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GoFundMe
Tim Cadogan runs GoFundMe, which has moved over $40B in donations since 2010 for 190M+ users across 19 countries.
GoFundMe
GoFundMe launched in 2010, founded by Andy Ballester and Brad Damphousse, as a crowdfunding platform designed to let individuals raise money directly from their networks. By 2022, the company had broadened its scope through the acquisition of Classy, a nonprofit fundraising software provider now known as GoFundMe Pro, creating a funnel from large-scale nonprofit campaigns to personal fundraisers. CEO Tim Cadogan, a former Yahoo executive and OpenX CEO, joined in March 2020 and now leads a remote-first team with co-founders still on the board alongside investors from Accel, Greylock, and TCV. The platform processes an average of two donations per second, flowing to personal causes like medical bills and funerals, as well as to major nonprofits via its Pro arm. Customers include organizations that run campaigns through the Classy-based software while tapping into GoFundMe’s 190-million-user donor network. GoFundMe deploys no principal capital; instead it earns from an optional 2.9% plus $0.30 per-transaction fee and voluntary tips. In 2023–2024, the company leaned into trust and safety by expanding the GoFundMe Giving Guarantee and elevating search-and-rescue volunteer Tim Cadogan to the TIME 100 list, signaling a strategy built on consumer trust as a competitive moat in a market that includes Meta and PayPal. Since its 2010 founding, donors on GoFundMe have routed $40 billion through the platform, with the majority flowing after 2020. The firm employs a senior team with experience spanning Yahoo, StubHub, Airbnb, Walmart, StubHub, Facebook, and the U.S. Department of Justice. GoFundMe.org, chaired by CMO Margaret Richardson, operates as the company's independent charitable partner, and the GoFundMe Giving Fund serves as a donor-advised fund sponsor. In 2025, Cadogan was recognized on TIME’s list of the 100 Most Influential People, reinforcing the firm's argument that it is becoming the internet’s “giving layer” rather than just a fundraising tool. GoFundMe's structure is unique among technology companies in that its board blends co-founders with late-stage growth investors (TCV, Accel) and operating executives who bring IPO and regulatory experience from the likes of Affirm, GoDaddy, and Walgreens. That governance design places a premium on compliance and trust at a company where the core asset is payment integrity across 190 million users rather than proprietary deal flow; the result is a platform business that looks less like a startup and more like a permanent utility.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
2010
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
San Diego
Corporate office
San Diego, United States
Principals
Tim Cadogan
Chief Executive Officer
Arnie Katz
Chief Product and Technology Officer
Greg Mrva
Chief Financial Officer
Margaret Richardson
Chief Marketing and Corporate Affairs Officer
Guissu Baier
Chief People Officer
Steve Froehlich
Chief Customer Growth Officer
Kim Wilford
Chief Legal Officer
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at GoFundMe?
GoFundMe is a technology platform, not an asset manager. The company does not invest principal capital; it earns revenue through transaction fees and voluntary donor tips. Strategic decisions, including the 2022 acquisition of Classy (now GoFundMe Pro), are made by CEO Tim Cadogan and his executive team, with board oversight from investors at Accel, Greylock, and TCV.
How does GoFundMe generate revenue if it doesn't manage assets?
The company charges a standard 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction on most campaigns, along with optional tips from donors. It also generates revenue through GoFundMe Pro, a subscription software platform for nonprofits built on the Classy acquisition. The firm reports that $50 million is raised on the platform each week, and its total facilitated giving since 2010 exceeds $40 billion.
Does GoFundMe operate as a single-family office or a venture firm?
Neither. GoFundMe is a for-profit crowdfunding company headquartered in San Diego. It is venture-backed — with investors including Accel, Greylock, and TCV — and has a board structured to support a potential public offering, but it deploys no balance-sheet capital into campaigns, acting instead as a payment and discovery layer for individual and nonprofit fundraisers.
How is GoFundMe related to GoFundMe.org?
GoFundMe.org is an independent 501(c)(3) charity and the company's strategic nonprofit partner. Its board is chaired by GoFundMe's Chief Marketing Officer, Margaret Richardson. The structure separates the company's commercial activities from direct charitable giving. Separately, the GoFundMe Giving Fund operates as a donor-advised fund sponsor, broadening tax-advantaged giving options for platform users.
What was the strategic rationale behind the Classy acquisition?
GoFundMe acquired Classy in 2022 to add a dedicated nonprofit fundraising software layer to its consumer platform. Rebranded as GoFundMe Pro, the unit sells subscription tools to charities that want donor management, branded campaigns, and data analytics, while giving those organizations access to GoFundMe’s 190-million-user donor network. The deal moved GoFundMe from pure peer-to-peer fundraising into enterprise SaaS for major nonprofits.
Which sectors does GoFundMe explicitly avoid?
GoFundMe prohibits campaigns related to gambling, weapons, controlled substances, and adult content. Its Trust & Safety team, led by Chief Legal Officer Kim Wilford, enforces terms of service that also restrict hate speech and politically designated entities. The company publicly emphasizes refund protections through its GoFundMe Giving Guarantee for campaigns found to be fraudulent.
What is GoFundMe's posture on co-investing alongside external partners?
GoFundMe does not co-invest, as it is not a fund or a family office. The company participates in the giving economy through fee-based technology services. Its competitive moat rests on scale — 190 million users, $40 billion in facilitated giving — and on the trust infrastructure built by a leadership team whose senior ranks include former legal and policy chiefs from Airbnb, Apple, Twitter, and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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