GoFundMe Giving Fund: How to recommend a grant with your donor-advised fund

After contributing funds to your Giving Fund, you're ready to start supporting qualified 501(c)(3) public nonprofits.  

Donating or recommending a grant

When you contribute to your Giving Fund, you’re making an irrevocable, tax-deductible donation to the GoFundMe Giving Fund (GFGF), a registered 501(c)(3) public charity. Because once contributed, those funds legally belong to the nonprofit (not to you), donations made through your DAF are considered 'grant recommendations'. Grant recommendations are rarely rejected, but all grants made from a DAF must go to eligible charitable organizations. If there are compliance challenges with the charitable organization that you recommended, GFGF, will exercise its variance power, and find another similarly situated charitable organization as the grant recipient.

How to recommend a grant (donate) from your Giving Fund:

1. Log in to your GoFundMe account and select “Your Giving Fund” from the drop-down menu in the top, right corner of your account.
2. Use the search bar in the top, left corner to look up a nonprofit by name or EIN (Employer Identification Number).
3. Select the organization you’d like to support.
4. Click “Donate now”.
5. Select “Giving Fund” as your payment method. Your current balance will display within that option.
6. Enter your donation amount. The minimum donation amount is $5.
7. Tip GoFundMe Giving Fund (optional). Tipping helps sustain the Giving Fund’s mission and operations, much of which is powered by GoFundMe, Inc., while keeping the experience fee-free for donors and nonprofits.
8. Choose whether you’d like to display your name publicly on the fundraiser page, and if you’d like to be contacted by the nonprofit with additional ways to help. Both are completely optional.
9. Click “Donate now”. Once confirmed, your donation will be submitted for processing. You will be able to see the status of your donation in the “Fund Activity” section.

If you have questions about fees, recommending a grant, or the eligibility of a specific charitable organization, our team is here to help. Please contact us using the "Contact us" button.

How quickly will the nonprofit receive my donation? 

At GoFundMe, we believe generosity should move fast. That’s why our mission with the GoFundMe Giving Fund is simple: To get your donations into the hands of qualified 501(c)(3) public nonprofits as quickly as possible so your impact can start right away.

As soon as you recommend a grant from your Giving Fund, we begin the review and approval process to ensure the recommended recipient is eligible and the donation aligns with our donation making guidelines. This step helps protect you and ensures that your donations are sent to a qualified and eligible nonprofit without you having to do the heavy lifting.

Donations to well-established and frequently supported nonprofits often process more quickly. In some cases, if a nonprofit requires additional verification, it may take a little longer, but we’ll keep you informed every step of the way.

Once your contribution has been processed and recommended to your chosen nonprofit, pursuant to our Giving Fund Program Guidelines, all grant recommendations are subject to a standard review and approval process before disbursement. Nonprofits typically receive funds within 10–14 days from the date the grant is recommended, although delivery can take longer depending on the nonprofit’s payment method.

GoFundMe Giving Fund works with Givinga Foundation, its disbursement partner, to ensure donations reach the intended charity. You can always check the status of your donation in your Fund activity section, where you’ll see updates and confirmation once your grant is completed.

We're here to make giving seamless, transparent, and powerful, just like it should be.

If you have any questions about the status of a contribution or grant, our team is here to help. Please use the "Contact us" button to get in touch.