Why Are Some Fundraising Campaigns So Successful?

Summary

Fundraising campaigns on platforms like GoFundMe can have widely varying levels of success, often influenced by exposure and publicity.

Abstract

The article explores the disparity in success among fundraising campaigns, noting that while some raise far beyond their goals, others struggle to meet their targets. It attributes this difference primarily to the level of exposure and publicity a campaign receives, emphasizing the importance of marketing in the crowdfunding process. The article mentions GoFundMe as a prominent for-profit crowdfunding platform that has facilitated the raising of over $9 billion from more than 120 million donors since its inception in 2010. Examples of successful campaigns, such as those for victims of the Atlanta spa shootings, are provided to illustrate the potential for significant overachievement of fundraising goals. The role of social media and media stories in amplifying fundraising efforts is also highlighted.

Opinions

The success of a fundraising campaign is heavily dependent on marketing and public awareness.
Social media and media coverage are critical in reaching potential donors beyond an individual's immediate circle.
The impact of a compelling narrative or high-profile event can lead to fundraising totals that far exceed the original goals.
The effectiveness of crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe is underscored by the substantial amounts raised for various causes.
There is a recognition that some campaigns, despite their worthiness, may not gain the necessary traction, suggesting an element of unpredict

While others barely make anything

Some Gofundme pages earn millions

There are a number of online sources which have been established in recent years to raise money for worthy causes. When death comes through some tragedy or illness, family members or friends often try to raise money for those remaining to help them with expenses. People can try to raise money for almost any reason.

Some fundraisers are extremely successful and raise much more than the requested amount. Others never come near the amount which was requested.

What is the difference? It is probably a matter of exposure and publicity. Marketing is a big factor in all aspects of life. Whether the public knows about something or not can make all the difference.

Wikipedia says the following about one of the popular fundraising companies:

GoFundMe is an American for-profit crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and graduations to challenging circumstances like accidents and illnesses. From 2010 to the beginning of 2020, over $9 billion has been raised on the platform, with contributions from over 120 million donors.

For personal campaigns in the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain, GoFundMe is a free platform.

The company is based in Redwood City, California… [Wikipedia]

When Asian women were killed in the Atlanta spa shootings, a Gofundme page was set up for the two sons of one of the women. A photo showed two young boys, but the sons were actually in their twenties. They requested $20,000, but they have so far raised almost $3 million. Groups of other victims of the shootings also received money from fundraisers.

Here are some other amounts raised from Gofundme campaigns:

$43,000+ of $100,000 goal for children of a mother who died

$18,000+ of $10,000 goal for funeral expenses for a young woman

$39,000+ of $25,000 goal for medical expenses

$265,000+ of $300,000 goal for children of a murdered couple

$2,000+ of $13,000 goal for funeral expenses for a man

Some fundraisers earn very little money and don’t even get to the desired amount originally requested. It may be difficult to understand why some goals are greatly exceeded and others are not met.

The crowdfunding groups may reach out to Facebook friends and others who could be strangers on social media. Information may be shared through stories in the media. These means of raising funds to help people in their need have been extremely helpful to many people.