GoFundMe launches new feature, simplifies charitable giving in Canada
GoFundMe and PayPal Giving Fund make fundraising for Canadian charities even easier
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., April 16 2019 /CNW/ -- GoFundMe, the world's largest social fundraising platform, has today announced a new feature that makes it easier for Canadians to support their favourite registered charities online, and gives Canadian charities a new tool to engage prospective donors and unlock the power of social fundraising. The feature makes charitable giving simpler and more accessible than ever before.
In partnership with PayPal Giving Fund Canada, GoFundMe users in Canada will now be able to create and donate to a registered charity campaign on GoFundMe, with donations received and granted to eligible charities by PayPal Giving Fund Canada. In line with the rollout of this new feature, GoFundMe's 0% platform fee has been expanded to include charity campaigns. While other platforms may charge platform of campaign development fees, the GoFundMe 0% platform fee means that the only costs to users creating charity or other fundraising campaigns are standard payment processing fees. As PayPal Giving Fund Canada is a registered charity, all donations made to charity campaigns on GoFundMe are tax deductible.
"Crowdfunding has transformed the traditional fundraising landscape in recent years. Online fundraising on GoFundMe is opening up innovative avenues for Canadian charities to be more nimble, benefit from new forms of fundraising, and reach new demographics. It also puts the power in the hands of Canadian donors who can be a force of change for causes they care about most," says GoFundMe CEO Rob Solomon.
Since launching in Canada in 2010, over CAD$400 million has been raised on GoFundMe to support inspiring Canadian causes, with approximately 1 in 12 Canadians generously giving on the platform. Online fundraising removes the traditional barriers that exist making it easy to raise funds quickly for a worthy cause.
Solomon added: "Whether it's raising funds for your aspirational goals, helping a family overcome a hardship, or supporting your favourite charity, we're committed to building the best and safest social fundraising tools and most importantly, making them accessible to anyone. We want to empower Canadians to rally support for personal and charitable causes that are important to them, and this new charity fundraising feature allows them to do just that."
"PayPal Giving Fund Canada is bringing innovation to the Canadian charitable sector. We're working with partners like GoFundMe to inspire a new wave of philanthropy and help charities build connections with new donors. Crucially, this partnership enables thousands of Canadian charities in the PayPal Giving Fund Canada directory to benefit from funds raised on GoFundMe for the first time," shared Wen-Chih O'Connell, PayPal Giving Fund Canada Executive Director.
"By harnessing PayPal's assets and partnering with leading global businesses, PayPal Giving Fund generated more than CAD$235 million in donations in 2018 to benefit charities across Canada, the US, UK and Australia," noted Ms. O'Connell.
Canadian charities have been quick to embrace the new feature, with organizations like Shelterbox Canada, Rethink Breast Cancer, WarChild Canada and Relay Education leveraging social fundraising:
- Shelterbox Canada is using funds raised on GoFundMe for shelter kits and emergencyaid items to provide immediate relief to the estimated 1.7 million people who wereimpacted by Cyclone Idai: https://www.gofundme.com/help-give-shelter-after-cyclone-idai.
- Rethink Breast Cancer is responding to the unique needs of young women affected bybreast cancer by kicking off a yoga and wellness retreat designed to build a support system and develop the tools to become resilient and strong: https://www.gofundme.com/stretch-heal-grow.
- Canadian actress and producer, Jennifer Podemski, is raising money for Green HavenShelter, a Violence Against Women Shelter that supports Ontario women and their children who have been subjected to violence: https://www.gofundme.com/help-build-a-violence-against-women-shelter
- War Child is raising money for their Crisis Response Fund which is designed to provide fast-acting support to communities when war breaks out and when new challenges arise that threaten the rights and lives of children: https://www.gofundme.com/war-childs-crisis-response-fund
To learn more about the variations between personal and charity campaign types and how to set each type up, click here. To see how Canadians are raising funds for charities on GoFundMe, click here. To see all the ways GoFundMe protects its users, visit this page.
About GoFundMe
Launched in 2010, GoFundMe is the world's largest social fundraising platform, with over $5 billion raised so far. With a community of more than 50 million donors, GoFundMe is changing the way the world gives. Find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
SOURCE GoFundMe
GoFundMe Media Contact, Caitlin Stanley, [email protected], (650) 380 - 5017, http://www.gofundme.com
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