With Hurrican Matthew continuing to cause devastation, GoFundMe announced it is working closely with state and local officials to ensure funds dedicated to the victims are delivered without any issues.
The crowdfunding platform announced on Thursday:
“We deploy proprietary technical tools and have multiple processes in place to verify the identities of campaign organizers and intended recipients of campaign funds, also known as beneficiaries. We also use other measures on par with the financial services industry in order to prevent misuse. In addition to these technical tools, our dedicated team of experts work around the clock to vet campaigns and investigate anything suspicious. When members of our giving community of more than 25 million users see something that’s not right, they tell us and we look into it.”
GoFundMe then referenced its new GoFundMe Guarantee, which ensures donors are protected by a refund policy. It also explained how the campaign funds are released:
“Generally, funds are collected by our payment processors, held, and then released only to the person named as the beneficiary. If a campaign organizer has a direct, personal connection to the beneficiary, then in some instances the campaign organizer may withdraw the funds to provide directly to the beneficiary. If any questions arise, our team will hold the funds unless the beneficiary is verified to our satisfaction. This layer of protection ensures that funds only go into the right hands.”
The funding portal noted its community has a history of coming together when natural disasters strike. Donors secured $11.2 million to help Louisianans rebuild after the floods and $1.3 for West Virginia floods victims. A total of $7.4 million was raised for the Nepal earthquakes victims, and $2.5 million was secured for those who lost so much during the 2015 California wildfires. GoFundMe added it created a centralized location for all campaigns created to help those impacted by Hurricane Matthew.
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