S/O your favorite GoFundMes

i was asked to write one for my friend by her daughter who was my hairdresser at the time.

Her Dad had had a stroke and could no longer work so it was a valid reason.
However, that said, they also all had premium passes to Disneyland for the last several years, posted all over FB when they went, etc., despite us knowing they lost 2 homes to foreclosure and didn't pay rent on another and were evicted.
They also don't have a thing saved for retirement as they spent it all.
So writing a "send me money because I didn't plan well" didn't sit well with me, especially as my DH was on disability at the time with a career ending knee replacement.

My hairdresser fired me as a client as a result.
My friend still talks to me though.
Daughter still has Disneyland passes, but Mom and Dad don't.
People are freaking weird!

I think I need to do this 

Mine are a family member who raised money for a piano for a child dying of cancer. Child had full ride music scholarship and died in October. Another was for a friend who's infant died and her husband died several years later from the same disease. Truly worthy causes.

A coworker and her husband were walking down their street after going to a nearby yard sale. They were struck by a drunk driver, her husband was killed instantly and she has permanent brain damage from the injuries she sustained and will never work again. The hospital unit started a GFM and raised thousands of dollars overnight to support her teenage daughter who will now be caring for her mother for the rest of her life. That’s the kind of cause I want to give to support.

Actually a worthy cause. My friend's husband needed a kidney transplant. He had great insurance and a donor lined up but still needed funding to help support his friend who was donating the kidney through his own recovery period. We raised it all and a bit extra in less than a week! It was one of those "people are beautiful" experiences.

Have never given to one. Have had 3 friends set up a GFM. One for a seizure dog (no longer has the dog). One for a surf dog who has cancer.

And one for living expenses while child had a multi organ transplant at CHLA. The RMH and small apartment paid for by SSI wasn't good enough for the family, so they wanted an apartment in LA. And wanted it fully furnished. With food, gas, etc money. Funny thing it instead of keeping the items, they sold it all and went on vacations. When he was back at CA for organ failure, they needed everything again. People questioned where previous donations were and weren't happy.

I have helped out friends with a homemade meal but I dont give money.

It rubs me the wrong way because ds was extremely sick. Spent 6 month out of a year at Children's. Dh still worked. Parents helped with dd. We paid for everything insurance disnt cover. Sure it sucked and was a financial strain and my parents helped here and there but for pete's sake, its no one elses responsibility.

Dont like the 1 bedroom apartment that is furnished or RMH? Suck it up or cover the cost of the super expensive apartment you want instead. Have 1 parent continue to work.

Ugh.

Same here.  Oh wait...I'm retired!  That shouldn't matter in the world of Go Fund Me, right?  

ETA:  On a more serious note, I've only contributed to one GFM.  A very close friend was helping to raise funds for a new building for a little school in Angola (Africa, not Louisiana).  She is a dedicated teacher and has spent all of her DH's assignment there working with this school.  It was a worthy cause and I trusted the person in charge so DH & I made a contribution.  Other than that instance, I've not been approached by anyone else.  

Oh and you can't forget about good ol' Tracie and her pacer surgery GFM.

By the miracle of God it was covered but then low and behold she had bills she couldn't afford but could afford gross eat out food and trips. Hu...

The one for SCOTUS Bart Mc Beerface was a real head scratcher, for me. DH received a request for help with a coworkers daughters wedding. She wanted to upgrade from the Rose Garden at the Disneyland Hotel, to in front of the castle... Hard pass! We've been saving for DD16.5 wedding since she saw her first Disneyland bride, at 3 years old.

I was excited to donate to the Black Voters Matter bus gas fund this election cycle. I will continue to support them and their amazing work.

I have never been invited to a frivolous GFM, IMO. Off the top of my head... DS teammate had a stoke at 16, and I contributed to help his single mom take unpaid time off work to care for him. Another one of DS friends died in a freak and tragic skateboarding accident. I contributed to help with his funeral expenses and specialty mental health care for his twin brother, that was not covered by their insurance. I contributed to a coworker of DH when he needed to take extended unpaid paternity leave, because his daughter was born without a nose, eyes or ears. I am a regular contributor to Change The Ref (mass shooting awareness/prevention started by Parkland parents Manuel& Patricia Oliver, that lost their son Guaq.)I donated to several friends and friends of my kids that were injured or died in the Route 91 massacre. I really take the time to appreciate my blessings when I contribute.

I don’t do go fund mes. Most are ridiculous money grabs. Worthy causes can usually find valid funding sources. Previously before everyone became so damn self entitled, families and friends willingly gave time, effort and funding to help out. Until that got abused. And social media opened the world up to legitimized begging for every little thing. I do give to select charities and organizations and assist when and where I feel it is legitimate. I just hate the constant begging.

I do donate to GFM efforts when I feel the ask is legitimate and the need real. I know there are shady asks as well.
I think it can be an invaluable way to help someone in genuine need.

There was a local family that's daughter was dying from DIPG (brain cancer). They must have raised over a million between all the gofundme campaigns they set up. The parents were on the rocks when she was diagnosed. They flew her around the world to multiple experimental medical things. Mom was convinced that she would be the first child to beat DIPG. They divorced sometime during her illness. 6 months after she passed away the mom set up another one to pay for IVF because she decided she needed a baby to help her heal from losing her daughter - and she already had another daughter.

My niece currently has one, set up by another aunt. My niece is about six-weeks old and has been in and out of the NICU/PICU for the past three weeks due to a systemic infection and multiple issues arising from that. She’s the youngest of seven, and I believe only my brother works, so I chipped in some to help them out.

But generally I do avoid GFMs and also can’t believe the balls on some people - what they are asking for and why   .

My friends seem to share GFM's on their walls but don't pay.

I don't really understand. If you don't think it's worthy, then just move on. But you think other people should pay?