What do you know about crowd-source fund raising?

This isn't related to writing. I've set up a GoFundMe for a friend. She hasn't been mauled by lemurs or lost any limbs or anything, but she does have a compelling life story as a survivor of long-term abuse, a single mom of three girls, and someone who has spent years helping women and girls with wellness, trauma, child-birth, and so on, and she is a 500 RYT yoga instructor.

At any rate, she has an opportunity to go to India to continue her yoga practice, and also to work with girls and women there on health and wellness. But she has to pay to get there and for many of her needs. She doesn't make a lot, and volunteers her time to help others.

I don't know anything about GoFundMe. I haven't tried to use them before. I'm setting this up as a surprise to help with this trip, because it looks like she simply won't be able go otherwise. I have no idea how to make this campaign more visible or increase the changes people will contribute. Maybe people don't contribute to these types of campaigns because they aren't sensational or don't pull on heart strings?

Thoughts? Is this worthwhile? Is there a way to increase visibility without annoying people? A way to do it while respecting that there are people on the platform who have serious health or other issues?

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

I've never contributed to a gofundme, or run one, so I'm far from an expert, but I can tell you why I DON'T contribute to them, and maybe you can reverse those effects?

I don't contribute because I think the goals aren't worthwhile. In this case, I think a trip to India is a hell of a luxury and if I wanted to help women and girls in India I'd rather donate my money more directly, to a vetted registered charity that already has workers in India. Charity-tourism doesn't make sense, to me. --I think you could probably counteract this reaction by either focusing on the woman herself, and then aiming your appeal to people who would likely be sympathetic to her, or by demonstrating how she is somehow uniquely qualified to help these girls and women in a way other charities can't.

I also don't contribute because I suspect a scam. This is tied in very closely to a third reason I don't contribute, which is that I don't personally know the person involved. I think I'd be much more likely to contribute to a gofundme for someone I knew personally or at least someone who was in my community so I could confirm that the need is real and the money is going where it should. I often do contribute to local drives to help victims of fires, sick kids, etc. I know the point of a gofundme is to widen the base of the appeal, but for me, at least, that's where gofundmes fall down. Possibly you could counteract this by appealing to people who know your friend but aren't in frequent contact with her? Old classmates, people she's met at yoga retreats, or similar? If I read an appeal like this about someone I used to go to school with I'd probably chip in a bit of cash even if I hadn't had any contact with the person for years. Is there a yoga community? Can you figure out how to access it?

Final note of caution: I'm not sure about the "surprise" aspect of this. You know your friend better than I do, obviously, but I'd be pretty embarrassed and upset if someone set something like this up in my name. I don't want people thinking I need charity, or that I consider my trip across the world to be some sort of necessity that justifies asking others for charity. I do tend to be pretty proud/independent, so I'm sure my reaction isn't universal, but... I worry.

Good luck with it, though! I think you're really kind to want to help.