How to Raise Money for Someone in Need: Crowdfunding Solutions

We have all been in a situation where someone we care about is in financial need, and we want to help them without compromising our own bank balance. For exactly situations like this, knowing how to raise money for someone in need can be a great way to help them. It starts with a conversation with the person and with a target built from what things actually cost. The steps are much the same whether you’re trying to collect money for someone else after an accident or a sudden diagnosis. 

Start an online fundraiser in minutes and help raise money for someone in need.

How to Approach?

Asking matters for practical reasons as well as courtesy. They may already be fundraising elsewhere, and two campaigns for the same cause can confuse potential donors. Apart from this, a campaign run in someone else’s name without their knowledge looks like fraud to both the hosting platform and donors. 

Before starting an online campaign, understand the basics like:

1. What the money is for and how much needs to be raised.
2. Whose name and photos to be used on the campaign page.
3. What happens if you over-raise or do not meet your funding goals.

Getting their agreement is part of how to raise money for someone in need without creating new problems for them. So respect your loved one’s decisions and raise money effectively from your comfort place.

How to Raise Money for Someone in Need, Step by Step

Once they've agreed, you can usually be ready within a few days. These seven steps cover how to raise money for someone in need online and offline.

1. Agree on what the money covers. Write it down together: rent arrears, a wheelchair, funeral costs, travel to treatment. Donors give more readily to a specific purpose, and it's easier for you to explain.
2. Set a realistic target. Price the actual costs first. WhyDonate charges 0% platform fees; standard payment processor fees apply, so build those into your figure. If some costs aren't known yet, set a first target for the most urgent item, then raise it later and explain the change on the page.
3. Choose where to run it. Most people start with a page online and add an event or collection if it suits the cause. The comparison below sets out the options, or you can read how to start a fundraiser online. Learn how to set up a campaign here.
4. Write the story. This is where donors decide whether to give. There's a simple method for it further down.
5. Set up where the money lands before you publish. Decide whose account receives the funds and tell donors. Changing it halfway through invites questions you'd rather not answer.
6. Ask your own circle directly. It's tempting to go straight to social media. Before posting anything publicly, message the people who know the person yourself: family, friends, colleagues, neighbors. A direct request gets answers that a shared link rarely does, and early donations show strangers the appeal is genuine. If you're unsure what to say, these examples of how to ask for donations will help.
7. Post updates and say thank you. A short update every week or two keeps the appeal visible. Once the money is spent, show what it paid for. A photo of the stairlift going in, or of a cleared bill, does more than another request for money, and donors who see a result are more likely to share the page again.

What’s the best Way to Raise Money for Someone?

The best way to raise money for someone depends on how much is needed, how fast, and who already knows them. Here is a comprehensive table explaining clearly

Most people start online fundraising campaigns later on and share campaign details with their circles to get more reach. If the need will go on for months, it may be worth learning how to make a donation website instead. If you choose an event or cash collection, check with your local council for permissions.

How to Write the Story

Sharing private matters with strangers is hard, and harder when they belong to someone else. The instinct is to hold back and decide what people "need" to know, which usually produces a page that says very little. Most readers mean well. They just need enough detail to understand why this matters.

Try this method:

1. Write the story. Explain what you're raising money for, who it's for, and why they aren't asking themselves.
2. Print it out and read it as if a stranger wrote it.
3. Add whatever would have convinced you to give.

The second version is usually simpler and more honest than the first, and it persuades far better.

Keep it short enough to read on a phone, and add one or two recent photos the person is happy to share. Make sure it covers four things: what happened, what the money pays for, why the person isn't asking, and who you are to them. Donors will look for that last one in particular, since the person running the campaign isn't the person being helped.

Share only what the person has agreed to, especially medical details. For more help, see how to write your fundraiser description.

How does the Money Reach Them?

There are two routes. Either the money pays out to the person directly, or it pays out to you and you transfer it.

Paying the person directly is better where possible: donors trust it more, and the funds never pass through your account. When you're weighing how to raise money for someone in need online, check whether each platform lets the beneficiary receive the payout.

Through the WhyDonate fundraising platform, if you are raising money for someone else, you can add them as the beneficiary, and the donations will directly go to them.

Decide what happens to any surplus before you publish. You might give it to the person, hold it for future costs linked to the same need, or donate it to a related charity. Whichever you choose, put it on the page.

Why Do Some Campaigns Work, and Others Don't?

Some appeals reach their target in days, while others stall. Specific, urgent causes tend to do better than open-ended ones, because donors can see exactly what their money changes. A date helps too. An appeal tied to an operation, a house move, or a funeral gives people a reason to give now rather than meaning to later.

Strong campaigns usually have:

• A clear, urgent need that other people can relate to.
• A named person, so donors know who they're helping.
• A specific figure with a breakdown of what it covers.
• A story that answers the questions donors will ask.
• Someone actively asking, starting with friends and acquaintances before moving to social media.

Of these, the asking matters most. A page nobody shares raises very little, no matter how good the cause, so the best way to raise money for someone quickly is usually to send more personal messages.

Ready to Help?

That's most of how to raise money for someone in need. Once you've spoken to them, agreed where the money lands, and checked the benefits question, the page itself takes under an hour. Then start with the people who already know them.

Start your fundraiser to help people you care about. It is free to register and explore before getting started.

FAQs

1. Do you need someone's permission to fundraise for them?

In almost every case, yes. Part of how to raise money for someone in need responsibly is agreeing on the purpose, the target, and what appears on the page with them first. The rare exception is an emergency where you act for a family and tell them as soon as you can.

2. Can the money go straight to the person you're raising it for?

Yes, through WhyDonate's beneficiary payout option, donations can go directly to the person in need.

3. Does money raised for someone affect their benefits?

It can. Money received through crowdfunding is generally treated as capital for Universal Credit, and amounts over £6,000 can reduce or stop payments. Speak to Citizens Advice or Turn2us before setting a large target.

4. Is money raised for an individual taxable?

It depends on the circumstances, so don't assume either way. Whether donors receive anything in return, for example, can make a difference. Check HMRC's guidance or ask Citizens Advice about your own situation.

5. What happens if you raise more than you need?

Decide this before you publish. When you collect money for someone else, common options are passing the surplus to them, keeping it for future costs linked to the same need, or donating it to a related charity. State your choice on the page.