GoFundMe is a well-known fundraising platform, but does it meet your nonprofit’s growing fundraising needs? Below, I’ll share how to cancel your GoFundMe account in four easy steps – plus five reasons why you should consider switching to a different platform.
Join the fundraising movement! Join the fundraising movement!GoFundMe is a popular fundraising platform for personal fundraisers, but is it built to scale with your nonprofit’s needs?
If you’re thinking of deactivating your account, I’m here to help. Below, I’ll explain how to cancel your GoFundMe account, plus why it might be worth switching to a nonprofit-friendly GoFundMe alternative like Donorbox.
Log in to your GoFundMe account and navigate to your profile icon at the top right-hand corner of the screen.
Next, select “Account Settings,” as shown below.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on “Deactivate account.” Make sure you transfer any remaining funds in your account before requesting deactivation.
Confirm you’d like to cancel your GoFundMe account by selecting the “Deactivate my account” button once again.
By cancelling your GoFundMe account, you’ll no longer be able to log in, and your fundraiser(s) will no longer be visible on the platform. Remember to back up any data before proceeding.
Important to note: After deleting your account, your information and relevant associated data will still be stored on GoFundMe’s systems and those of its third-party providers.
To permanently delete your account and have all your data removed from GoFundMe’s systems, submit a data request.
GoFundMe is a crowdfunding platform specifically designed to support personal fundraisers.
It therefore lacks crucial nonprofit-specific fundraising features, such as donation kiosk software for cashless in-person fundraising, event ticketing, and reporting (more on that later).
A lack of nonprofit fundraising tools can limit your fundraising and impact over time.
GoFundMe requests optional tips from donors, which go directly to its platform instead of covering transactional costs like processing fees for nonprofits.
The default tip amount is set to 16.5%, and donors will need to adjust the sliding scale to 0% to opt out of tipping GoFundMe.
On top of the optional tip, GoFundMe still charges a 2.9% + $0.30 transaction fee, which is automatically deducted from every donation.
Asking donors for tips can lead to tipping fatigue. What’s more, GoFundMe’s opt-out approach may frustrate supporters who overlook the tip request when donating, eroding their trust over time. But don’t just take our word for it – see what users are saying in current GoFundMe reviews.
While GoFundMe supports payments via credit/debit cards, digital wallets, ACH, and DAF accounts, it restricts nonprofit fundraisers from accepting donations made with ACH or American Express cards.
Furthermore, while GoFundMe does support digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, and PayPal, its website states that PayPal and DAF accounts are the only supported digital payment options for nonprofits:
Fewer payment options can reduce your fundraising potential and ability to appeal to more international donors.
Recurring donations are a fantastic way to secure sustainable financial support for your cause.
GoFundMe currently only offers one recurring donation interval – monthly. Donors are also charged a 5% fee on top of every recurring donation.
Plus, recurring donations on GoFundMe can only be made via credit/debit cards, PayPal, and bank transfer (although nonprofits are restricted from accepting donations via ACH). This adds friction to the donation experience for supporters who prefer to give in other ways.
Limited recurring donation intervals make it difficult for you to appeal to your donors’ various giving preferences. Additionally, the high percentage fee charged for recurring gifts and friction caused by payment options can frustrate and drive away recurring supporters over time.
Building strong donor relationships is essential to showcase your impact and ensure supporters feel connected to your cause. Consistent communication with donors has also been shown to increase revenue by 41.5%.
Unfortunately, GoFundMe does not offer advanced donor management tools for tracking and managing donation information and communication.
Since donor management is a vital part of your nonprofit fundraising strategy, you may want to consider alternatives to GoFundMe.
Donorbox is trusted by more than 100,000 organizations across 96+ countries who have already raised a collective $3 billion with its fundraising and donor management tools.
Below, I’ll highlight where Donorbox wins over GoFundMe:
Plus, Donorbox offers transparent, flexible pricing – without requesting optional donor tips to fund its platform.
Take a look at the three pricing plans:
Pricing excludes standard Stripe and PayPal payment processing fees. However, you can always ask donors to cover these fees to elevate their impact.
Raise More for Your Nonprofit with Donorbox
GoFundMe is a well-known crowdfunding platform for personal fundraisers. However, it lacks critical fundraising tools for nonprofits looking to grow their fundraising and long-term impact.
If you’re thinking of cancelling your GoFundMe account and want to give Donorbox a try, sign up today. It’s free to start!
For more fundraising comparison articles and tips, visit the Nonprofit Blog. Subscribe to the monthly newsletter to receive a curated selection of articles and resources in your inbox.
Jamy-Lee has over 7 years of experience in copywriting and content marketing. With a background in volunteering, she now uses her passion for writing to help accelerate the all-important missions of nonprofits worldwide.
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