photo on your phone! Instead, use high-quality ones.
Make sure your images are high-definition and elicit emotions.
Also, if you can, use a video as well to talk about your cause. That way, you’re able to express more emotions than any text could.
Plus, videos show that an actual human being is behind the campaign!
Tip #7 – Adjust Your Fundraising Goals as Needed
If you want to raise as much cash as possible, it’s best to start with a lower and more realistic goal. But once your fundraiser has gotten momentum, you could increase the funding goal if needed.
However, as noted earlier in this post, always be ready to update your donors on the goal adjustment. You want to be transparent and build trust with them.
If your reasons are good enough, your supporters might even give you more money!
Number #1 Thing to Do After a Successful GoFundMe Campaign
So you’ve reached your goal! Congratulations, but before you forget about your campaign, remember to give updates to your donors.
For example, if you’ve helped a person fight a severe disease, share their speedy recovery with a photo or a video. That will make each donor happy and satisfied that they supported your cause.
And these were the seven tips for raising cash on GoFundMe. If you follow each one, you’re very likely to get the money you need for your cause.
However, if you’re still unsure and need more information on GoFundMe campaigns, you can check out my GoFundMe Cash Machine course. In there, you’ll learn the same techniques that the most successful ones use to raise money.
