Why do people leave their name on GoFundMe donations?

[Anonymous]

I don't leave my name, but I won't lie and say I haven't thought about it many times. It isn't that I want the attention of it, it is more that I don't want mutual friends to think I'm NOT donating. If that makes sense. The last one I donated to was for a coworker who had a horrific house fire. Part of me wanted to leave my name up there so that coworkers knew I donated and didn't think poorly of me if they thought I didn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I leave my name because if it’s something I feel strongly enough about to drop money on, I want people to know who donated it.

Plus, I know it also shames others into donating as well, and that works to help out the person receiving the donations.

The people that aren’t donating aren’t looking at the go fund me. You can think you’re “shaming” them all you want but you’re not. We don’t care and never open the email to begin with.

[Anonymous]

It lends legitimacy to the fund

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I leave my name so they know I donated and don’t think I was indifferent to their hardship

This plus if other people see I donated, maybe they will too

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I leave my name so they know I donated and don’t think I was indifferent to their hardship

This plus if other people see I donated, maybe they will too

You give yourself way too much credit.

[Anonymous]

I assume it's because they personally know the person/family soliciting donations and want them to know they've supported.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It lends legitimacy to the fund

This.

I’m well known in my field. When people see my name attached to something, they take notice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To echo what others have said, when I opt to NOT be anonymous, it’s because I want the recipient to know I’m supporting them.

If the roles were reversed and I was fundraising for something, I think I’d like to know that my friends were donating. It would make me feel supported.

They can see your name as one of the contributors even if you are "anonymous" to the general public.

https://support.gofundme.com/hc/en-us/articles/203687114-Donating-as-Anonymous-on-the-fundraiser-page#:~:text=When%20donating%20on%20GoFundMe%2C%20you,and%2C%20sometimes%2C%20email%20address.

"When donating on GoFundMe, you can make it so your name won’t be visible to the public on the fundraiser page. For security reasons, you can’t make an entirely anonymous donation, and the organizer, team members, beneficiary, and others will be able to see your name and, sometimes, email address. "

Wow I didn’t know this. I hate leaving my name on there but thought it was the only way the recipient would know, and I would like to show my support to them.

I didn’t know this either. But sometimes there is some social pressure. We had something happen in the neighborhood with lots of people donating to the family. All my neighbors included their names so I felt a little like I had to or they would think I had not. I know that’s silly but oh well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also - I want the recipient to know I am thinking of/support them! Eg my daughters teacher from several years ago - now has cancer - I hope she sees my name and realizes what an impact she had on our family (such that many years later we want to help out a little bit).

Ask yourself why our impulse as a society when someone gets cancer is to give them money. That’s so messed up.

Uh, because the US health care system often bankrupts people. Most people who read the news are aware of this, hence the donations.

[Anonymous]

But if people want to know, the organizer can tell them, right?

I've had a friend thank me for a donation I made to her GFM on behalf of a third party.

I am too obscure for anyone to be swayed to give by the sight of my name.

[Anonymous]

if it’s for something where I know mutual friends are seeing it I use Brock Landers or Chest Rockwell.