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Crowd Funding

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Crowd funding raises money online from the public. It is frequently used by people with a health condition who need help financially.
  • Posting your need is free.
  • You set a fund raising goal. It is advisable not to ask for too much. At some sites if you fall short of your goal, you will get nothing.
  • Some sites connect user accounts to Twitter and Facebook.

Before signing on to a site:

  • If you are receiving a government benefit such as Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI) for disabled, low-income individuals, check the rules with an expert. A donation could be considered to be a source of income and affect eligibility.
  • Think about the personal information you will have to disclose to the world - including your health condition and your financial situation.
  • Consider the amount of your fund raising goal. Be prepared to explain how you will use the funds.
  • Consider asking a family member or friend to organize and oversee the campaign for you so you can focus on doing what you need to about your health condition.
  • Research the options. For example, check:
    • The site's fees
      • There is generally no fee to start a campaign.
      • There is generally a "platform fee" equal to a percentage of donations. For example, some sites charge 5%. That means for every $100 you raise, the site takes $5.
      • The charge for processing credit card payments.(usually a percentage plus a fee for each transaction.
    • How quickly the money raised is transferred to you
    • Whether you get any funds if you fall short of your stated goal.
    • Whether the site includes nonmonetary ways people can help. For instance, a wish list with links to online retailers and/or a needs list of tasks with which you could use help.
  • Personalize the campaign using pictures, videos and stories. The idea is to humanize you and the request.
  • Get the word out about your campaign.
    • Use social media sites such as Facebook, Google Plus, Linked In and Twitter,
    • If you have an online account about your health, use that as well.
    • Create a hashtag to use every time you promote your campaign.
    • Ask the people you know to share your efforts on their social media pages.
    • Contact your local media, your school alumni and every organization to which you belong.
  • Most donations come in during the first week of a campaign. If you need assistance longer, keep the campaign to date to remind people you are still in need. Consider posting regular updates about how you are doing or even nonmedical posts that help humanize you
  • Keep in mind that according to a 2019 study about the website GoFundMe, campaigns that attempted to raise money for personal needs only raised an average of 40$ of the campaign's raised the requested amount. One-tenth raised less than $100.
  • Last, but not least, thank your donors.(A thank you may also lead to additional donations.)

Expect some emotional ups and downs as you watch donations come in.

Sites we are aware of that permit fund raising to help with medical and other expenses include the following. If you learn of additional sites, please let us know at: Survivorship A to Z


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