How to create your first fundraiser

Starting a fundraiser on Gift of Parenthood takes a few minutes. This guide walks you through the whole journey, from creating your account to publishing a fundraiser you can share with the people who love you.

Before you begin

You need a free Gift of Parenthood account. New here? Start at our Launch page: enter your fundraiser idea and goal, and we will carry them into the creation form once you sign up.

Already signed in? Open My Fundraisers in your Dashboard and select Create New, or head straight to the creation wizard. It has three short steps, and each one fits on a single screen.

Step 1: Your story

• Title. Keep it clear and personal, with a name and a purpose. Example: Help Kelly and Mike complete their family with IVF.
• Your story. Share who you are, who the fundraiser is for, and what the money will make possible. A few honest, heartfelt paragraphs work better than a long essay, and you can edit your story any time after publishing.
• Photo. Add a warm, clear photo of you or your family. This matters more than you might think: fundraisers with a photo usually go live the moment you submit, while fundraisers without one get a quick review first.

Step 2: The details

• Category. Pick the closest fit: Fertility Treatments, Surrogacy, Adoption, Fertility Medications, Sperm Donation, Embryo Adoption, Egg Preservation, or Other Family Needs.
• Funding goal. Set a goal of at least $100. Not sure where to land? Pick a number that covers your next concrete step, like one treatment cycle or an agency fee. You can raise or lower your goal at any time.
• Optional extras. Add your location, who you are fundraising for, a one-line summary for listing pages, and an end date if your timeline has one. You can also choose whether to allow anonymous donations.

Step 3: Review and publish

The last screen shows everything in one place so you can give it a final read. You can hop back to edit any section, then select Publish my fundraiser.

If you added a photo, your fundraiser usually goes live instantly. If not, our team gives it a quick look before it appears publicly, and you can add a photo right from the review screen so it can publish right away.

After you publish: share, share, share

Your fundraiser can accept donations the moment it is live, but no one will know it exists until you tell them. Sharing is the single biggest thing you can do for your fundraiser. Across the platform, the median fundraiser receives its first donation within about a day of being created, and early sharing is what gets that started.

• Invite friends directly. The Invite Friends tool lets you import your contacts, then send personal invites by text or email. Personal, direct asks are where most support comes from.
• Share on social media. Your fundraiser page has one-tap sharing for WhatsApp, text message, Facebook, and X, plus a copy-link button for everywhere else.
• Put your link everywhere. Group chats, your social bios, email signatures, family newsletters. Every place your link lives is another door into your story.

For more ideas, read Tips for gaining more exposure for your fundraiser.

A note about the grant

Gift of Parenthood also runs a grant program for hopeful parents. Grants are awarded through our application review, and you can learn more on the Grant Program page.

Ready to get started?

Start your fundraiser today. Creating one is free, and you can see exactly how fees on donations work on our transparent pricing page.