(image from classy.org)
Fundraising platform GoFundMe, which acquired digital fundraising system Classy in 2022, is combining the two into GoFundMe Pro. The Classy name will be retired. There will still be a GoFundMe for consumers along with the new GoFundMe Pro for the charitable community.
The newly named entity will be issuing branding and platform updates throughout the year. GoFundMe recently surpassed $40 billion raised on behalf of nonprofits globally, company officials said.
GoFundMe had a platform for nonprofit fundraising called GoFundMe Charity from 2019 to 2021. The platform was shut down because officials wanted it to have a more robust backend, a desire that contributed to the acquisition of Classy in 2022. “That integration was the vision we are bringing to fruition now, and back in 2021 that offering wasn’t good enough,” said Margaret L. Richardson, chief marketing and corporate affairs officer at GoFundMe.
Classy had been marketed as Classy from GoFundMe. The new platform combines artificial intelligence with fundraising data points, connecting donors with charities and allowing those donors to find like-minded people with an affinity for causes. All of the nonprofit “white label” tools will remain, so donors receive tax receipts and the owned experience from the nonprofit organization, said Richardson.
The data from the integration will be available through a unified dashboard while providing the same consumer experience, she said.
Nonprofit fundraisers were already using the GoFundMe platform to attract and connect donors to charities, with 65,000 charities connecting with donors through the consumer side of GoFundMe during 2024, she said. The average donation via both GoFundMe and the former Classy platform hovers between $80 and $85, so donors are similar in terms of how much they are giving on average, said Richardson.
“Generally, our consumer donation amounts are slightly higher than through our software, but we attribute that to the volume of recurring donations to nonprofits, whereas the majority of donations coming through the consumer platform are one-time,” said Richardson.
Classy has some demographic information on donors, but not age, but GoFundMe did not. “We don’t collect this demographic data on our donors, but research conducted in fall of 2024 shows that Gen Z and Millennials reported that they give on GoFundMe twice as much as Gen X and Boomers,” she said.
“For 50 years, charitable giving in the U.S. has hovered around just 2% of GDP,” Tim Cadogan, CEO of GoFundMe, said via a statement. “We believe it’s time to change that. GoFundMe Pro reinforces our long-term strategic commitment to nonprofits and represents a promise to empower them with the technology, trust, and partnership they need to inspire generosity and drive lasting impact, thereby transforming the way we help each other.”
The integration “connects everything we’ve learned from operating the world’s largest individual giving platform with the innovative tools nonprofits need to grow, reach new audiences, and drive meaningful change,” Cadogan said via the statement. “We exist to help people help each other. Even with $40 billion raised, we’re still just getting started.”
GoFundMe and Classy are both based in San Diego, California. GoFundMe, founded in 2010, acquired Classy, founded in 2006, in an all-equity deal, the terms of which were not disclosed. Classy had raised almost $184 million from investors since its launch. After seed and Series A funding rounds from angel investors in 2010 and 2012, respectively, Classy raised approximately $65.5 million in three subsequent rounds of funding.
