WASHINGTON: Proceeds from a GoFundMe campaign authorized by Donald Trump will be allocated to organizations aiding those affected by Hurricane Helene, as confirmed by the fundraising platform and a Trump spokesperson.
Online posts mistakenly claimed that only 3% of donations would reach storm victims. On Monday, Trump launched the GoFundMe campaign, which has raised over $5 million as of Friday for survivors of Hurricane Helene, which has severely impacted the U.S. Southeast.
The nearly 3% transaction fee charged by GoFundMe for each donation was misunderstood on social media, leading to the impression that 97% of the funds would be retained by Trump’s campaign. A post on Threads said: “Donald Trump launched a GoFundMe for ‘Hurricane Victims’ with a $1 million goal, and it’s already over $3.5 million. Guess how much he promises to actually donate? A generous 3%!”
Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated in an email that this narrative is false, asserting, “All of the proceeds will go directly towards organizations providing relief on the ground.”
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The 3% figure refers to GoFundMe’s transaction fee of 2.9% plus $0.30 per donation, which covers payment processing, according to the website. GoFundMe clarified in an 2nd October post on X, addressing the misinformation, that “97% of every donation will go directly to people impacted” by Hurricane Helene.
An archived version of the GoFundMe page, one day after its launch, described it as “an official response for MAGA supporters” and assured that “donations will be directed to help those most affected” by the hurricane.
On Wednesday, the fundraiser page was updated to state that two nonprofit organizations—Samaritan’s Purse and Water Mission—would receive the collected funds, and an initial disbursement had already been made. A GoFundMe spokesperson confirmed in a phone interview that the initial funds were paid directly to the listed charities.
The spokesperson also noted in an email that the fundraiser was verified by GoFundMe and complies with the company’s Terms of Service, which requires organizers to explain how the funds will be used and to ensure donations are utilized accordingly.
As of Friday, October 4, the initial update on the fundraiser page had been revised to include the Clinch Foundation and Mtn2Sea Ministries as additional beneficiaries. “As part of our standard process following a crisis, our global Trust & Safety team is in close communication with the fundraiser organizer to ensure that donations are swiftly and safely distributed to those affected by Hurricane Helene,” the GoFundMe spokesperson stated.
VERDICT
False. All proceeds, minus a nearly 3% transaction fee per donation, from the Trump-authorized GoFundMe campaign will be distributed to organizations supporting those impacted by Hurricane Helene, according to the fundraising platform.
