What to Do If a Fundraiser Organizer or Recipient Has Passed Away

What to Do If a Fundraiser Organizer or Recipient Has Passed Away

What to Do If a Fundraiser Organizer or Recipient Has Passed Away

We understand that managing a fundraiser after the loss of a loved one is the last thing you want to be dealing with. If you need to take care of a GiveSendGo fundraiser connected to someone who has passed, we're here to walk you through your options and what we'll need to move forward.

Your Options

When a fundraiser's recipient has passed away, the person handling the recipient's estate chooses one of two options for the fundraiser and the funds it still holds.

Option 1: Make the Person Named in the Estate Paperwork the New Recipient

If you'd like the fundraiser to stay open after its recipient has passed away, we can make the person named in the estate paperwork its new recipient. We remove the recipient who passed away and send the new recipient an invitation. They log in, add their bank details, and complete identity verification (sometimes called KYC) under their own name.

Once their verification is complete, the new recipient can request transfers of the funds the fundraiser has raised. The fundraiser can keep accepting donations.

Option 2: Close Out the Fundraiser

If the fundraiser shouldn't continue after its recipient has passed away, we close it out. You choose where the remaining funds go:

  • A final transfer to the recipient's existing account. We send the remaining funds to the account the recipient who passed away had already set up and verified. From there, the funds are handled as part of their estate, and an estate attorney or your local probate office can help with that step.
  • Refunds to givers. We refund eligible donations to the givers who made them. Refunds cover the donated amount minus any original processing fees.

Before any funds move, the fundraiser stops accepting new donations. Once a recipient has passed away, no one can request new transfers in their name, which is why the fundraiser can't keep taking donations with this option.

If givers have active recurring (monthly) donations on the fundraiser, we cancel those donations first, and each of those givers gets an email. See Publishing and Unpublishing Your Fundraiser on GiveSendGo.

You also choose what happens to the fundraiser page:

  • Keep the page up. The page stays visible as a record, with its donate button hidden so no new donations can be made.
  • Take the page down. The fundraiser goes offline and is no longer public.

Required Documentation

To proceed with either option for a fundraiser whose recipient has passed away, here's what we usually ask the executor or legal administrator of the deceased's estate to provide:

  • A valid government-issued photo ID (driver's license or passport, with a note showing the date)
  • A copy of the obituary or death certificate
  • Proof of executor status (a will, court documentation, or other legal paperwork naming the executor or administrator of the estate)

Our team will confirm what's needed for your situation.

To get started, Contact Us with your documentation and let us know which option you'd like to proceed with. Our team will walk you through the rest.