Supporting good causes through online crowdfunding sites is increasingly popular. Almost anyone can set up a crowdfunding appeal to raise money for their cause and the vast majority of them are honest and well intentioned. But how can you make sure your donations really will help the people and causes you care about? It’s easier than you might think.
- Donate only through well-established crowdfunding sites. They should have proper security processes, safety mechanisms and protection for donors or beneficiaries.
- If you don’t know the organiser of the campaign personally do some research online. Trustworthy organisers typically use social media to promote their campaigns. Check what others are saying about them. Comments left by donors or supporters (if any) can be a good source of information.
- Is the relationship between the organiser and the recipient (or beneficiary) made clear? There should also be a plan for getting the funds to the recipient. Better still, they should be able to withdraw the funds themselves.
- Is the campaign updated regularly? Reliable organisers tend to keep supporters up to date.
- If the fundraising is for someone affected by events in the news, check the facts using mainstream news outlets as well as social media.
While it’s always best to donate to people you know and trust, by following these guidelines you can be more confident about donating to strangers. The vast majority of campaign organisers have the best intentions. If you’re unsure about what an organiser intends to do with the money being raised, simply ask them. Any genuine organiser will be happy to explain.
Together we can stop charity fraud.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
This guide was prepared by Fraud Advisory Panel, GoFundMe and Get Safe Online.
DISCLAIMER
Published 2017. Last updated January 2022.
© Fraud Advisory Panel, GoFundMe and Get Safe Online 2022. Fraud Advisory Panel, GoFundMe and Get Safe Online will not be liable for any reliance you place on the information in this material. You should seek independent advice.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
