On Tuesday, crowdfunding platform GoFundMe announced its donors have raised more than a $1 million for the victims of Hurricane Matthew, which caused damage and devastation in various parts of the Haiti, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Lucayan Archipelago, and some of the southeastern U.S. states.
The funding portal revealed that the funds will be handled appropriately without donors having any worries:
“As we all continue to help those affected by Hurricane Matthew, here’s an overview of how we ensure every dollar gets to the right person. 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.”
Also explaining how the funds will be released, the GoFundMe team stated:
“It’s helpful to know how a donation ends up getting to a beneficiary (the person or group a campaign is intended to benefit). 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.”
GoFundMe donors have historically been very supportive during times of need. They secured $11.2 million to help Louisianans rebuild after the floods and $1.3 for West Virginia floods victims. They also raised $7.4 million in the aftermath of the Nepal earthquakes, and $2.5 million was given to those affected by the 2015 California wildfires.
