If you or a loved one is going through a similar situation, Nolan and Morgan’s story might lead to questions. How were they able to plan a wedding during such a difficult time? How could they afford a wedding while dealing with a terminal illness? How can I, similarly, give a loved one the wedding wishes of their dreams?

If these questions resonate with you, please know that you’re not alone. While illness can put dreams on hold and force us to change plans, one extraordinary organization is trying to change this, one wedding wish at a time.

Meet Wish Upon a Wedding: the world’s first nonprofit wedding wish granting organization.

Wish Upon a Wedding is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization that provides free-of-charge weddings and vow renewals to couples facing terminal illness and serious life altering circumstances, regardless of sexual orientation. The Wish Upon a Wedding organization was created to celebrate the courage, determination and spirit of these couples by granting their dream wedding wishes. Our hope is that chosen recipients can inspire other couples facing similar situations to find hope and strength.

We allow couples facing serious life-altering circumstances to concentrate on the issues affecting their lives.  From the venue to the cake, and most everything between, we take care of all the wedding planning and details.

“Wedding wishes” are meant to be an intimate affair, where marriage is celebrated, and love takes center stage. In a special ceremony dedicated solely to them, our couples pronounce their ever-lasting love to one another, surrounded by their closest family and friends.

It is our hope that we can provide strength and courage to those facing similar situations, while celebrating the eternal commitment of marriage.

Who Qualifies for a Wedding Wish?

Wedding wishes are granted with priority given to couples facing terminal illness (prognosis of under 5 years). However a limited number of “special circumstance” wedding wishes may also be granted each year, based on the individual chapter’s available resources. (Examples of possible “special circumstances” would be seriously injured military service members, or other extreme hardships).

Couples must be over the age of 18, and citizens of the United States.

What to Expect

Our Wish Recipients must understand that while we do our best to accomplish their visions, some items may not be included. Wishes may take place any day of the week (including Monday-Friday) based on the availability of our Wish Granters.  To keep things easy for our Wish Granters and volunteers, the RSVP count must not exceed 50 guests. Above all, Wish Recipients agree to let Wish Upon a Wedding do the planning for them, so they can sit back and relax, knowing that they are in good hands.

Learn more about Wish Upon a Wedding, apply online or learn how to be a Wish Granter.

The post Wedding Wishes! appeared first on GiveForward.

Enabling PayPal is easy.  Follow this step-by-step guide to learn all about PayPal set-up.

Step 1: Update Payment Info

Enter your Dashboard.  On the Overview tab click the Enable PayPal button on the right side.

Step 2: Enter the Beneficiaries PayPal information

Under Payment method, choose PayPal.  Next, fill out the PayPal account name and email of the beneficiary- the individual who will receive the funds.  It is extremely important that the Name and Email exactly match the PayPal account for the beneficiary (including any middle initials).  You may need to send an email and ask them for this information.

Additionally, the PayPal account must be verified.  What does a verified account mean?  A verified PayPal account is linked to a current bank account- not just a credit card. A verified PayPal account has also confirmed the email address. To learn more about PayPal’s two-step verification process, please visit this PayPal page.

After entering the verified Name and Email click save. This will ensure the funds go directly to the correct PayPal account.

Step 3: Confirm Payment Method

Check that you have changed the payment method to PayPal.

Also, talk to the beneficiary and confirm that he or she has received an email stating that PayPal has been enabled.

And that’s it! If you have any additional questions about PayPal please read our PayPal FAQs.  Or, reach out to a fundraising coach with any additional questions you may have.

Happy Fundraising.

The post All About PayPal appeared first on GiveForward.

Making new friends can happen in the least likely of places. After Ashley was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer called Ewing’s Sarcoma, she needed to spend much of her time at All Children’s Hospital for various treatments.  While there, she met Tony Colton, who was also going through treatments.  Tony was receiving treatments for Clear Cell Sarcoma of the kidney.

Going through treatments brought them together and helped solidify their friendship.

When Ashley was re diagnosed with a new cancer this past September, Tony knew that the medical expenses would start piling up.  So he got creative and started raising money in any way he could.  He started organizing a bunch of offline events, like yard sales and car washes, along with a GiveForward page for Ashley.

Having gone through cancer himself, Tony understood how expensive treatments can be.  Most kids at 13 wouldn’t even have to think about medical expenses, but here was Tony, doing everything he could to help raise money for his new friend Ashley.

In just 4 months, Tony raised $16,500 for Ashley on his GiveForward page.  Those donations were able to help Ashley and her family keep up with co-pays, medications, and other expenses that insurance doesn’t cover.

So when Tony found out that his cancer had returned in February, Ashley knew she had to do something.  She decided to create a page for Tony to help out.

While making new friends at a hospital is perhaps not the most conventional place to find friendship, Ashley and Tony’s story proves how even during some of life’s most difficult times, wonderful things are happening all around us!

The post Making New Friends at the Hospital appeared first on GiveForward.

This week we were blown away with hope and optimism when we learned about the story of Kansas City homeless man, Billy Ray Harris. Bill Krejci started a fundraiser for Billy Ray Harris where the headline reads, “Billy Ray Harris is a great man who could use some help.”

Krejci’s wife, Sarah Darling, crossed paths with Mr. Harris more than a week ago. Darling had given the man her loose change, when she accidentally and without knowing dropped her engagement ring into Billy Ray Harris’s cup. When she realized her ring was missing the following day, she revisited Billy Ray Harris on the same street, where he still had the ring and gladly returned it.

To date, the fundraiser has raised over $77,000. Equally as touching, Harris’s honest deed has not only brought him financial help; the media’s coverage also helped him connect with a brother in Texas, who he hasn’t seen in almost 30 years.

We often say GiveForward is so much more than a means of financial help. Additionally, it’s a platform that provides emotional support, creating unexpected joy for people when they need it most. Billy Ray Harris’s story is a perfect example of this, and we’re grateful to be a part of it.

The post Billy Ray Harris’s Honest and Inspiring Deed appeared first on GiveForward.

Here are three easy ways to use humor in online fundraising:

1. Choose a memorable title for your fundraising page that will make visitors smile. Oftentimes, an effective way to do this is by creating an alliterative title, but you could also try to employing pun. Take, for example, Live LUNG and Prosper, a title that showcases both Cami’s sense of humor and her community’s hope.
2. In your fundraiser’s description, tell an entertaining story about your beneficiary that highlights her sense of humor. On Help Jennie Beat Cancer!, Misty Kidd explains how her friend, Jennie Watrous, “decided to embrace the opportunity to change her look every day” by posting weekly hairstyle updates on Facebook during chemo treatments. Jennie even hosted a “Jen’s Wigging Out” party where guests brought wigs to add to her collection!
3. Aside from the text in your online fundraiser, photos are great ways to instantly display someone’s sense of humor and positive attitude. After his doctor ordered he limit his sugar intake, Randy Pate joked by posing with an oversized Hershey’s bar. Showing the beneficiary’s smile in the face of adversity will motivate supporters to give.

When facing difficult diagnoses and circumstances, an online fundraiser can emphasize someone’s sense of humor and positive attitude. Using your title, description, and photos to convey humor can inspire visitors to remain hopeful and support your beneficiary.

The post Using Humor in Online Fundraising appeared first on GiveForward.

Chipin.com, a website used to collect funds from friends and family, is closing its doors in March.  Chipin will not be taking any additional online fundraisers or allow users to create chipin accounts.

While Chipin was a good resource for individuals looking to collect funds from others, the shut-down makes sense as InMobi Technologies looks to prioritize their goals.

We just wanted to let Chipin.com users, and anyone looking to raise money online, know that GiveForward is here to help.  While GiveForward is the #1 website for medical fundraising, our users have also had great success raising money for pet expenses and through individual fundraisers for other causes.

Our coaches are always available to help you with fundraising ideas, and talking to them is completely free.

If you are looking for a Chipin alternative, let us know how we can help you!

The post A Chipin Alternative appeared first on GiveForward.

Twist Out Cancer (TOC) is a support community….with a twist. Founded by 31-year-old lymphoma survivor Jenna Benn, TOC leverages social media to help survivors and their loved ones combat the feelings of isolation, loneliness, and helplessness that often accompany cancer diagnoses and treatment. TOC provides a forum through which anyone affected by cancer can share thoughts, experiences, stories, and insights, allowing for the exchange of ideas, encouragement, and wisdom from one community member to another.

Most importantly, each survivor is invited to create a profile page distinguishing his or her individual “twist” on cancer. This “twist” becomes a collection of videos, posts, songs, pictures, or other media gifted to the survivor by his or her loved ones and friends—it is a living, changing, active, and personalized digital legacy that encourages loved ones to give, and survivors to share.

Twist Out Cancer has the power to affect how we fight and heal, and change the way our community provides support. This community helps targets the commonly experienced feelings of isolation and loneliness by leveraging social media to create a global community of support.

To learn more about the organization and it mission see check out our video!

The post Twist Out Cancer: Featured Resource appeared first on GiveForward.

Caleb Moore crashed his snowmobile while competing in the Winter X Games in Aspen last week, suffering critical injuries that have kept him in the intensive care unit since the accident. We were recently informed that he passed away.

Caleb was a four-time X Games medal winner, a crowd favorite, well-remembered for always taking the time to interact and have fun with his many fans and supporters.

His management team has created a GiveForward page to help support the family in any way they need right now as they mourn the loss of their son. If you’d like to send a little love their way, please visit the Caleb Moore fundraiser on GiveForward.com.

From our team to his, we want to say that the entire Moore family is in our thoughts and prayers during this time, and we will be here to do whatever we can to help.

- The GiveForward Team

The post Support for X Games Snowmobiler Caleb Moore and Family appeared first on GiveForward.

Helping People Specifically: Individuals and Families

Privacy

For a lot of families who experience a crisis or loss, the time afterwards is for peace and healing. Even if you’re helping someone in your community, sometimes having intimate issues shared with strangers, beyond their control, can add to the stress of the situation your intended beneficiary is already in. Before you make the page, reach out to the family and make sure that they’re okay with a fundraiser being created for them. Maybe take the time to discuss the privacy options that GiveForward offers and find out what they’re comfortable with. You could even offer to make them a Team Member so they feel more connected to your campaign.

The Funds

1. Accepting the money: We all know what a tender topic money can be. Helping people financially can get sticky when different people have different ideas about what is appropriate. This is another reason why it is extremely important to reach out to your intended beneficiary before you start the page, to make sure that they feel okay about receiving donations.

2. Getting the funds to the beneficiary: Helping people you are not personally acquainted with can also be tough when it comes time to get the money into their hands (sorry, no magic wand just yet). After a fundraiser closes, GiveForward offers two payment methods: a mailed check or an electronic PayPal transfer. Both methods require some personal information from the beneficiary (a legal name and address for a check, PayPal information for the electronic transfer). Consider who the check should be made out to (and whether or not they will be able to cash it). When you reach out to the beneficiary before you start the page, ask them what method would be easiest for them.

Wishes

This comes down to helping people in the way they want to be helped. Make sure your intended beneficiary has not already expressed their wishes for any offered donations. They may have set up their own fundraising page elsewhere, or asked for donations to be made to their favorite charity instead. This is something else you can discuss when you contact them beforehand.

Helping People Generally: Communities and Groups

Whenever disaster strikes (natural or unnatural), we all feel the itch to get up and start helping people who need it. Unfortunately, when it comes to the world of fundraising, gathering money for a group can get complicated. Consider who should receive the money you raise, and then take into account GiveForward’s capabilities. We are unable to send payment to any tax-exempt, non-profit, or 501(c)(3) organizations. Additionally, we cannot split payments or issue checks internationally. Some people choose to list themselves as the beneficiary when they want to raise funds and reallocate the money on their own, which is totally okay. However, briefly consider how it looks to a donor who may not know you or your good intentions. Take some time in your description to explain why you’re receiving the funds personally and your plans for their donations.

As always, if you have any questions about starting a page, don’t be afraid to reach out to us! info@giveforward .com

The post Helping People You Don’t Know: Things to Consider When Starting a Fundraiser appeared first on GiveForward.

When someone we love passes away, focus is primarily put on expressing sympathy to their family, remembering their life, & memories, and supporting those who are affected by the tragedy, and it can be hard to face the reality of funeral burial costs, cremation cost, and whether or not your loved one had funeral insurance or burial insurance.  If you are looking for assistance for funeral costs, starting a GiveForward page is the perfect way to help a family through this difficult time. Here’s how:

Choosing a Title

It is best to choose a title that clearly conveys who the fundraiser is about or what the fundraiser is for. Consider focusing on the family being supported after their loss (e.g. The Rozier Family) or focus on the person that the fundraiser is in memory of (e.g. Loving Memory of Pam and Daniel Decker, Todd Waltz Memorial Fund). If the page is for more specific fundraising efforts, this is the perfect time to highlight that (e.g. The Kristen Foster Memorial Bench Fund)

Calculating a Goal

Potential donors may not understand the cost associated with losing a loved one. The average price of a funeral is $8,500 and includes many individual costs highlighted here that can be overlooked initially.  If this individual had life insurance, there can still be a lengthy waiting period to receive those funds, and can be well after a funeral is planned and paid for, especially if cause of death has to be investigated or factored in. Supporters also may not know that the average time off given to someone who loses a child is only three days according to the MISS Foundation, not to mention those who may rely on hourly wages. Funds raised on GiveForward is meant to allow time away from work to mourn their loss.  These are all factors to take into consideration when deciding on a goal amount, and to include in the description of your fundraiser.

Writing a Description

This is a sensitive time for the family you are raising money for, so always speak with a representative of the family first before creating a fundraiser. Explain that by creating this page, friends and family are empowered to show their support and share their condolences.  Be sure to find out what information they are comfortable sharing and whether or not to make the page private. Those close to the family will most likely know the situation, but donors outside the network of friends and family will still need to understand what happened, who they are supporting and how the donations will be used when they read the description.  Feel free to highlight any pertinent factors about the funeral costs that helped you calculate a goal amount.

Naming a Beneficiary

The beneficiary of a fundraising page is the individual who is accepting the funds raised from this page.  The name of the deceased should not be listed as the beneficiary, as this name is directly connected with the final payment method.  It is best to list the closest surviving member of the family who is handling the final expenses, ideally a spouse, sibling or parent. Generally, explaining the relationship of the beneficiary to the deceased might alleviate any concerns or questions on the legitimacy of the fundraiser as you begin your fundraising efforts. So you may wish to include a sentence at the bottom of your description explaining who is listed as the beneficiary & their relationship to the deceased and that they are handling the arrangements.

Adding Important Details

This fundraising page may be used as the central hub for sharing information, memories, and relevant news. Make sure to include photos that accurately commemorate their life: a clear featured image to highlight their happiest days and biggest smile, family and friends, and anything else that may help remember their legacy. The “Links” section in the left margin should be used to include any news articles, obituaries or memorial information.  Links can be edited in the  Dashboard within the Details tab.  Later on in the fundraising efforts, Updates can be used to share locations and details of any services or memorial events.

Making the First Donation

The first donation will set the tone for the entire fundraiser, meaning that future donors will follow the pattern of those before them. By making an initial contribution, it sets a good example of the generous amount to give, as well as displays dedication to the cause and trust in the site.  Many potential donors may wish to show their support, but may not feel comfortable being the first to donate, so it is best to take the initiative; use this donation as a place to share personal condolences that may not be appropriate to include in the description. The most impactful part of a memorial fundraiser is the online community created on the GiveForward page that surrounds this family during their time of need. So the memories, words of support, and prayers will be just as inspiring as the financial support being provided to the family.

Sharing the Link

Promoting the fundraiser to mutual friends, family members, groups that the person may have been involved in, co-workers, etc. is the best way to insure that everyone whose lives were touched by this loss can be involved with the fundraising efforts. You may even consider inviting team members to help show this family the support that they need as they mourn the loss of their loved one with you.

Feel free to browse memorial fundraisers on GiveForward to see what others are doing to successfully raise money for funeral costs.

The post How to Start a Memorial Fundraiser appeared first on GiveForward.