GoFundMe

As the summer games in Paris approach, all eyes are on the athletes who are passionately pursuing their dreams. At GoFundMe, we witness their dedication long before the gold medal is in sight. Since 2022, athletes worldwide have raised over $2 million to qualify for and participate in the 2024 Paris games. These athletes pour their hearts into their training, driven by the desire to represent their countries on the global stage. Yet the financial burden often stands as their greatest obstacle. While the public’s attention may turn to the games every few years, preparation and fundraising are year-round endeavors for these hopeful athletes. Training at the highest level demands significant financial resources. While well-known athletes and popular sports often secure sponsorships, many others rely on the generosity of friends, family, and their communities to fund their athletic dreams through platforms like GoFundMe. Beyond physical and financial challenges, athletes often juggle full-time jobs, family commitments, and unexpected setbacks. Even after qualifying, the pursuit of gold can remain daunting. The road to Paris involves sacrifices not only from athletes but also from their families, who support them every step of the way to be there in the stands cheering them on during competition. This summer, Paris will host athletes whose journeys echo many of those who came before them. Over the past decade, athletes worldwide have raised more than $25 million on GoFundMe to help them compete for gold on the world’s biggest stage. Each athlete’s path to greatness is unique– whether balancing full-time employment with rigorous training, staging a remarkable comeback, or ensuring their loved ones witness their peak performance. Discover these stories and more on our 2024 #Paris Games hub, where hundreds of #athletes share their inspiring journeys: https://gfme.co/3W0tWy3

How is AI being used in fundraising? Our CEO Tim Cadogan explains to Fortune's Peter Vanham: “We have recently introduced AI-enhanced storytelling options, suggested fundraiser titles, and a new class of sharing tools. These innovations use AI to apply the lessons we’ve learned from over $30 billion in fundraising, while always keeping the integrity and authenticity of the individual fundraiser’s story at the core.” Follow the link to read more about how we think about AI, the increase in fundraising for natural disasters, and the ways Tim stays motivated: https://gfme.co/3S5KTG9

Last Saturday in NOLA ... We hosted GoFundMe's first ever Self-Care Saturday! Our goal was to celebrate and care for Black women — who are too often doing the work to drive progress and community change, with too little recognition or even support. Hosted at The Barnett Hotel, we curated a space where black women would be thanked for their brilliance and hard work, where stories would be shared and lifted up, where connections would be made, and joy found. We welcomed these 5 incredible women - who are doing brave, bold, transformational work and who are raising $ on the GoFundMe platform: 💪🏾 Ashley Webb, a passionate advocate working to combat food deserts through the Fresh Market. 💪🏾 Kimberly Bryant, founder of a campaign to revive establish the Black Innovation Lab at the historic site of Griggs College 💪🏾 Rachel Nicks, a dedicated health and wellness advocate and the founder of Birth Queen 💪🏾 Marquia Thompson, the visionary behind a documentary to preserve and share the story of her grandmother, country music legend Linda Martel 💪🏾 Storybook M., the founder of a mobile book initiative that aims to foster a love for reading and literacy among children in underserved areas. Our guests enjoyed a variety of self-care themed activities and experiences. Including: chair massages for a moment of relaxation; a DIY flower bar to put together a bouquet; a postcard activation to pass it forward and spread love; authentic Louisiana lunch and beverages, including the “Do Good” and “Sweet Like Me” specialty cocktails; and finally music and entertainment provided by NOLA local DJ Kelly Green. All of the vendors were regional, Black female-owned businesses. The energy was palpable and community was felt in every corner of the space! I am really excited to see what comes from these connections with one another, and a deeper connection to GoFundMe. What an honor to be able to do THIS work here! This was a personal and professional cup-filler-upper. 😍 Shout out to Lili Strasser, Alencia Johnson and Chelsey Peppe who brought this vision to life. And my marketing and comms colleagues. Truly, a great team effort! And great result!!

Summer is in full swing, but teachers are hard at work preparing for a new school year. We’re here to help. Whether it’s a field trip, classroom supplies, or new technology, we want to help teachers lower their out-of-pocket expenses. GoFundMe.org is giving out grants of up to $500 to help teachers do what they do best. They can crowdfund for almost anything on GoFundMe. Some of the most common needs include school supplies, books and other learning materials, class decorations, playground equipment, updated technology, and snacks for students. Send this to your favorite teacher to help them get started: https://gfme.co/4crfgiu

Join us for ImpactUp! We’re a proud sponsor of this free, virtual summit from the team at We Are For Good and it’s happening this Thursday, July 11. The event gathers nonprofits, social impact leaders, and philanthropists to discuss: ➡ Issues holding us back ➡ Brilliant solutions ➡ Where it's working + who’s doing it ➡ Tools to replicate ➡ How to activate in our respective communities It's going to be a great day! Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eAF96Q2D #ImpactUprising

Sometimes you plan, sometimes you react. In the best cases, your plans allow you to react. That was the case for our team at GoFundMe late last week. As fundraisers and needs emerged around the wildfires & floods in New Mexico and Texas, our Global Go To Market team (across Comms, Marketing, Policy & Engagement) activated the plan. A hub page hosting verified fundraisers and outreach to local media was launched. Our GoFundMe.org team drove support through grants issued from the Wildlife Relief Fund as well as supporting a local creator with a specific Ruidoso, New Mexico fund (a great reminder that anyone can raise money for non-profits on GoFundMe). In an incredible turn of events and generosity, we were given the opportunity to activate local OOH placements to serve the community as they look to support those impacted. The Creative team reaction was swift and focused, letting the URL be the hero in these boards in order to create intrigue and drive action (simple always wins, especially in out-of-home). Right plan, right reaction! Margaret L. Richardson Trevor Cragg Dave Carlson Brittany Cabriales Julia Pepe Aaron Davidoff Robin Hilkey Sally Carmichael Morgan O'Connor Melanie Standage (Yost) Angelique McNaughton Sarah Peck Amanda Brown Lierman Sydney Ashworth Kait Richmond Dave Adams © Laura Donaldson Brian Ries and more!

We 💚 Silver Spring, Maryland! Our GoFundMe community team - Amanda Brown Lierman, Lili Strasser, and Kelsea Little - recently went to the local farmers market to thank community members for all they do to contribute to Silver Spring being one of the most generous cities in America! How do we know? Last year, over 31,000 residents donated to a fundraiser on GoFundMe. We are so happy to celebrate the kindness that the people in this community showed to each other and beyond. If you want to learn more about GoFundMe’s Most Generous Cities, you can check out the 2023 Year In Help Report: https://gfme.co/3zvlleY And follow us here on LinkedIn, because we’ll share the 2024 list later this year!

We 💚 our kindness creators! Jesús Morales, who’s known to his 6+ million followers as juixxe, has built his fanbase by surprising everyday people with grand gestures. Over the last year, one of those gestures is to pick up a group of labor workers and take them to Disneyland for the day. “I know my intentions, and my intentions are pure. If nobody knew my name, or my username, I could care less, to be honest,” he told CNN. “And in the most respectful way, I just want to keep doing things like this. Social media has allowed me to be able to do things like this. And who knows what other amazing things we can do.” Morales occasionally starts fundraisers to support the people he meets. So far, he and his followers have raised more than $200,000 on GoFundMe. Read more on CNN: https://gfme.co/3yQq4YA

June marks the beginning of hurricane season in the US, and experts predict a particularly active few months ahead, so we’re sharing our Hurricane Relief Fund: https://lnkd.in/g-S-MyNE. This fund provides swift, direct support to individuals and communities impacted by hurricanes. Every donation to this relief fund is meaningful, and helps ensure that grants can be sent out as soon as a crisis happens. Together, we can show up for people in times of crisis.

Icons is a gay piano bar in Colorado Springs that became a safe space for many since it opened in 2020. But in December, a neighboring business caught fire and Icons was permanently shut down. Now, co-owners John and Josh are asking for help to bring this important space back to the community, which was left with zero downtown gay bars. "We cannot do this on our own, but this is bigger than us. This will take an army of support," they write in their fundraiser. "You can join us in making this the biggest Phoenix rising from the ashes moment our city has ever seen!" You can donate here: https://gfme.co/4bCX9G1