How to Set up a GoFundMe Campaign

GoFundMe Campaign: A Step-by-Step Guide

Key Concepts:

• Crowdfunding: Raising money from a large number of people, typically online.
• GoFundMe: A crowdfunding platform for various causes.
• Beneficiary: The person or entity who will receive the funds raised.
• Social Proof: The influence of others' actions on one's own behavior.
• KPI Campaigns: Key Performance Indicator campaigns, used as benchmarks.
• Media Kit: A collection of assets for media outreach.
• GoFundMe Giving Guarantee: Protection program that guarantees donors a full refund for up to a year in the rare case that any kind of fraud happens.

1. Introduction to GoFundMe

• GoFundMe is a crowdfunding platform used for raising donations for various purposes, including causes, medical bills, memorial funds, travel costs, personal expenses, volunteer work, and businesses.
• The platform acts as a marketplace where campaigns are visible to a global audience.
• Salvador Brrigman, the video creator, has been involved in the crowdfunding industry since 2012 and provides education and information on the topic.

2. Starting a GoFundMe Campaign: Step-by-Step

• Location: Specify your location (e.g., United States, Miami, Florida).
• Category: Choose the category that best describes the reason for fundraising (e.g., business). This affects the campaigns you're competing with in the GoFundMe algorithm.
• Beneficiary: Decide whether you're raising money for yourself, someone else, or a charity. Raising money for someone else statistically increases the likelihood of success and donations from strangers.
• Goal: Set a fundraising goal. The average campaign raises around $10,000. For business-related campaigns, the goal might be higher (e.g., $50,000 - $100,000).
• Automatic Goal Setting: GoFundMe now uses AI to automatically adjust your goal as donations come in, building momentum.
• Account Login: Log in to your GoFundMe account using two-factor authentication.

3. Enhancing Your Campaign Page

• Cover Photo/Video:
  • A video is more impactful but should be less than 5 minutes (ideally under 3 minutes). The video should cover the story, the need, the impact, and how people can help.
  • If not using a video, upload a compelling photo.
• Story:
  • Tell a story that creates empathy and highlights the distress caused by the situation.
  • Explain how you add value to the community and the impact of the loss.
  • Describe how people can become the hero of your story and the tangible impact of their donations.
  • Be transparent about how the funds will be used.
• AI Enhancement: Use GoFundMe's AI enhancement features for spelling, grammar, tone, word choice, and paragraph structure.
• Title:
  • Analyze successful KPI campaigns in your category to identify effective headlines.
  • Include relevant keywords, such as the name of your business or the type of event.

4. Campaign Dashboard and Functionality

• Dashboard Overview: The dashboard displays your goal, unique link, and options to add team members.
• Team Members: Adding team members increases social proof and encourages donations from their friends.
• Transfers: Set up bank account details for receiving funds.
• Updates: Regularly post updates to keep donors informed about the progress of the campaign. This builds goodwill and encourages donors to share the campaign.
• GoFundMe App: Use the app to easily share links.

5. Marketing and Tactics for Success

• Action Items:
  • Detail how funds will be used.
  • Include photos and videos.
  • Have someone proofread the campaign.
  • Host a fundraising event (using PartyFull or other tools).
• Media Kit: Create a media kit with pre-written social media posts and photos for team members to use.
• Story Angle: Craft a compelling story angle for media outreach. Target local news organizations and highlight the impact of the campaign.
• Sharing Strategy:
  • Collect email addresses and send emails instead of relying solely on social media posts.
  • Directly message people on social media platforms.
  • Use social media stories for greater reach.
  • Utilize other platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp.
• Team Coordination: Coordinate social media posting among team members, including posting the same reel at the same time with different hashtags.
• Social Proof: Encourage community members to create videos sharing their positive experiences with your business or cause.

6. Key Advice and Tips

• Statistics: Raising money for someone else statistically increases the likelihood of success.
• Empathy and Distress: People donate when they feel empathy and a sense of distress.
• Transparency: Be transparent about how the funds will be used.
• GoFundMe Giving Guarantee: Stress the GoFundMe protection program which is the GoFundMe giving guarantee where donors guaranteed a free a full refund for up to a year in the rare case that any kind of fraud happens.
• Preparation: Spend a couple of weeks preparing before launching the campaign to understand crowdfunding principles.
• Email Marketing: Use email marketing to engage potential donors.
• Overcome Objections: Address potential concerns, such as legitimacy, by highlighting the GoFundMe Giving Guarantee.

7. Conclusion

• Setting up a GoFundMe campaign involves several steps, from specifying the category and goal to crafting a compelling story and promoting it effectively.
• Leveraging social proof, coordinating team efforts, and utilizing various marketing channels are crucial for success.
• Even in challenging times, crowdfunding can be an opportunity to learn new skills and transform a negative event into something positive.