what are the best crowdfunding sites for personal? an online crowdfunding website, such as GoFundMe, allows users to raise money by contributing to a crowd-funding campaign?
A lot of people use it to raise money for unexpected emergencies, such as medical expenses, which may be catastrophic.
As many as 20 million Americans have started a fundraising campaign to cover medical bills for themselves or someone they know, according to a 2020 survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.
The American Red Cross has raised funds for personal medical expenses from 50 million Americans — roughly 20% of U.S. adults.
For all those donors to be interested, you must choose the right platform.
It is estimated that there are hundreds of crowdfunding sites, according to Statista, an organization that compiles market share statistics.
So, before you ask for donations, choose the fundraising platform that will work best for you.
How to Choose the best crowdfunding sites for personal & Platforms?
best crowdfunding sites for personal
Check out a few best crowdfunding sites for personal before launching your campaign and become familiar with what they offer.
There are different types of campaigns. Make sure the fundraising platform you choose allows you to raise money for personal causes.
Crowdfunding sites, such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and Patreon, are often used by businesses to raise money.
Easy to use. Choose a platform where setting up an account is easy.
There are many tutorials available on creating a page on the best platforms, including how-to’s for embedding pictures and videos (including podcasts), sharing on social media, and posting updates.
Online payment processing. Many platforms use PayPal to process payments.
Then pick a platform that lets you access your funds immediately after donations arrive if your situation requires ongoing expenses.
It’s called a “keep-it-all” option, and it means you can withdraw donations without reaching your fundraising goal. No fees.
Determine whether any setup fees or commissions apply.
There are some platforms that charge a setup fee and it’s considered the best crowdfunding sites for personal.
Other platforms offer free setup but charge a percentage of every donation. Others offer “free” fundraising, which means that you won’t be charged a fee.
None of the platforms are truly free, however.
Payment processing fees are deducted from each donation because they are imposed by the company which processes the payment.
Top best crowdfunding sites for personal cause
Top Platforms for Personal Crowdfunding
It should be noted that nothing herein constitutes an endorsement of any of these sites. Before signing up for a platform, make sure you know its benefits, policies, pricing, fees, and limitations.
1. GoFundMe
Known as the most popular and one of the best crowdfunding sites for personal and platform, GoFundMe allows you to fundraise for individuals, teams, and nonprofits.
However, it has been particularly effective at assisting individuals in raising money for their personal needs.
Fundraising campaigns can be for any kind of project or cause on GoFundMe.
In addition to medical expenses, more than a third of its campaigns are for infertility-related expenses, such as IVF and adoption, making it a top site for medical fundraising.
Getting Started: GoFundMe provides plenty of tutorials and analyses of successful campaigns, so you have plenty of help getting started.
GoFundMe also offers a mobile app that lets you manage your fundraising page on the go.
The company accepts all major credit cards and uses Stripe to process payments.
The fundraiser keeps all donations, minus processing fees, even if the fundraising goal is not met.
As soon as they receive donations, they can withdraw them by direct bank transfer to their bank accounts.
However, the transfer can take up to two business days to complete.
Platform fees are not charged. A tip is optional on GoFundMe in order to cover costs.
A third-party payment-processing fee of 2.9% plus $.030 per donation is charged.
There are many advantages to GoFundMe, including a large platform, free fundraising, easy-to-use sharing tools, 24/7 customer support, and the only donation protection guarantee.
Every donation made through GoFundMe reaches its intended recipient, and if something goes wrong, a refund is offered.
A major disadvantage of the platform is that, while it can occasionally be positive, it can also lead to fewer donations from strangers due to increased competition.
2. GoGetFunding
Founded in December 2011, GoGetFunding provides users with an easy and flexible way to raise money for a cause by disrupting the crowdfunding industry.
There are different types of campaigns available on GoGetFunding, but they focus most on personal, medical, and charitable causes.
Creating campaign pages is simple and fast. You’ll only need to complete a few basic steps to get started.
In addition, the organization offers tips and tutorials for creating successful fundraising campaigns both in video format and on the blog.
In-house processing by GoGetFunding allows them to accept all major credit cards.
The company also accepts payments via PayPal and Stripe.
Regardless of whether you reach your goal, you can receive donations directly into your bank account.
The funds can be processed through GoGetFunding or Stripe, but it may take up to seven business days.
Donations made through PayPal will be made available that day, although PayPal charges a fee for same-day transactions.
Normally funds are transferred from PayPal within two business days.
The Fees: GoGetFunding charges a 4% fee on the amount raised plus an additional 2.9% fee for processing payments.
If you use PayPal or Stripe, there is an additional $0.30 charge per transaction.
There are a number of well-designed fundraising campaigns on the homepage of GoGetFunding, and all campaigns are featured on social media accounts such as Facebook and Twitter.
Sites like this measure a campaign’s effectiveness by taking a look at the pictures, videos, the story, and how many backers fundraising campaigns have brought to their pages through their social media networks.
The platform charges fees on amounts raised, which is one of the few disadvantages.
3. FundRazr
best crowdfunding sites for personal 1
In spite of its smaller size but considering it as the best crowdfunding sites for personal, FundRazr’s amazing functionality and elegant design make up for it.
Campaign Types: FundRazr lets you fundraise for just about anything, but personal or charitable causes are the most popular campaigns.
FundRazr can be easily configured since it employs a visual page builder.
Furthermore, its pages are equipped with built-in social media sharing tools that make it easy to post to social media in order to increase campaign reach.
All major credit cards and bank accounts are accepted by FundRazr.
PayPal, WePay, or Stripe are the options you have.
If you choose to keep all the funds, you won’t be able to access them until and unless you reach your goal.
Fundraising models are free with no platform charges for individuals. It is optional for donors to tip FundRazr to cover costs.
Each donation received is subject to a third-party processing fee of 2.9% and $0.30 per transaction.
FundRazr features a feature-rich campaign page that takes advantage of modern social sharing tools, personal website integration, and perks and wishes list options that allow you to provide small gifts as a thank you or make a wish list of things you need, such as plane tickets, for donors to sponsor.
Some users report that some support materials, like tutorials, are outdated. The platform is smaller and less trafficked than its major competitors.
4. Fundly
best crowdfunding sites for personal
Fundly is a platform that has raised more than $330 million, despite being lesser-known.
One of the best crowdfunding sites for personal is Fundly because of its no raise-requirement policy and its support team.
There are many different types of Fundly campaigns. The most successful ones support individual needs and charitable causes.
While you can use Fundly to fundraise for personal goals, such as a trip around the world, those kinds of campaigns fail to perform well.
With their plug-and-play campaign pages, adding images, videos, and text is easy.
You can also add blogs and comments to update your campaign.
The Facebook posts are automatically synced with their pages.
Fundly’s blog also provides detailed guides on how to set up your campaign and tips on keeping it running.
A free mobile app makes it easy to manage your fundraising campaign wherever you are.
The company accepts all major credit cards and processes payments through Stripe.
It is technically possible to withdraw the money immediately. We process donations within seven days.
There are no fees for creating and starting your campaign. A 4.9% fee is deducted from every donation Fundly receives.
Additionally, third-party payment processing fees of 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction apply.
Discounts are automatically applied to larger campaigns. Funding allows you to easily create your own fundraising T-shirts, sweatshirts, phone cases, mugs, and tote bags that are printed and shipped as thank-you gifts to donors who donate whatever amount you specify.
The price for printing and shipping the average T-shirt varies based on the product and the number of images.
Disadvantages: This is one of the few platforms still charging fees on the amount raised.
Personal fundraising is now free on most platforms.
5. Plumfund
Plumfund is known as one of the largest crowdfunding platforms in the world, having raised over $500 million for a wide variety of causes.
Fundraisers can also fundraise for personal creative projects, such as weddings, honeymoons, baby showers, travel, and education in addition to personal needs.
If you’re looking to raise money for a personal project or goal, Plumfund maybe your best crowdfunding option, such as a backpacking trip across Europe.
Easy to use: With plug-and-play tools, creating pages is easy.
The problem is that there are no tutorials or resources that users can access for advice on creating effective and successful campaigns.
Donors can choose from a variety of payment options, such as offline payments by cash or check or online payments through PayPal.
No platform fees are charged. However, the online donation process involves a 3.9% fee plus $0.30 per individual.
With Plumfund, fundraisers can create wish lists and registries as well as set fundraising goals.
Furthermore, both the fundraiser and donor are free to use.
Payment processing fees, which are set by the payment processor, are only involved with processing online payments.
Customers report excellent customer service. Plumfund’s disadvantage is its lack of tools and functionality, including fewer social media options and customization capabilities.
Final Word
Many argue that crowdfunding’s popularity detracts from the real systemic issues in America, such as healthcare, that need greater attention.
While those issues need to be addressed, it’s comforting to know that so many Americans are willing to help each other.
Crowdfunding isn’t without its disadvantages, however. Nonetheless, campaigning for people in need is the most popular, surpassing even donations for startups.
Almost two-thirds of Americans who have donated money to a crowdfunding campaign did so to help a person in need, according to a 2016 Pew Research Center report.
However, only one-third of all donations had been intended to fund a product.
Even strangers can donate to you. The NORC study found that the government should be responsible for covering medical expenses for those in need, not friends, family, or strangers.
Nevertheless, more than a third of Americans who have donated to personal medical campaigns have given to strangers.
So, there are people out there who are willing to help if you find the right platform and organize a successful crowdfunding campaign.
Read also: Best crowdfunding sites for startups
Learn more through the site the Boo Money
