What is your opinion of donating to people who post on gofundme?
I recently joined the gofundme website, in hopes to get donations to save my house. But, I have been on there for almost 3 months, and have not received a dime. I also looked at some of the other things people are asking for. Like one family got over $5,000 to find their dog, and another girl got over $500 to buy herself a dress for the prom. These seem kind of strange, while a guy who is hooked up to life support, gets nothing.
My question is, what would be important enough for you to donate just one dollar to a worthy cause? I personally would rather donate to a person than a charity, because I would know exactly where the money is going, also knowing that only a small percentage would go to someone else. Some charities take 85% or more of your money, while the people who need it get next to nothing.
If you are curious about my gofundme. You can find me at the site using my zip code. 49312.First, good luck. I'll check out your page in a minute.
If I may, funny story about gofundme? I had a buddy actually start one to pay for his child support. Yes. Child Support. Completely tacky. We were so angry at him. He finally took it down. That's an example of a bad use of the pages.Why is child support less worthy than another cause? "Tacky"? What is that even supposed to mean? Are you aware what can be done to men who can't affort to pay what the court has demanded?
I'm absolutely aware of what some men go through. And my buddy is still going through it all. But I object to airing it out in public. It is not the way to go. Plus, not everyone knows the circumstances under which he is asking. Everyone who has known him for year was appalled. I guess I'm old fashioned in the sense that not everything needs to be posted on the web and asking for $$ that concerns a relationship issue is not the way to go. He could have came to us and said "Hey, if you guys can spare any $$, let me know. I want to buy my kids Christmas gifts." That's different. Some causes are less worthy. Certainly a woman with cancer is more worthy than a guy who needs child support payments. He produced the children, and you need to have foresight. Regardless of the part his wife may have played in the matter. Overall, it's a product of bad decision-making.
You object to airing it in public? But the government is a public institution. If personal relationships shouldn't be made public, perhaps government should back out of them. Legally required child support moves an issue out of the merely social/personal and into the legal and financial.
I don't know whether a woman with cancer is objectively "more worthy" than a man being forced to pay child support. Everyone should be free to ask for money and donate to who they like. Not giving your "friend" money is one thing. Pressuring him to take down the request is another. Women who "produce children" are allowed to escape the consequences in ways men are not. I think you're judgmentally moralizing about your friend's situation far too much.
My sincere opinion of gofundme is that it is a great resource for those who need a drastic improvement on their current situation. Emergencies, medical expenses, adoption expenses etc. I have no problem donating money to someone who is trying to make a profound impact or is truly in need. But someone who wants an xbox? NO... someone that my husband knows, he and his wife made one asking for $30k. The reason: to have some wiggle room with spending cash. Seriously? NO. There are people on there that get their prom dresses and video games though while others who have actual needs don't come close to their goals. I believe the thing to remember here is that it's an outreach program. In other words, the more people you share your fund with, the better, if they share it, even better and so on. These fundraising efforts don't work for everyone but you don't have anything to lose for trying. Best of luck to you!
I have my own GoFundMe page - I'm about to be homeless May 1 and am trying to scrape together just enough to get back on my feet because nobody really WANTS to continue being homeless or...hopeless for that matter.
But I'm with you - I'd rather donate to a person who's down on their luck and know that I'm directly making a positive impact on their future.Why don't you cast a spell for money? Your profile says you're a practicing witch right?
Thanks for the replies. And I agree that someone asking for money so they can have more than what they already have, when they can already afford to pay their bills is kind of stupid. The sad thing is with sites like this, is that people assume everyone is just looking for quick cash. It makes people assume that everyone on the site is in the same boat. But, like you said, Frenchie Kisses, you don't know until you try.
It is also so wide open, that anyone who wants money for any reason can join. I am just hoping that I receive enough money to keep up with my bills. I only get $200 a month to live on, and my bills alone are currently backed up almost $2000.00. Most of it is the monthly cost of electricity.
By the way, you can also find my video on youtube by doing a google search for brimancandy. I had to post it to youtube, so I could link it to my gofundme ad. Wish I could do more, but that's all I have for now.I think success with gofundme depends upon what a person is asking for, but also depends a great deal upon getting the word out. If a tragic story is covered on the news and a gofundme is mentioned, strangers will donate. If a person works in a large office or plant and coworkers spread the word, their gofundme would have a better chance of raising more money. Perhaps some people log in and browse around for a cause to donate to, but surely most people who donate are directed there to that specific account by family, friends or some sort of publicity.
I think in some cases, the account is set up for grandparents or relatives to use for gift-giving, such as the girls who want a prom dress or kids who want a puppy.
I tried briefly looking for yours by doing a search of your zip code, but 2,635 results came up! I just don't have the patience to search that many pages. I was surprised at the large number. 2,635 results in one zip code alone --- it appears lots of people want/need donations and they are all in competition with one another. That is so many results to browse though. I think you need to find a way to publicize your plight and give people a direct link to your page.Hi Smartandfun.
I want very much to have a direct link to my page, but most sites seem to block the link. I tried to link it to a couple of my pages, but I received an error message saying that the link is not valid.
But, you can find my donation video on youtube, by searching the youtube site for Brimancandy. Its the first thing that comes up in the search. I have other videos there as well.One video is a slide show of some of my artwork, and others are places I have been.
I wish I was a witch! I brew myself up a batch of gold. Or cast a spell on Jake Gyllenhaal...you must visit Brian shower him with hugs and give him presents. And, cast a spell on Donald trump that makes him turn into a....you fill in the blank. Though I am going for every time someone changes the channel on their remote, he gets a kick to the groin, or just one push of a button where nobody can hear him speak. all that comes out is blah blah blah, or fart noises.- calculus-geometryposted 8 years ago
0I managed to find it using your zip code and narrowing down the category, here's the link in case anyone wants to check it out.
https://www.gofundme.com/22nyuu5g
The youtube video at the top of the page isn't working, so that alone might make people overlook it or hit the back button.
I suppose you could always start over and try to work a different angle like having a sick dog, or needing money for a suit to go to go to a job interview. I'm not completely suggesting you lie... just that small and specific are more effective than big and broad.The amount you're trying to raise is quite large and may be turning people off.
Another tip, add a little donation yourself to get the ball rolling and make it look someone cares. Potential donors might not want to be the first to donate to a particular cause.
Edit: I would also leave out having fibromyalgia and taking a lot of pill everyday. Many people don't think it's a real illness and as soon as you talk about pills people might think you are a drug addict. Don't include any information that could possibly be misconstrued to your disadvantage. - ahorsebackposted 8 years ago0
Seriously , what has the people of a country come to when its so easy to ask for money ? I know , I know ! I'm a old guy who was most of your age's in the early seventies , Imagine this reality ; No cell phones , no computers , no internet , no culture of support for things like this ........ Other than family , a job , the bank ! And a personal drive to get a job !
GoFundme ? -- "Go fund yourself" was what we had to do to survive ,
And we that.
Try it , you'll feel better about yourself. Hey ahorseback.
I was born in 1965. I grew up with the same things that you did. Computers and Cable TV did not come out until the late 1970's. My dad worked full time and my mom did volunteer work at my school every day for 6 years, and never got paid. She also worked in the school library for free.
I started working full time when I was 20 in 1985. And, I worked full time up until 2009. that's 24 years of full time work. My last job paid $13.85 an hour, and I got 4 weeks of paid vacation. I made $23,000.00 a year. So, before you start telling people to get a job, without knowing anything about them. think before you speak.
Let me ask you this question. I also asked this question at the unemployment office. She told me that because I had previous work, that I should be able to take any job. Even though I have several doctors telling them they my ability to work is limited. She called me lazy.
I asked her this question. Let's say a man has been in the military for 20 years, and something happened to him that caused him to have a disability. (As I do) Are you going to tell that man that he is lazy and to get a job, just because he was able to work at one time?
The problem is people with a disability are not going to be on the top of the list on the hiring pool, unless they belong to a program that companies use to hire handicapped people, because they do not have to pay them a fair wage. You also have to have a specific disability to qualify, like someone with down syndrome or something like that. Those employees income is half paid for by the government.
Also gofundme money goes to the person that needs it, and none of the money is sucked up by a corporate charity. Did you know that United way takes 85 cents of every dollar they get to pay for their corporate costs? Not to mention those feed the children networks that take every cent, and Is why the people in poverty stricken countries are still starving.
United way and christian charties have been around for decades, and people are still poor. Don't you wonder where all that money is going? Like Jim and Tammy baker, who took millions of donated dollars to buy themselves mansions in 5 states. Plus build addition multi million dollar homes for their relatives. All money that was supposed to help the poor.
All stuff that happened way before internet and cell phones, and Cable were invented.I believe the American public needs to "man up " in many, many ways, my friend , I have watched intently as the social security disability system is being rigged for softer and softer rules for acquiring benefits . I have watched as the same relaxing benefits for Veterans has happened , since the gulf wars .. Yes , I believe that if a charity organization cannot give 95 % of it proceeds to help people , they shouldn't be allowed to exist !
I blame President Obama's agenda for these new entitling , socialistic belief's ! Both In the VA. system and on the social welfare programs there is absolutely no oversight ! I know several people who are fully capable of holding a job and do not do so , generational welfare is the new norm !
I am not a stupid man either , I fully realize that if we stop paying so much in foreign aid we could probably even afford the financial slackness in the systematic expansion of entitlements . My biggest issues are that I see a major softening of personal accountability in America , truthfully it is both -the young and the older ages of our culture !
I also do NOT believe that most cases of PTSD are qualified for one to be making a living "on the system " forever , Our soldiers and our veterans are stronger than that , and IF our V.A. system were a REAL functioning care organization , counseling and a normal return to the job market would serve veterans far, far better . A good Working constitution is by far the best cure for a lot of our cultural "ailments ".
Go Fund Me , is simply one more way of teaching our younger generations that its okay to just ask for something rather than work for it ! I believe that the American culture is in social decline , we are becoming a weaker people , we are teaching our kids to be stupider , weaker and unaccountable for anything .
We are , right now , in an age where thirty year olds are still living with Mommy , almost half of Federal student loans are not being repaid to the system , In Vermont where I live the state is very well known for being a very liberal welfare state , a liberal unemployment state where people actually move here to reap the benefits of that .
And by the way , Yea , "get a job ' ,That's the old way in America was if you couldn't get a job or better pay where you lived ,then move to where the jobs or better pay IS ! One way or the other , even Go Fund Me was probably designed for helping someone get started in a business endeavor , or even a charity rather than buying tattoo's, or some other nonsense because one can't afford them .
And I still say Go Fund Yourself , You'll feel much better about yourself.
I agree with your last comments ahorseback.
But I have a surprise for you. Internet donations sites have been around long before president Obama became president. There was another site called donatemoney2me that was actually started when Bush Junior was president. That site was also endorsed by Oprah.
Blaming Obama or Bush is pointless as the internet is the true culprit, and something the government has no control of. It was actually the Bush administration who was trying to find a way to levy a tax on internet sales, craigslist and other places where people get money using the internet.
It is the spread of information over the internet and easy access to about anything that has made it easier for young people to get what they want. But, we can't blame our young people for being what you call "being dumb downed." It is advances in technology by smart people who are truly making it harder for people who aren't in the know, to advance. That's why people like the man who created facebook has become a billionaire, is because he knew what nobody else knew how to do, and you can bet isn't about ready to share his secret.
As for veteran's. The reason the VA is so lackluster is because president bush junior closed over 50 percent of the nations VA hospitals to centralize them so he could use the saved money to give tax breaks to the rich. If he had not done that, veterans would have twice as much access to health care, and would be getting more help with their issues. And war stress is not the biggest problem veterans are facing. Various cancers have a higher percentage, and men missing arms and legs are just as high. Not to mention those who are still suffering from past wars and vietnam.
My brother went to the VA in Ann Arbor Michigan, and that hospital is the only one in Michigan that serves state veterans in the thousands. If he had not closed other hospitals people would not have to drive 7 hours just for a checkup. I drove my brother every other week to Ann Arbor for his treatment of Brain Cancer. 5 hours one way and 5 hours back, sometimes just to talk to a doctor for 2 minutes. Some guy we talked to were driving 10 or 11 hours from the Upper Peninsula, because they could only be treated in Ann Arbor, even though there are regular hospitals located just a couple hours from him that have better facilities.
President Obama is the only president who is trying to push congress to pass a bill that allow a veteran to use any hospital of their choosing for their treatment. But the a-hole republicans in congress are trying to block that idea, just because they don't like him. they have been trying to
block everything he has done since his first administration. But, he has done more than Bush ever did, has done most of what he promised.
Gay rights passed, gay marriage passed, out of Iraq done. Working peace deals done. Free health care for a large population of people including veterans done. And, look what the other side is saying they want to do. They want all of those things banned.
Name one thing Bush did beside totally fuck us all over in favor of corporate greed. Bill Clinton had the first budget surplus in our nations recent history, and Bush blew it all.First of all you are way off , Bernie Sanders , who you sound like you would support , was in charge of the Veterans affairs committee for at least eight years ! how is that about either GWB or Bill Clinton ?
Right , and our youth are dumned down , they are also extremely "work ethic-ed down " , Most people under thirty or forty are so attuned to a gimme mentality that that's all they know. Everyone gets a trophy ! And for what just showing up. THAT has transferred itself right into the work place , in other words "I want to start at the top ", economically .
You are obviously either Sanders or a Clinton supporter ,Neither of which has done anything substantial for vets !
President Obama cares nothing about veterans , except for allowing more and more people on the system . THAT is his agenda right across the board , It will do you no good at all to allow Obama the positive reputation of helping our veteran heros, that's simply a lie !
Some advice , Better watch you language Brim , it'll get you thrown off the forums , As to Go Fund Me , go for it- ask for the money - it sounds like you support that kind of entitlement stuff !
Thanks for responding to my question.
For those who want to know, here is a link to my gofundme page. I made $25.00!
https://gofundme.com/22nyuu5g
Hope the link works.I'm all for go fund me pages, but I am picky about who I would consider giving money to.
It does seem a bit backwards. The guy who wanted to make potato salad or something and got thousands of dollars?!?!? I just don't get the stupidity there.
However there are many legit people and places there. I know there is a group home on there right now trying to raise money to improve their place. Seems like a great idea.
I'm against leaches, but I am not against anyone needing a hand up.I agree Annsalo.
There are people on go fund me that are asking for really stupid things. Like the girl who wanted money for a prom dress, and got way more than she needed. While people who are in serious need of money aren't getting anything.
That's why I think it is very important for people to know exactly where their money is going. In my quest to get donations, my situation has gone from bad to worse, as I now have no heat or electricity at my house. I have to use Candles and oil lamps for light and heat, and have no running water.
I have been driving 20 miles to the near by university, where I use the library computers for internet, and the other day, I was able to use the showers at the university gym. It has been an interesting experience for me, as I did not know that the library here is open until midnight!! And, I think that locker room and showers at the University gym are the biggest I have ever seen. the shower area alone was bigger than my house!
If you are wondering, I am currently using the internet at the Ferris University library in Big Rapids, MI. It's a cool place, and the student bodies are certainly nice to look at. ;
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