Memorials do not expire, so you and your community can come back, plan gatherings, anniversaries, and view memories whenever you want.

Grieving is a process that cannot be rushed. You can raise a memorial fund at any time. There is no limit for when to start your memorial, though we recommend that if you are raising money for funeral costs, the sooner the better. Crowdfunding from family and friends can make things easier. 

Please contact us here with any feedback or thoughts you have about your GatheringUs experience.

Yes. If a memorial page shows up on our website/is searchable, it is a public memorial open to any donor. We just ask that you be respectful if you do not know the family.

The average funeral costs $7,000 to $10,000. We recommend discussing goals with the family, and deciding whether you need to cover costs of a funeral service, additional funds to support the family and/or donate to charity.

Although we monitor Memorials, GatheringUs does not guarantee the authenticity of a Memorial. If you do not know the organizer and can not verify their identity, do not donate to that Memorial. If you believe that a Memorial is misleading or fraudulent, let our team know by reporting it here.

Donations made through GatheringUs are generally considered to be personal gifts and are not typically tax-deductible, as they do not go directly to a charitable organization. Check with a tax professional for additional guidance. GatheringUs does not provide receipts for tax purpose.

Donors may choose to give GatheringUs a voluntary tip during the donation process. These tips allow us to maintain and improve our free platform so we can help even more people. We are incredibly grateful for the donors who help power GatheringUs.

Donations have a standard credit card payment processing fee of 2.9% plus $0.30.

You can turn off the fundraising function in your Dashboard. Click on Edit this Memorial, and Close Memorial.

Your memorial doesn’t end when your funding goal is reached. Your Memorial remains online, unless you choose to delete it. It is a lasting communal space where loved ones can gather to share stories, memories, updates, anniversaries, and plan gatherings.

1) Click on Create a Memorial or Edit this Memorial 
2) In the question How will you use the funds? select Charity Donation 
3) In the question Add more details, tell people about the charity you selected or let them know if you haven’t decided yet (you can write TBD).
4) When you’re done fundraising, send the funds to your designated charity via check, credit card, or directly from Wepay.

Check out our Planning Resources, To Do Checklist, and Blog for information and suggestions on how to commemorate your loved one. Still have questions? Feel free to contact us.

Link your bank account to Wepay in order to transfer funds to your bank account. You will receive an email from Wepay with instructions to setup your account within 14 days. 

You will receive an email from Wepay with instructions to link your bank account. You must do this within 14 days of receiving a donation. 

Yes. You have the option of making your Memorial and/or certain gatherings accessible to approved members. There are lots of privacy options in your Memorial dashboard. Click on Edit this Memorial, which will bring you to the Edit Info tab.

Yes, users are able to create more than one Memorial at once.

Creating a Memorial on GatheringUs is free. There is no platform fee. A standard credit card payment processing fee of 2.9% plus $0.30 is deducted from the donation.

When you create a Memorial, you are in control of all activities related to commemorating your loved one. You can add an obituary, events, updates, and set up crowdfunding for funeral expenses, support the family, donate to a charity, or create a memorial fund. You can then share with family and friends to mobilize your community. Your Memorial is an online space for people to pay their respects, send condolences, share memories, photos and/or videos of your loved one.

All you need is the name and date of birth/death for your loved one to get started-- other details, such as an intro summary or information about the fundraiser, can be filled out later if needed. You have the option to save your memorial as a draft before publishing.