Crowdfunding for Funeral Expenses: Best Platforms, Fees, and Safety Checks

When someone dies, the emotional shock is often followed by a second kind of shock: the speed at which decisions and expenses arrive. Even families who have been careful planners can find themselves facing travel costs, time off work, and funeral home deposits on a timeline that feels impossibly tight. It’s one reason crowdfunding funeral expenses has become such a common phrase in moments of loss. People are not trying to turn grief into a public spectacle. They are trying to give their community one clear place to help, and they’re trying to avoid a dozen awkward, exhausting side conversations about money.

When crowdfunding is done well, it can provide fast, practical relief. When it’s done poorly, it can create donor confusion, family conflict, and sometimes real vulnerability to scams. This guide will walk you through how to choose a funeral fundraiser platform, how to understand fees without getting lost in fine print, and how to share and verify a fundraiser in ways that protect both the family and the donors.

Why crowdfunding has become part of modern funeral planning

Funeral and cremation decisions have been changing for years, and cost is one of the reasons families are rethinking what they do. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the national median cost of a funeral with viewing and burial in 2023 was $8,300, while the median cost of a funeral with cremation was $6,280. Those numbers are helpful because they give families a baseline, but they can still feel abstract until you’re the one trying to choose between “meaningful” and “manageable,” especially when travel, catering, obituary notices, and time off work add pressure.

At the same time, cremation has become the majority choice in the U.S. The Cremation Association of North America reports a U.S. cremation rate of 61.8% in 2024, and the NFDA projects the U.S. cremation rate to be 63.4% in 2025. This matters for crowdfunding because cremation often gives families more flexibility in timing and format. A memorial can happen weeks later, once travel is affordable and people can breathe again. But flexibility doesn’t eliminate costs. It simply changes what the costs look like, including choices like cremation urns, keepsake urns, or cremation jewelry that families may consider when they’re ready.

Crowdfunding can also be part of funeral planning even when a family has resources. Sometimes the fundraiser exists because a loved one was central in a community, and people genuinely want an easy way to contribute—whether to help cover immediate expenses, to support a surviving spouse, or to honor a request to give to a favorite cause.

Choose your fundraiser goal before you choose your platform

Most confusion and frustration around a funeral fundraiser starts with a mismatch between the goal and the platform. Before you compare features, clarify what you are actually trying to accomplish. In practice, funeral crowdfunding usually falls into one of three categories.

First, you may be raising funds directly for a person or family. This is the classic “help with expenses and lost income” model. The fundraiser is personal, and the beneficiary is an individual.

Second, you may want donations to go to a nonprofit. This often happens when the deceased had a cause that mattered deeply, or when the family wants to shift the focus from bills to meaning. In this model, clarity matters because donors deserve to know whether they’re giving to a person or to a registered organization with its own tax rules and reporting.

Third, you may want a memorial page that people can share—one place for the obituary, photos, stories, service information, and optional donations. If your main need is coordination and tribute, not maximum dollars raised, a memorial-first platform can be the most emotionally sustainable choice.

Once you choose your goal, you can choose a platform that fits without forcing it to do something it wasn’t designed to do.

Best platforms for funeral crowdfunding, with fees explained in plain language

Before we name platforms, it helps to translate fee language into something real. Most fundraising tools break costs into three buckets: a platform fee (what the company charges to host your fundraiser), payment processing fees (the credit card fees that route money through networks like Visa and Mastercard), and optional tips (sometimes prompted to donors to support the platform). Some companies charge a platform fee; others don’t. Payment processing fees are common almost everywhere, even when the platform itself is “free.”

Here is a practical comparison of widely used options for best crowdfunding site for funeral-type searches. Fees can vary by country and payment method, so always confirm details on the platform’s current fee page before you launch.

Platform	Best for	Typical fee structure	What families should know
GoFundMe	Personal fundraisers for individuals/families	Transaction fees deducted per donation; platform tip optional	Strong recognition and sharing; has published trust-and-safety guidance
Ever Loved	Memorial page with donation option and coordination	No service fee on donations; payment processing fees apply	Memorial-first experience can reduce “where do I go?” confusion for donors
GatheringUs	Memorial page with optional fundraising	No platform fee; standard processing fees apply; optional donor tip	Useful when you want a page that functions like a shared home base
Givebutter	Nonprofits (and some community fundraising) that want tools beyond a single page	0% platform fees when tips are enabled; otherwise a platform fee plus processing	Best fit when a nonprofit is the beneficiary and you want more fundraising features
Facebook fundraisers (nonprofit giving)	Routing donations to a verified nonprofit through social networks	Payment processing fee per donation for nonprofits	Works best when the nonprofit is the clear recipient, not an individual family

GoFundMe: familiar, shareable, and built for personal causes

If your goal is to raise funds for a family, GoFundMe is often the first platform people recognize, and recognition matters in grief. Donors who already have an account are more likely to give quickly. GoFundMe says it’s free to start and manage a fundraiser, and that transaction fees are deducted from each donation. In its help center article updated January 12, 2026, GoFundMe gives a concrete example: a $50 donation to a U.S. fundraiser results in $48.25 received after transaction fees (2.9% + $0.30). You can read the details in GoFundMe’s fees explanation.

From a safety and credibility standpoint, it also helps that GoFundMe publicly describes its trust and verification posture, including identity verification for people receiving funds and proactive monitoring. Their overview is available on the GoFundMe Trust & Safety page, and their recommended credibility checklist (relationship to beneficiary, how funds will be used, and how funds will be delivered) is laid out in GoFundMe’s verification guidelines. None of this guarantees perfection, but it’s useful context when you’re deciding where to host something that will be shared widely.

Ever Loved: a memorial page that can also collect donations

If your top priority is a memorial space that people can return to—not just a payment page—Ever Loved is built for that. Many families like having one place for a story, service details, and a donation button that doesn’t feel like it’s competing with grief.

Ever Loved states that it does not charge a service fee on donations and that only standard payment processing fees are deducted. Their support article and fundraising page both explain the processing fee model and provide examples, including the familiar “2.9% + $0.30” style of card processing; you can review details at Ever Loved support and on their memorial donations page. For families, the practical takeaway is that Ever Loved can reduce donor confusion when people are looking for obituary information and want a clear “how to help” option.

GatheringUs: memorial-first with optional fundraising

GatheringUs sits in a similar category: a memorial page that can host stories, photos, and planning information, with fundraising as an option rather than the center of the experience. GatheringUs states there is no platform fee and that donations have a standard processing fee (2.9% + $0.30), with an optional tip prompt for donors. You can confirm this on GatheringUs “How It Works” and in their published pricing FAQ.

This type of platform can be especially helpful when the fundraiser is one part of a larger coordination challenge—sharing the service schedule, explaining livestream details, or giving relatives a reliable place to return when they inevitably lose track of links in a group text thread.

Givebutter, Zeffy, and Facebook: strongest when a nonprofit is the recipient

If the deceased supported a cause and the family wants donations routed to a nonprofit, you may be comparing nonprofit-oriented tools. Givebutter’s pricing model is built around optional donor tips; they state that platform fees are 0% when tips are enabled, and that if tips are disabled a platform fee applies, alongside processing fees. Their current explanation is on Givebutter pricing, with additional detail in their standard pricing help article.

Zeffy is also positioned for nonprofits, emphasizing that it covers fees and relies on optional donor tips to operate. Their description is available on Zeffy’s payment processing page. The key point here is fit: if your fundraiser is for an individual family, a nonprofit-only platform may not apply. If the fundraiser is clearly for a nonprofit, these tools can help ensure the money goes where donors expect.

For social platforms, Meta’s donation tools are most straightforward when giving to verified nonprofits. Facebook’s help page describes the payment processing fee for donations to nonprofits, which you can review at Facebook’s payment processing fees for donations. In practice, this route is most appropriate when the family’s goal is explicitly charitable giving, not paying invoices in someone’s name.

A quiet but important topic: tips, fees, and donor trust

Families sometimes worry that discussing fees will make them look calculating. In reality, transparency builds trust. Donors are used to the reality that payment processing exists; what they dislike is surprise. One simple sentence can prevent misunderstandings: “The platform deducts standard card processing fees; the remainder goes to our family for funeral costs.” If a platform asks donors for an optional tip, you can also reassure supporters that the tip is optional and that the family does not control that setting.

Clarity matters because a funeral fundraiser often spreads quickly. People share it in good faith, sometimes without reading closely. When the fundraiser is written in a way that makes it hard to tell who is receiving funds, what they’re for, and how they’ll be used, that’s when donor hesitation rises.

Safety checks: how to reduce scams and donor confusion

Most funeral fundraisers are legitimate, but grief is a known risk factor for fraud because people are emotionally vulnerable and time-pressured. The Federal Trade Commission recommends taking steps to understand who is behind a fundraiser and reporting suspicious campaigns to the platform and to appropriate authorities. The FTC’s consumer guidance on donating through crowdfunding platforms and their warning to avoid crowdfunding scams are worth reading, even if you are the person creating the fundraiser, because they highlight the same signals donors will use to decide whether they feel safe giving.

It also helps to be aware that some scams impersonate funeral home staff or create urgent pressure. The FTC has warned about imposters who claim the funeral will be canceled unless payment is made immediately, which you can review in their alert about imposters targeting families preparing for funerals. That warning is not about crowdfunding specifically, but it’s a reminder that urgency is one of the most common manipulation tactics in grief-related fraud.

If you want a quick verification checklist you can apply as a creator or as a donor, keep it simple:

• Confirm the organizer is a real person you can identify, and verify their relationship to the deceased or the beneficiary.
• Look for a clear plan for how funds will be used (funeral home invoice, travel, memorial service costs, support for dependents).
• Check whether the beneficiary is named and whether the transfer plan is explained (especially if the organizer is not the beneficiary).
• Prefer fundraisers that provide periodic updates, even short ones, rather than a page that never changes.
• Be cautious with links shared only through screenshots or forwarded messages; click through to the platform directly.
• Watch for pressure language like “donate in the next hour” or “the service will be canceled today” unless it is backed by clear context.
• If something feels off, follow the FTC’s guidance to report concerns to the platform and appropriate agencies.

For donors who want additional third-party guidance, the BBB offers practical advice on crowdfunding giving and privacy, including reminders to protect personal information and to be careful about where you enter payment details. Their guidance is summarized in BBB’s tip on crowdfunding donations.

How to write a fundraiser people feel good about supporting

A strong funeral fundraiser reads like a clear, human explanation—not a pitch. You do not need dramatic language. You need specificity and respect. In many cases, the most effective fundraiser includes four simple elements: who died, who is receiving the funds, what the funds are for, and what the family is planning.

It can also help to name what you are not doing. If the family is planning a simple cremation now and a memorial later, say so. If the family wants to cover immediate transport and then decide on a longer-term memorial item later, say so. Clarity reduces gossip and protects the family from the painful feeling that they have to “prove” their grief.

If you are coordinating a service, consider linking the fundraiser from a more complete memorial or planning page so donors don’t have to hunt for details. If you are also writing an obituary, the Funeral.com Journal offers guidance for families who need a steady structure, including How to Write an Obituary. A thoughtful obituary and a clear fundraiser often work together: one honors the person, the other supports the people who are carrying the logistics.

Where cremation choices, urns, and memorial items fit into the fundraising conversation

It can feel uncomfortable to talk about merchandise after a death, but families often need help understanding which choices affect cost and which choices are simply personal. If the family is choosing cremation, one practical question is how much does cremation cost in your area and what is included. A helpful starting point is Funeral.com’s guide to average funeral and cremation costs, and their comparison of cremation cost vs burial, which can help families understand what tends to be bundled versus itemized.

When families set up a fundraiser, it’s also common to include memorial items as part of “what the funds support,” especially when multiple relatives want to participate. Some families plan for a centerpiece urn plus sharing pieces. That’s where understanding options like cremation urns for ashes, small cremation urns, and keepsake urns can reduce conflict. If you want a calm, practical overview, Funeral.com’s guide to how to choose a cremation urn and the simpler framework in 4 rules for choosing the right urn can make the decision feel less like guesswork.

When you’re ready to browse options, families often start with a general collection and narrow down by size and intention. Funeral.com’s Cremation Urns for Ashes collection is a broad starting point, while Small Cremation Urns for Ashes can be helpful when you’re sharing or preserving a portion. If your plan includes sharing among siblings or grandchildren, the Keepsake Cremation Urns for Ashes collection and the Journal’s explanation of what keepsake urns are can keep everyone on the same page.

For pet loss, the same logic applies. People quietly spend a lot to honor a companion, and they sometimes need support. If a fundraiser is for a pet’s cremation or memorial, it can help to point family and friends to a clear set of options like Pet Cremation Urns for Ashes, including more specific choices like Pet Figurine Cremation Urns for Ashes or Pet Keepsake Cremation Urns for Ashes. Funeral.com’s guide to pet urns for ashes is especially helpful when you’re trying to decide what “size” means in an emotionally loaded moment.

Some families also include cremation jewelry in their plan, not as an upsell, but as a way to share a small portion among people who live far apart. If that’s part of the story, it’s worth naming clearly. Options like cremation necklaces are designed for tiny amounts, and families often find comfort in something wearable. Funeral.com’s Cremation Necklaces collection is a straightforward starting point, and the Journal’s Cremation Jewelry 101 can help you understand filling, sealing, and what to look for so you don’t end up with a keepsake that leaks.

Finally, if your family’s ashes plan involves the ocean, you may see water burial come up in conversations about timing and travel. Funeral.com’s guide to burial at sea and “3 nautical miles” can help families plan respectfully and avoid last-minute surprises.

After the fundraiser: closing the loop with donors and with your own grief

One of the kindest things you can do for yourself is to set a gentle plan for “after.” That might mean posting a short update when the service has happened, sharing a thank-you message, and then closing donations when the immediate need has been met. People understand that grief continues long after a fundraiser ends. What they appreciate is the sense that the family is not left carrying administrative questions forever.

If you are in a planning phase rather than a crisis phase, it may help to prepare a simple funeral plan document so your loved ones are not forced into crowdfunding out of urgency. Funeral.com’s guide on how to preplan a funeral offers a practical checklist and language you can put in writing. Planning does not prevent grief, but it can prevent panic.

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