GoFundMe launches Pride initiative; dedicated page, fund pours money into LGBTQ causes

Crowdfunding leader GoFundMe says it is launching an initiative to help bolster LGBTQ fundraising on its platform.

The Calif.-based company told GoPride.com that it has created a dedicated space for LGBTQ persons to capture support “while highlighting the trans community, LGBTQ artists, queer venues, and community fundraisers.”

“In 2020, more than 1 in 3 LGBTQ Americans faced discrimination. But 1.2 million donors showed up and gave over $60 million to uplift LGBTQ lives on GoFundMe,” the crowdfunding company tweeted Wednesday.

GoFundMe said that the multifaceted 'Uplift LGBTQ Lives' initiative was inspired by people who used the platform over the past year around the community's issues.

“Through the power of kindness and generosity from everyday people, GoFundMe assisted in the preservation of multiple queer venues across the country facing an uncertain future from having to permanently close their doors,” they told GoPride.com.

“The platform has also offered a space for the trans community to fundraise to cover medical bills for gender confirmation surgeries and has uplifted a variety of public spaces that are critical to the LGBTQ community by offering safe places for people to gather and to be themselves.”

A dedicated GoFundMe Pride page will be a place people can search easily for LGBTQ artists and creatives, nightlife venues that need financial assistance, persons needing monetary support for gender confirmation surgery, and other projects looking for donors.

“The page will remain a destination for continued giving beyond Pride month,” they said.

Another part of the initiative is The Pride Cause Fund.

“The Pride Cause Fund will benefit people and groups who are supporting the LGBTQ community's identities, wellbeing, and expression,” GoFundMe said. “It also supports those addressing larger systemic issues surrounding LGBTQ rights on both a local and national level. This fund aims to help people across the country live free, safe, and equal.”

One of the main differences between The Pride Cause Fund and other crowdfunded projects is that it is partnered with the non-profit arm of GoFundMe—where donations are tax-deductible.

GoFundMe.org is an independent 501(c)(3) public charity.