2026
The
Kindness
Gap
The
Kindness
Gap
What it takes to turn kindness into sustained nonprofit support.
2026
The
Kindness
Gap
What it takes to turn kindness into sustained nonprofit support.
The internet feels increasingly overwhelming. Algorithms reward rage bait, and bad news dominates the feed. Against all that noise, acts of kindness can feel insignificant. Add declining donor participation, and it’s easy to assume people don’t care anymore.
Our platform data challenges that.
The internet feels increasingly overwhelming. Algorithms reward rage bait, and bad news dominates the feed. Against all that noise, acts of kindness can feel insignificant. Add declining donor participation, and it’s easy to assume people don’t care anymore.
Our platform data challenges that.
$2.7B+
raised for nonprofits
July 2025 to June 2026*
$2.7B+
raised for nonprofits
July 2025 to June 2026*
8.6M+
nonprofit donors
July 2025 to June 2026*
8.6M+
nonprofit donors
July 2025 to June 2026*
34M+
nonprofit donations
July 2025 to June 2026*
34M+
nonprofit donations
July 2025 to June 2026*
45K+
nonprofit donations happening every day*
45K+
nonprofit donations happening every day*
From July 2025 to June 2026, 8.6M donors gave over 34M donations, totaling $2.7B for nonprofits across GoFundMe.
And that community is growing: the number of nonprofit donors across GoFundMe rose nearly 10% year over year.*
From July 2025 to June 2026, 8.6M donors gave over 34M donations, totaling $2.7B for nonprofits across GoFundMe.
And that community is growing: the number of nonprofit donors across GoFundMe rose nearly 10% year over year.*
If kindness isn’t fading, why isn’t it reaching more organizations?
People can’t act on an impulse they don’t know how to follow.
When there’s no clear path to action, potential donors never become part of your story. But when there is, one gift becomes a relationship, then a network, then generosity that keeps compounding.
People can’t act on an impulse they don’t know how to follow.
When there’s no clear path to action, potential donors never become part of your story. But when there is, one gift becomes a relationship, then a network, then generosity that keeps compounding.
Your donor base grows when the people who want to help can find you, take action, come back, and bring others in.
Meet kindness where it is
Meet kindness where
it is
Meet kindness where it is
Growth starts by giving kindness more ways in.
That means showing up where people are already scrolling and engaged, including GoFundMe, and connecting their impulse to help with your mission.
Growth starts by giving kindness more ways in.
That means showing up where people are already scrolling and engaged, including GoFundMe, and connecting their impulse to help with your mission.
Growth starts by giving kindness more ways in.
That means showing up where people are already scrolling and engaged, including GoFundMe, and connecting their impulse to help with your mission.
Customer spotlight: Pasadena Humane
Opening a new door to support
When crisis strikes, people come to GoFundMe. It’s a pattern we see again and again, raising the question: how do we connect these people to nonprofits already doing the work?
Pasadena Humane put that to the test, giving supporters of animal-related fundraisers the option at checkout to add a gift to help animals in their care.
Customer spotlight: Pasadena Humane
Opening a new door to support
When crisis strikes, people come to GoFundMe. It’s a pattern we see again and again, raising the question: how do we connect these people to nonprofits already doing the work?
Pasadena Humane put that to the test, giving supporters of animal-related fundraisers the option at checkout to add a gift to help animals in their care.
That new reach extended well beyond the organization’s local community, with 80% of donors coming from outside California.
Many supporters also opted in to stay connected, giving Pasadena Humane a foundation to build longer-term relationships with a newly expanded base.
That new reach extended well beyond the organization’s local community, with 80% of donors coming from outside California.
Many supporters also opted in to stay connected, giving Pasadena Humane a foundation to build longer-term relationships with a newly expanded base.
Customer spotlight:
Pasadena Humane
Opening a new door to support
When crisis strikes, people come to GoFundMe. It’s a pattern we see again and again, raising the question: how do we connect these people to nonprofits already doing the work?
Pasadena Humane put that to the test, giving supporters of animal-related fundraisers the option at checkout to add a gift to help animals in their care.
That new reach extended well beyond the organization’s local community, with 80% of donors coming from outside California.
Many supporters also opted in to stay connected, giving Pasadena Humane a foundation to build longer-term relationships with a newly expanded base.
Tipping the feed
toward kindness
Tipping the feed toward kindness
Social media feeds favor engagement, and outrage tends to fill that space. But a sincere call for help can break through. With the right story, emotion, and clear way to act, it can turn scrollers into supporters.
In fact, every organic social channel we measured brings in more first-time donors to GoFundMe Pro than organic search, paid search, or paid social.*
Instagram and Facebook bring in the most new donors, together accounting for nearly 80% of first-time gifts across organic social. Smaller channels, like LinkedIn, also convert at a high share, 48%, but with far less traffic.*
From last click to first gift
From last click to first gift
A look at total gift volume and first-time donor share across organic social channels on GoFundMe Pro.*
A look at total gift volume and first-time donor share across organic social channels on GoFundMe Pro.*
47%
first-time gifts
1.3M
total gifts
total gifts
56%
first-time gifts
375K
total gifts
total gifts
45%
first-time gifts
184K
total gifts
total gifts
X
48%
first-time gifts
22K
total gifts
total gifts
52%
first-time gifts
14K
total gifts
total gifts
TikTok
47%
first-time gifts
1.3M
total gifts
56%
first-time gifts
375K
total gifts
45%
first-time gifts
184K
total gifts
X
48%
first-time gifts
22K
total gifts
52%
first-time gifts
14K
total gifts
TikTok
Scale adjusted for readability. Bars are not strictly linear to volume.
Scale adjusted (square root) for readability.
Bars are not strictly linear to volume.
The data is clear: kindness isn’t underperforming. It’s underexposed. When nonprofits get in front of more people, they respond.
Still, not every path runs through a traditional acquisition channel.
Among Gen Z donors who use online fundraising platforms like GoFundMe, 91% have also given to a nonprofit.
Many potential supporters are already taking action, but often through direct, person-to-person giving rather than a nonprofit’s own channels.
That kind of giving feels immediate and personal because the need is clear and the impact is tangible. With the right invitation, nonprofits can create that same connection and extend the impulse into support for a broader mission.
Still, not every path runs through a traditional acquisition channel.
Among Gen Z donors who use online fundraising platforms like GoFundMe, 91% have also given to a nonprofit.
Many potential supporters are already taking action, but often through direct, person-to-person giving rather than a nonprofit’s own channels.
That kind of giving feels immediate and personal because the need is clear and the impact is tangible. With the right invitation, nonprofits can create that same connection and extend the impulse into support for a broader mission.
Still, not every path runs through a traditional acquisition channel.
Among Gen Z donors who use online fundraising platforms like GoFundMe, 91% have also given to a nonprofit.
Many potential supporters are already taking action, but often through direct, person-to-person giving rather than a nonprofit’s own channels.
That kind of giving feels immediate and personal because the need is clear and the impact is tangible. With the right invitation, nonprofits can create that same connection and extend the impulse into support for a broader mission.
World Central Kitchen
A new entry point on GoFundMe
Instagram is a significant source of new donor participation, with first-time donors making 56% of gifts. For World Central Kitchen, GoFundMe was an even stronger entry point. By meeting people already responding to urgent needs on the platform, WCK reached 99% new donors.
Kindness often surfaces when people recognize a need. It grows when you meet that moment with a clear path to help.
Where to go from here
Lean into organic social
Organic social brings in more first-time donors to nonprofits on GoFundMe Pro than any paid or search channel, making it a great place to build presence.
Go where help is happening
Show up in environments where people are already acting on their impulse to help, including platforms like GoFundMe.
Give each channel a role
Different channels do different jobs. Decide what each should accomplish, then evaluate it against that goal.
Where to go from here
Lean into organic social
Organic social brings in more first-time donors to nonprofits on GoFundMe Pro than any paid or search channel, making it a great place to build presence.
Go where help is happening
Show up in environments where people are already acting on their impulse to help, including platforms like GoFundMe.
Give each channel a role
Different channels do different jobs. Decide what each should accomplish, then evaluate it against that goal.
Where to go from here
Lean into organic social
Organic social brings in more first-time donors to nonprofits on GoFundMe Pro than any paid or search channel, making it a great place to build presence.
Go where help is happening
Show up in environments where people are already acting on their impulse to help, including platforms like GoFundMe.
Give each channel a role
Different channels do different jobs. Decide what each should accomplish, then evaluate it against that goal.
Give kindness
a way
to travel
Give kindness
a way
to travel
Give kindness
a way
to travel
One supporter can bring an entire community closer to a cause.
Peer-to-peer fundraising turns personal connections into trusted invitations, carrying kindness into new networks.
One supporter can bring an entire community closer to a cause.
Peer-to-peer fundraising turns personal connections into trusted invitations, carrying kindness into new networks.
One supporter can bring an entire community closer to a cause.
Peer-to-peer fundraising turns personal connections into trusted invitations, carrying kindness into new networks.
On average, a nonprofit’sP2P campaign on GoFundMePro brings in 123 donorswho are new to that cause,
70% of whom aregiving on GoFundMePro for the first time.*
I’m running a 5k for Healthy Food Project
Donate
On average, a nonprofit’s P2P campaign on GoFundMe Pro brings in 123 donors who are new to that cause,
70% of whom are giving on GoFundMe Pro for the first time.*
New
New
New
Organizer
New
1st nonprofit gift
1st nonprofit gift
New
Organizer
New
1st nonprofit gift
On average, a nonprofit’s P2P campaign brings in 123 donors who are new to that cause,
70% of whom are giving to a nonprofit on GoFundMe for the first time.*
Of those new to nonprofit giving,
16%
make another nonprofit gift on GoFundMe
Pro that year*
make another nonprofit
gift on GoFundMe
Pro
that year*
10%
organize a fundraiser themselves*
The real significance of P2P giving isn’t just that these donors act again. It’s that their role can change entirely.
A donor who starts a fundraiser becomes a new source of discovery, carrying your cause to people your nonprofit may never have reached on its own.
That shift, from donor to champion, is what gives P2P its compounding power. Each new organizer restarts the cycle with a network all their own.
The real significance of P2P giving isn’t just that these donors act again. It’s that their role can change entirely.
A donor who starts a fundraiser becomes a new source of discovery, carrying your cause to people your nonprofit may never have reached on its own.
That shift, from donor to champion, is what gives P2P its compounding power. Each person restarts the cycle with a network all their own.
Of those new to nonprofit giving,
16%
make another nonprofit gift on GoFundMe
Pro
that year*
10%
organize a fundraiser themselves*
The real significance of P2P giving isn’t just that these donors act again. It’s that their role can change entirely.
A donor who starts a fundraiser becomes a new source of discovery, carrying your cause to people your nonprofit may never have reached on its own.
That shift, from donor to champion, is what gives P2P its compounding power. Each new organizer restarts the cycle with a network all their own.
Of those new to nonprofit giving,
16%
make another nonprofit gift on GoFundMe
Pro
that year*
10%
organize a fundraiser themselves*
The real significance of P2P giving isn’t just that these donors act again. It’s that their role can change entirely.
A donor who starts a fundraiser becomes a new source of discovery, carrying your cause to people your nonprofit may never have reached on its own.
That shift, from donor to champion, is what gives P2P its compounding power. Each new organizer restarts the cycle with a network all their own.
Fundraiser spotlight: William Goodge
Fundraiser spotlight: William Goodge
Mission America
Mission America
After losing his mother, Amanda, to cancer in 2018, William ran his first marathon that Christmas Day, raising nearly £20,000 for cancer support. Since then, he has run 850 miles across the UK, and is currently running 50 marathons across all 50 states in 24 days, each mile honoring his mother and everyone still fighting.
After losing his mother, Amanda, to cancer in 2018, William ran his first marathon that Christmas Day, raising nearly £20,000 for cancer support. Since then, he has run 850 miles across the UK, and is currently running 50 marathons across all 50 states in 24 days, each mile honoring his mother and everyone still fighting.
Fundraiser spotlight: William Goodge
Mission America
After losing his mother, Amanda, to cancer in 2018, William ran his first marathon that Christmas Day, raising nearly £20,000 for cancer support. Since then, he has run 850 miles across the UK, and is currently running 50 marathons across all 50 states in 24 days, each mile honoring his mother and everyone still fighting.
Fundraiser spotlight:
William Goodge
Mission America
After losing his mother, Amanda, to cancer in 2018, William ran his first marathon that Christmas Day, raising nearly £20,000 for cancer support. Since then, he has run 850 miles across the UK, and is currently running 50 marathons across all 50 states in 24 days, each mile honoring his mother and everyone still fighting.
“I’m standing up to cancer. I’m running for my mom and everyone fighting it.”
Supporters can donate directly or fundraise through the 24-Mile Challenge, while a state-by-state competition adds a shared goal and friendly rivalry. More than 50 fundraisers and 250 donors have already raised over $27,000, and the campaign is still growing.
As William moves from state to state, his story travels with him. Every stop gives local supporters a chance to rally around a cause many know personally. Those inspired to take part carry his mission into their own networks, keeping kindness moving from one community to the next.
As William moves from state to state, his story travels with him. Every stop gives local supporters a chance to rally around a cause many know personally. Those inspired to take part carry his mission into their own networks, keeping kindness moving from one community to the next.
As William moves from state to state, his story travels with him. Every stop gives local supporters a chance to rally around a cause many know personally. Those inspired to take part carry his mission into their own networks, keeping kindness moving from one community to the next.
Traditional P2P still holds real value, but it’s no longer the only way in. People want more freedom to fundraise in ways that fit their own lives and networks.
Supporters are increasingly taking the lead
Community fundraising extends beyond traditional P2P by providing flexibility. Nonprofits provide the mission, tools, and optional framework, while supporters decide how to bring it to life.
Whether through a challenge, tribute, patient story, or crisis response, ownership helps supporters rally their networks and become stronger advocates.
Community fundraising extends beyond traditional P2P by providing flexibility. Nonprofits provide the mission, tools, and optional framework, while supporters decide how to bring it to life.
Whether through a challenge, tribute, patient story, or crisis response, ownership helps supporters rally their networks and become stronger advocates.
People fundraising for nonprofits increased
28%
year over year*
30%
growth
year over year in people fundraising for nonprofits for the first time*
Nonprofit fundraisers
jumped
Nonprofit
fundraisers
jumped
62%
year over year*
People fundraising for nonprofits increased
28%
year over year*
30%
growth
year over year in people fundraising for nonprofits for the first time*
Nonprofit fundraisers jumped
62%
year over year*
What is challenge fundraising?
What is challenge fundraising?
Challenge fundraising invites supporters to participate in an activity with a clear goal, like walking 50 miles in the month of May or reading 10 books in 10 weeks. Participants can join from anywhere, at any time, and their community sponsors them along the way.
Challenge
donors increased
5x
year over year*
Challenge
fundraisers grew
4x
year over year*
Challenge
donors increased
5x
year over year*
Challenge
fundraisers grew
4x
year over year*
Challenge
donors increased
5x
year over year*
Challenge
fundraisers grew
4x
year over year*
98%
of supporters were
new to the cause
98%
of supporters were
new to the cause
~4,000
fundraisers started
~4,000
fundraisers started
To Write Love On Her Arms
The 31-mile challenge
When its traditional challenge fundraising performance plateaued, To Write Love On Her Arms rethought how and where it invited supporters to participate.
The organization shifted its focus toward Instagram, developing custom creative for its younger audience, and launched a 31-mile dog walk challenge using GoFundMe.
To Write Love On Her Arms
The power of paid
Paid media helped make that scale possible.
By shifting ad spend from Facebook to Instagram, where its younger supporters were more active, To Write Love On Her Arms more than doubled its return and reached thousands of new people.
+2x
ROAS
+2x
ROAS
53%
of leads were
age 18–34
53%
of leads were
age 18–34
98%
of supporters were new to the cause
~4,000
fundraisers started
To Write Love On Her Arms
The 31-mile challenge
When its traditional challenge fundraising performance plateaued, To Write Love On Her Arms rethought how and where it invited supporters to participate.
The organization shifted its focus toward Instagram, developing custom creative for its younger audience, and launched a 31-mile dog walk challenge using GoFundMe.
To Write Love On Her Arms
The power of paid
Paid media helped make that scale possible.
By shifting ad spend from Facebook to Instagram, where its younger supporters were more active, To Write Love On Her Arms more than doubled its return and reached thousands of new people.
+2x
ROAS
53%
of leads were
age 18–34
98%
of supporters were
new to the cause
~4,000
fundraisers started
To Write Love On Her Arms
The 31-mile challenge
When its traditional challenge fundraising performance plateaued, To Write Love On Her Arms rethought how and where it invited supporters to participate.
The organization shifted its focus toward Instagram, developing custom creative for its younger audience, and launched a 31-mile dog walk challenge using GoFundMe.
To Write Love On Her Arms
The power of paid
Paid media helped make that scale possible.
By shifting ad spend from Facebook to Instagram, where its younger supporters were more active, To Write Love On Her Arms more than doubled its return and reached thousands of new people.
+2x
ROAS
53%
of leads were
age 18–34
When new donors are harder to find, P2P can turn one trusted invitation into many.
Where to go from here
Empower your supporters
Give people with a genuine connection simple ways to share why your cause matters or fundraise on your behalf.
Keep it personal
Welcome newcomers in a way that preserves the personal context of the invitation.
Measure the ripple effect
See how many new supporters enter your cause and continue participating, not only how much they give.
Where to go from here
Empower your supporters
Give people with a genuine connection simple ways to share why your cause matters or fundraise on your behalf.
Keep it personal
Welcome newcomers in a way that preserves the personal context of the invitation.
Measure the ripple effect
See how many new supporters enter your cause and continue participating, not only how much they give.
Where to go from here
Empower your supporters
Give people with a genuine connection simple ways to share why your cause matters or fundraise on your behalf.
Keep it personal
Welcome newcomers in a way that preserves the personal context of the invitation.
Measure the ripple effect
See how many new supporters enter your cause and continue participating, not only how much they give.
Where to go from here
Empower your supporters
Give people with a genuine connection simple ways to share why your cause matters or fundraise on your behalf.
Keep it personal
Welcome newcomers in a way that preserves the personal context of the invitation.
Measure the ripple effect
See how many new supporters enter your cause and continue participating, not only how much they give.
Turn kindness
into action
Turn kindness
into action
Help donors say yes with clarity, confidence, and convenience.
The giving experience is part of the relationship. Before a gift is complete, donors are already learning what it feels like to support your organization.
Help donors say yes with clarity, confidence, and convenience.
The giving experience is part of the relationship. Before a gift is complete, donors are already learning what it feels like to support your organization.
Help donors say yes with clarity, confidence, and convenience.
The giving experience is part of the relationship. Before a gift is complete, donors are already learning what it feels like to support your organization.
GoFundMe experiment
GoFundMe experiment
Testing the confidence to commit
Testing the confidence to commit
Every day, over 100K people give on GoFundMe.* That scale lets us run hundreds of controlled experiments on what turns kindness into generosity, including masking certain fundraiser page elements to see which signals move donors to follow through.
Every day, over 100K people give on GoFundMe.* That scale lets us run hundreds of controlled experiments on what turns kindness into generosity, including masking certain fundraiser page elements to see which signals move donors to follow through.
For product illustration only.
GoFundMe experiment
Testing the confidence to commit
Every day, over 100K people give on GoFundMe.* That scale lets us run hundreds of controlled experiments on what turns kindness into generosity, including masking certain fundraiser page elements to see which signals move donors to follow through.
For product illustration only.
GoFundMe experiment
Testing the confidence to commit
Every day, over 100K people give on GoFundMe.* That scale lets us run hundreds of controlled experiments on what turns kindness into generosity, including masking certain fundraiser page elements to see which signals move donors to follow through.
For product illustration only.
One thing is clear: conversion drops when context disappears.
Most elements made little difference on their own. Goal progress and recent donation activity were the exceptions.
Removing the goal amount and progress circle boosted clicks on a now more-visible donate button, but conversion fell. The data suggests those extra clicks weren’t a sign of more interest, but likely donors searching for missing information, then abandoning the process when they couldn’t find it.
Experiment
Hiding goal amount and progress circle
2x
donate clicks
-7%
conversion
For product illustration only.
Experiment
Hiding recent donation activity
+31%
donate clicks
-9%
conversion
For product illustration only.
Hiding recent donation activity told a similar story.
In this test, clicks on the donate button rose as well, but conversion and total giving still fell. Donors who reached checkout without giving returned to the fundraiser page much more often and sooner, consistent with looking for information they couldn’t find.
Most elements made little difference on their own. Goal progress and recent donation activity were the exceptions.
Removing the goal amount and progress circle boosted clicks on a now more-visible donate button, but conversion fell. The data suggests those extra clicks weren’t a sign of more interest, but likely donors searching for missing information, then abandoning the process when they couldn’t find it.
Experiment
Hiding goal amount and progress circle
2x
donate clicks
-7%
conversion
For product illustration only.
Experiment
Hiding recent donation activity
+31%
donate clicks
-9%
conversion
For product illustration only.
Hiding recent donation activity told a similar story.
In this test, clicks on the donate button rose as well, but conversion and total giving still fell. Donors who reached checkout without giving returned to the fundraiser page much more often and sooner, consistent with looking for information they couldn’t find.
Most elements made little difference on their own. Goal progress and recent donation activity were the exceptions.
Removing the goal amount and progress circle boosted clicks on a now more-visible donate button, but conversion fell. The data suggests those extra clicks weren’t a sign of more interest, but likely donors searching for missing information, then abandoning the process when they couldn’t find it.
Experiment
Hiding goal amount and progress circle
2x
donate clicks
-7%
conversion
For product illustration only.
Experiment
Hiding recent donation activity
+31%
donate clicks
-9%
conversion
For product illustration only.
Hiding recent donation activity told a similar story.
In this test, clicks on the donate button rose as well, but conversion and total giving still fell. Donors who reached checkout without giving returned to the fundraiser page much more often and sooner, consistent with looking for information they couldn’t find.
GoFundMe internal data (August 2025)
GoFundMe internal data (August 2025)
Conviction drives action, not just clicks. Give donors a reason they can’t ignore.
What crisis teaches us
When a need is immediate and undeniable, the urgency to help outweighs hesitation, and donors are more likely to follow through.
What crisis teaches us
When a need is immediate and undeniable, the urgency to help outweighs hesitation, and donors are more likely to follow through.
What crisis teaches us
When a need is immediate and undeniable, the urgency to help outweighs hesitation, and donors are more likely to follow through.
In the first 24 hours after a crisis fundraiser is published, it draws 48% more donors and raises 19% more than non-crisis fundraisers.
By 72 hours, those gaps grow to 71% more donors and 32% more dollars.*
In the first 24 hours after a crisis fundraiser is published, it draws 48% more donors and raises 19% more than non-crisis fundraisers.
By 72 hours, those gaps grow to 71% more donors and 32% more dollars.*
For campaigns outside a crisis, make “why now” just as clear. Show donors what needs to happen and when: a patient waiting on treatment, a shelter running out of beds, or a food bank preparing for Thanksgiving.
We Love Foundation
Relief for Venezuela earthquake victims
Following twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela in June 2026, We Love Foundation launched an emergency relief fundraiser on GoFundMe. They’ve raised over $7.2M from more than 102K donations, converting visitors at nearly 4x the rate of the average fundraiser.*
4x
higher conversion rate*
higher conversion
rate*
4x
higher conversion rate*
4x
higher conversion
rate*
That surge isn’t only about volume. Roughly one third of crisis donors are giving for the first time on GoFundMe—a wave of new support arriving all at once.*
That surge isn’t only about volume. Roughly one third of crisis donors are giving for the first time on GoFundMe—a wave of new support arriving all at once.*
A strong first impression can turn a single gift into a habit. And it starts with the ask.
The art of the ask
Donation forms typically offer a grid of suggested amounts. When we tested reducing GoFundMe’s grid from six options to four, both conversion and total giving dropped.
Donors need enough choices to find one that actually feels right.
Donors need enough choices to find one that actually feels right.
When we added a “suggested” tag to a single value in the grid, personalized to a supporter’s giving potential and the campaign’s fundraising goals, conversion and overall giving both grew.
7%
increase in revenue
And that same personalization pays off at scale.
When optimized for revenue, campaigns using Intelligent Ask Amounts raised 7% more, on average.
7%
increase in revenue
And that same personalization pays off at scale.
When optimized for revenue, campaigns using Intelligent Ask Amounts raised 7% more, on average.
7%
increase in revenue
And that same personalization pays off at scale.
When optimized for revenue, campaigns using Intelligent Ask Amounts raised 7% more, on average.
Digital wallets close the gap
Once a donor decides to give, every step between that decision and the completed gift is a chance for it to stall. Remove friction, and the decision is more likely to hold.
Giving through digital wallets—Google Pay, Apple Pay, Venmo—is growing fast, each one removing a step traditional checkout still requires: no card to type, no address to fill in, fewer taps to finish.
+34%
+34%
+34%
raised through
digital wallets on GoFundMe Pro YoY*
raised through
digital wallets on GoFundMe Pro YoY*
Clarity and conviction earn the intention. The right ask and a frictionless path carry it through.
Where to go from here
Find where momentum breaks
An extra form field or a missing progress bar is enough to leave a donor fatigued or uncertain, which can stall the very impulse that brought them there.
Shorten the distance to yes
Every step you remove between a decision and a completed gift makes it that much more likely to hold.
Name the reason to act now
Crisis moments show what happens when urgency is obvious. Every campaign needs that same clarity: why this matters, and why today.
Where to go from here
Find where momentum breaks
An extra form field or a missing progress bar is enough to leave a donor fatigued or uncertain, which can stall the very impulse that brought them there.
Shorten the distance to yes
Every step you remove between a decision and a completed gift makes it that much more likely to hold.
Name the reason to act now
Crisis moments show what happens when urgency is obvious. Every campaign needs that same clarity: why this matters, and why today.
Where to go from here
Find where momentum breaks
An extra form field or a missing progress bar is enough to leave a donor fatigued or uncertain, which can stall the very impulse that brought them there.
Shorten the distance to yes
Every step you remove between a decision and a completed gift makes it that much more likely to hold.
Name the reason to act now
Crisis moments show what happens when urgency is obvious. Every campaign needs that same clarity: why this matters, and why today.
Where to go from here
Find where momentum breaks
An extra form field or a missing progress bar is enough to leave a donor fatigued or uncertain, which can stall the very impulse that brought them there.
Shorten the distance to yes
Every step you remove between a decision and a completed gift makes it that much more likely to hold.
Name the reason to act now
Crisis moments show what happens when urgency is obvious. Every campaign needs that same clarity: why this matters, and why today.
From one
act to
another
From one
act to
another
From one
act to
another
Lasting support grows through a series of earned next acts.
The first gift opens the relationship. The second signals a reason to return. Recurring giving gives that commitment a durable form.
Lasting support grows through a series of earned next acts.
The first gift opens the relationship. The second signals a reason to return. Recurring giving gives that commitment a durable form.
Lasting support grows through a series of earned next acts.
The first gift opens the relationship. The second signals a reason to return. Recurring giving gives that commitment a durable form.
Customer spotlight: National Kidney Foundation
Customer spotlight: National Kidney Foundation
From one gift to $1,000 a month
From one gift to $1,000 a month
Anthony first gave to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) in 2017, as an employee donor through his company. NKF’s local staff reached out to thank him and learn more, and discovered something unexpected: Anthony was a kidney transplant recipient, looking for a way to get more involved.
Anthony first gave to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) in 2017, as an employee donor through his company. NKF’s local staff reached out to thank him and learn more, and discovered something unexpected: Anthony was a kidney transplant recipient, looking for a way to get more involved.
Customer spotlight: National Kidney Foundation
From one gift to $1,000 a month
Anthony first gave to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) in 2017, as an employee donor through his company. NKF’s local staff reached out to thank him and learn more, and discovered something unexpected: Anthony was a kidney transplant recipient, looking for a way to get more involved.
Customer spotlight: National Kidney Foundation
From one gift to $1,000 a month
Anthony first gave to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) in 2017, as an employee donor through his company. NKF’s local staff reached out to thank him and learn more, and discovered something unexpected: Anthony was a kidney transplant recipient, looking for a way to get more involved.
That connection opened a path.
Anthony began volunteering, then chaired his local Kidney Walk, experiencing firsthand the work NKF does for patients like him. He joined his local board, then the national board.
By the time NKF’s recurring giving program was fully in place, Anthony was already primed to become a monthly donor. Since 2021, he’s given $1,000 a month to NKF’s mission.
The real lesson in Anthony’s story is the sequence, not the size of the gift. Learn what motivates a donor, build trust before asking for more, invite them into greater involvement, and only then make the ask for a recurring gift.
Skip a step, and the ask lands before trust does. Follow it, and a single gift can become a lasting commitment.
The real lesson in Anthony’s story is the sequence, not the size of the gift. Learn what motivates a donor, build trust before asking for more, invite them into greater involvement, and only then make the ask for a recurring gift.
Skip a step, and the ask lands before trust does. Follow it, and a single gift can become a lasting commitment.
The real lesson in Anthony’s story is the sequence, not the size of the gift. Learn what motivates a donor, build trust before asking for more, invite them into greater involvement, and only then make the ask for a recurring gift.
Skip a step, and the ask lands before trust does. Follow it, and a single gift can become a lasting commitment.
The period between a first gift and a recurring commitment isn’t idle time. It’s when nonprofits turn a transaction into a relationship.
Among donors who start with a one-time gift on GoFundMe Pro,
it takes an average of 104 days or 2 gifts to commit to recurring giving.*
it takes an average of 104 days or 2 gifts to commit to recurring giving.*
First gift
Second gift
For product illustration only.
Recurring gift
Re-engages with the cause on social and through email
Receives an email about upgrading to a monthly donation
Starts a fundraiser to rally additional support
Learn about our garden
Among donors who start with a one-time gift on GoFundMe Pro,
it takes an average of 104 days or 2 gifts to commit to recurring giving.*
First gift
Second gift
For product illustration only.
Recurring gift
Re-engages with the cause on social and through email
Receives an email about upgrading to a monthly donation
Starts a fundraiser to rally additional support
Learn about our garden
Before any of that can happen, there’s a critical hurdle to clear: getting a donor to give again at all.
37% of first-time donors on GoFundMe Pro give again to the same organization that year.*
That 63% gap says less about donor intent and more about what happens, or doesn’t, after that first gift.
Turning a first-time donor into a repeat supporter usually comes down to three things:
a real thank-you, proof of impact, and a clear next step.
The invitation to that next step shouldn’t necessarily come through the same door a donor first walked through. Among repeat donors across GoFundMe and GoFundMe Pro, roughly 50% return through the same source, and 50% come back through a different one entirely.*
The invitation to that next step shouldn’t necessarily come through the same door a donor first walked through. Among repeat donors across GoFundMe and GoFundMe Pro, roughly 50% return through the same source, and 50% come back through a different one entirely.*
37% of first-time donors on GoFundMe Pro give again to the same organization that year.*
That 63% gap says less about donor intent and more about what happens, or doesn’t, after that first gift.
Turning a first-time donor into a repeat supporter usually comes down to three things:
a real thank-you, proof of impact, and a clear next step.
The invitation to that next step shouldn’t necessarily come through the same door a donor first walked through. Among repeat donors across GoFundMe and GoFundMe Pro, roughly 50% return through the same source, and 50% come back through a different one entirely.*
Nurture a donor based only on how they arrived, and you may not be there when they’re moved to give again.
Among donors who start with a one-time gift on GoFundMe Pro,
it takes an average of 104 days or 2 gifts to commit to recurring giving.*
First gift
Second gift
For product illustration only.
Recurring gift
Re-engages with the cause on social and through email
Receives an email about upgrading to a monthly donation
Starts a fundraiser to rally additional support
Learn about our garden
Before any of that can happen, there’s a critical hurdle to clear: getting a donor to give again at all.
37% of first-time donors on GoFundMe Pro give again to the same organization that year.*
That 63% gap says less about donor intent and more about what happens, or doesn’t, after that first gift.
Turning a first-time donor into a repeat supporter usually comes down to three things:
a real thank-you, proof of impact, and a clear next step.
The invitation to that next step shouldn’t necessarily come through the same door a donor first walked through. Among repeat donors across GoFundMe and GoFundMe Pro, roughly 50% return through the same source, and 50% come back through a different one entirely.*
Nurture a donor based only on how they arrived, and you may not be there when they’re moved to give again.
Each gift makes the next one more likely, and eventually, that pattern may become something a donor is ready to formalize. For many, though, it happens sooner.
On GoFundMe Pro, 63% of donors who started a recurring giving plan had not previously made a one-time gift.*
Once a donor reaches recurring status, the threshold moves, and the work continues.
Each gift makes the next one more likely, and eventually, that pattern may become something a donor is ready to formalize. For many, though, it happens sooner.
On GoFundMe Pro, 63% of donors who started a recurring giving plan had not previously made a one-time gift.*
Once a donor reaches recurring status, the threshold moves, and the work continues.
Each gift makes the next one more likely, and eventually, that pattern may become something a donor is ready to formalize. For many, though, it happens sooner.
On GoFundMe Pro, 63% of donors who started a recurring giving plan had not previously made a one-time gift.*
Once a donor reaches recurring status, the threshold moves, and the work continues.
The critical window:
a recurring gift’s first 30 days
GoFundMe Pro is focused on improving the first 30 days of the recurring donor experience, when retention is most vulnerable. Our data shows 7% of recurring gifts are canceled within the first month. After that, monthly retention rises above 98% and keeps climbing. That momentum lasts over time, with 82% of plans still active after one year and 75% still active after two.*
The critical window:
a recurring gift’s first 30 days
GoFundMe Pro is focused on improving the first 30 days of the recurring donor experience, when retention is most vulnerable. Our data shows 7% of recurring gifts are canceled within the first month. After that, monthly retention rises above 98% and keeps climbing. That momentum lasts over time, with 82% of plans still active after one year and 75% still active after two.*
93%
retention after
one month*
+98%
average monthly retention across months 2–24*
93%
retention after
one month*
+98%
average monthly retention across
months 2–24*
93%
retention after
one month*
+98%
average monthly retention across months 2-24*
Retention efforts pay off most when they’re front-loaded. No other 30-day window carries as much risk, or as much opportunity, as the one right after a donor commits.
Nonprofits that concentrate onboarding, gratitude, and impact updates in those early days protect the relationships most at risk of ending before they’ve really begun.
Retention efforts pay off most when they’re front-loaded. No other 30-day window carries as much risk, or as much opportunity, as the one right after a donor commits.
Nonprofits that concentrate onboarding, gratitude, and impact updates in those early days protect the relationships most at risk of ending before they’ve really begun.
Retention efforts pay off most when they’re front-loaded. No other 30-day window carries as much risk, or as much opportunity, as the one right after a donor commits.
Nonprofits that concentrate onboarding, gratitude, and impact updates in those early days protect the relationships most at risk of ending before they’ve really begun.
Getting through that critical window is a milestone. Keep showing up for donors to help the connection grow.
Industry-wide, a recurring donor is typically worth five to seven times what a one-time donor is.¹
On GoFundMe Pro, that value grows to 10 times.²
Industry-wide, a recurring donor is typically worth five to seven times what a one-time donor is.¹
On GoFundMe Pro, that value grows to 10 times.²
Industry-wide, a recurring donor is typically worth five to seven times what a one-time donor is.¹
On GoFundMe Pro, that value grows to 10 times.²
But it doesn’t happen automatically. Almost all of that value is dependent on how a donor is kept informed, invited to give more, and recovered when a payment quietly fails.
(1) The Center for Sustainable Giving
(2) Internal GoFundMe Pro analysis (as of 2025), comparing lifetime value of recurring vs. one-time donors. Results vary.
When the acquisition, the ask, and the experience are done well, the ceiling on recurring value climbs. That means treating what comes after the first gift as a relationship to manage, not a milestone to check off.
Get it right:
Donors stay because they feel seen.
Get it right:
Donors stay because they feel seen.
Get it wrong:
They leave because no one was paying attention.
Loren
Loren
Vanessa
Vanessa
Rocio
Rocio
Marsha
Marsha
Alicia
Alicia
Curtis
Curtis
Matthew
Matthew
Joseph
Joseph
Ricardo
Ricardo
Hugo
Hugo
Paulette
Paulette
Amanda
Amanda
Terrance
Terrance
Vanessa
Vanessa
Marsha
Marsha
Matthew
Matthew
Joseph
Joseph
Hugo
Hugo
Terrance
Terrance
Get it wrong:
They leave because no one was paying attention.
Recurring giving takes shape over time, with each action affirming the relationship and making the next one feel more natural, until showing up becomes a habit donors want to keep.
Where to go from here
Earn the second gift
37% of first-time donors give again on GoFundMe Pro that year, but that number can grow. Thank them well, show them their impact, and give them something specific to do next.
Don’t lock donors into one lane
Half of repeat donors return through a new channel. Assume otherwise, and you may not be there when they’re ready to give again.
Protect the first 30 days
Recurring giving cancellations peak in month one, then drop sharply. Reassure new donors early, stay in touch, and catch failed payments before they silently churn.
Where to go from here
Earn the second gift
37% of first-time donors give again on GoFundMe Pro that year, but that number can grow. Thank them well, show them their impact, and give them something specific to do next.
Don’t lock donors into one lane
Half of repeat donors return through a new channel. Assume otherwise, and you may not be there when they’re ready to give again.
Protect the first 30 days
Recurring giving cancellations peak in month one, then drop sharply. Reassure new donors early, stay in touch, and catch failed payments before they silently churn.
Where to go from here
Earn the second gift
37% of first-time donors give again on GoFundMe Pro that year, but that number can grow. Thank them well, show them their impact, and give them something specific to do next.
Don’t lock donors into one lane
Half of repeat donors return through a new channel. Assume otherwise, and you may not be there when they’re ready to give again.
Protect the first 30 days
Recurring giving cancellations peak in month one, then drop sharply. Reassure new donors early, stay in touch, and catch failed payments before they silently churn.
Where to go from here
Earn the second gift
37% of first-time donors give again on GoFundMe Pro that year, but that number can grow. Thank them well, show them their impact, and give them something specific to do next.
Don’t lock donors into one lane
Half of repeat donors return through a new channel. Assume otherwise, and you may not be there when they’re ready to give again.
Protect the first 30 days
Recurring giving cancellations peak in month one, then drop sharply. Reassure new donors early, stay in touch, and catch failed payments before they silently churn.
Closing
the kindness
gap
Closing
the kindness
gap
Closing
the
kindness
gap
Growth depends on carrying kindness forward: from impulse to action, from one person to another, and from a first gift to lasting commitment.
Declining donor participation can look like declining kindness. But kindness isn’t the constraint. The real challenge is how much gets lost between the urge to help and the opportunity to act.
This report followed that urge from the moment it sparked to the moment it became lasting support, asking at each stage what it takes to keep it moving.
Discovery connects kind people to causes they care about.
Organic social
brings in more first-time donors on GoFundMe Pro than organic search, paid search, or paid social.
A personal invitation carries causes further, built on trust already there.
Challenge fundraisers on GoFundMe grew +4x
year over year.
A confident, frictionless ask turns the impulse to help into action.
On GoFundMe Pro,
+34% raised through digital wallets
year over year.
Ongoing connection turns transactions into relationships.
82% of recurring plans
on GoFundMe Pro are still active after one year.
Every day, kindness shows up across GoFundMe’s community of 200M+.
Studying that scale has shown us how to strengthen the path kindness travels, helping people discover a need, act with confidence, and find a reason to come back.
Every day, kindness shows up across GoFundMe’s community of 200M+.
Studying that scale has shown us how to strengthen the path kindness travels, helping people discover a need, act with confidence, and find a reason to come back.
The nonprofits that grow won’t be the ones that convince more people to care. They’ll be the ones that lose less of the kindness already there, at every step between someone feeling moved to help and someone choosing to stay.
TURN
KINDNESS INTO
GENEROSITY
TURN
KINDNESS INTO
GENEROSITY
Learn how your organization can close the kindness gap.
TURN
KINDNESS INTO
GENEROSITY
Learn how your organization can close the kindness gap.
About
the data
About
the data
*This report analyzes de-identified internal transaction data from GoFundMe and GoFundMe Pro, unless otherwise denoted, from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. Platform records were used to measure giving activity, unique donors, and funds raised for nonprofits and individuals.
For cross-platform analysis, donor records were matched using a shared hashed email identifier. Donors appearing on both platforms were counted once in the combined unique-donor total. Platform classifications distinguished gifts to nonprofits from gifts to individual fundraisers. These findings reflect observed activity within the included data and do not establish that activity on one platform caused later activity on the other.