Crowdfunding Success: Learn from Top Fundraisers
So, you’ve decided to start a fundraiser. But how do you make it successful? In this post, we are taking a look at some of the fundraisers on GoFundMe and how they raised the money.
From delivering humanitarian aid on the ground when the war in the Middle East broke out to Ian being inspired to raise money for Macmillan after a cancer diagnosis, we see people raising money for essential, brilliant and needed causes every day.
GoFundMe is a purpose-built platform for crowdfunding and has features which make the process fast and safe – plus a team of trust and safety experts meaning the money that you raise or donate gets where it needs to be. Combining this with seven day customer service, free to start fundraising, and easy to use technology, GoFundMe is absolutely the best option for you to use to raise your money, no matter what the cause.
You can start a GoFundMe for free, too, and choose from a range of categories – or charity fundraising – to help your good cause. Setting it up only takes 5 minutes, we timed it!
Help Ukraine Emergency Appeal
This appeal was set up immediately after Russia invaded Ukraine, the Help Ukraine Emergency Appeal went on to raise nearly £3 million.
It was set up by Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB) and provided people in the UK with a trustworthy fundraiser they could donate to during a crisis.
Part of the reason it went on to be so successful was that it offered people an easy way to contribute and support those going through extremely difficult times.
The crowdfunder also posted engaging updates so people could see just how far their money was going to help people as they could see images of people receiving aid and help. This is a key aspect to a successful fundraiser: people like to know specifically what their money is going to so they feel more a part of the fundraising journey, and not just throwing their money into an abyss.
Climbing Everest for Cancer
Ian Toothil took on an enormous challenge as he launched his GoFundMe fundraiser.
Diagnosed with cancer, Ian wanted to climb Mount Everest to raise funds to ‘prove anything is possible’ and raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Raising more than £35,000, Ian is believed to be the first person with cancer to scale Everest in an amazing achievement.
He was able to raise money as he was taking on an extreme challenge that captivated people. His campaign also received a lot of media attention, which helped to raise awareness. The magnitude of the task he was taking on made it easy to donate to.
Donate4Mike raised £430,000 in nine days
Donate4Mike utilised the power of social media to raise hundreds of thousands in just days.
The campaign was organised to try and raise funds for treatment in the US for Mike, a British man.
Mike was diagnosed with cancer for the second time and had exhausted treatment options available in the UK.
Raising more than £430,000 from 22,000 individual donors, the crowdfunder leveraged the power of social media – particularly Facebook – to raise awareness.
It grew at a very quick rate and gathered pace through Facebook and word spreading.
Emma’s Last Chance to Beat Cancer
Emma, a 31-year-old living with cancer, launched a crowdfunder to try and raise money for alternative care that was not available on the NHS.
Set up by Emma, the fundraiser went on to raise more than £260,000.
Its success came from Emma telling a detailed story about why she was raising money and included lots of engaging pictures. These are two key parts to include in a successful fundraiser.
Appealing to many donors, Emma’s story was able to connect with lots of people and Emma posted numerous updates to let her supporters know how she was getting on meaning that the popularity of her fundraiser grew, making her more and more successful as awareness grew.
Fundraiser for Azaylia Diamond Cain
The UK’s biggest GoFundMe campaign in 2021 was for Azaylia Diamond Cain.
Azaylia sadly died after she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of acute myeloid leukaemia.
Her father, former Coventry City footballer Ashley Cain, set up a foundation in Azaylia’s name in her honour.
Azaylia’s initial crowdfunder, which was raising funds for potentially life-saving treatment, attracted the attention of celebrities and awareness was spread about it through the media.
Thousands of pounds were raised as a result of the fundraiser receiving mass media attention.
Using crowdfunding examples to create a successful fundraiser
hese fundraisers are examples of when a crowdfunder can go on and raise an incredible amount of money and awareness because of how viral it went.
Not everyone is able to do this, of course, but the way they were able to raise funds is something to take note of and can be applied to smaller fundraising journeys.
They have all told a compelling story, which can go a very long way in raising awareness and encouraging donations.
They were also able to use traditional media and social media effectively, sharing their campaign with a new audience.
Considering this, and our other fundraising tips, there’s plenty of reasons to be inspired to start your own fundraising journey.
When the process only takes 5 minutes to set up using GoFundMe, it is easy to follow our fundraising guides and create a successful fundraiser yourself, for a cause meaningful to you!