GoFundMe made a splash as a trendsetting crowdfunding site that forever changed how we fundraise. Whether for personal crises, medical bills, education, or charity, this platform made it simple for people worldwide. We’ll delve into GoFundMe’s story and creation in this post.
GoFundMe’s Start
The guys behind GoFundMe are Brad Damphousse and Andy Ballester, who launched it in 2010. Their goal was a site easily used to gather funds online. Both had tech industry ties and envisioned using the internet to help those in need.
GoFundMe mainly catered to personal causes initially. Medical bills, study costs, emergencies – the founders wanted to make it easy for everyone to call for help financially from near and far. Their idea clicked, and GoFundMe began growing.
Initial Success and Growth
GoFundMe hit the ground running. Within a year, it got big, drawing in many users. The site’s ease, social sharing option, and open fee system made it a hit with both those organizing campaigns and those donating. Thus, GoFundMe quickly carved a niche as a reliable crowdfunding platform.
GoFundMe launched “Team Fundraising” in 2011. Numerous people could work on one fundraising drive under this feature. Useful for groups, sports teams, and non-profits, they could jointly raise money.
GoFundMe didn’t stop there. In 2013, “Personal Donation Pages” came to life. You could create your own page, share it, and raise money. This let folks spearhead their own fundraising and tap into broader networks.
CrowdRise Acquisition and Ongoing Growth
GoFundMe was all over the news in 2017. It bought CrowdRise, a well-known crowdfunding site. This move let GoFundMe grow even more, providing more fundraising choices. CrowdRise focussed on non-profits. It’s integration into GoFundMe made a one-stop-site for individual and non-profit drives.
Post-acquisition, GoFundMe kept growing, fast. People linked it with online fundraising. Its global user-base grew. Now, GoFundMe is global, supporting drives in multiple currencies.
Effect and Heartwarming Accounts
GoFundMe’s impact is huge. It’s borne many success narratives. People have raised money for essential medical care, education, and local projects.
Remember the “ALS Ice Bucket Challenge” in 2014? Individuals dumped icy water on their heads and additionally challenged others to do the same. Alternatively, they could donate to ALS research. This incentive went viral on social sites, and it accumulated millions of funds through GoFundMe for ALS groups.
