Go Fund Me for Co-workers?

Nurses Relations

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If you're on Facebook, you're probably familiar with a Go Fund Me appeal being posted for a co-worker. I have mixed feelings about this.

Often, multiple people will repost for a particularly popular person. One recent post was the adult daughter of a gal who worked in the hospital, who died suddenly, trying to raise money for funeral expenses and to help her. Her goal was $20,000. I thought, what kind of funeral are you planning? It felt like she was trying to cash in on this.

When I see one for someone who has expenses from an illness, I think about the many people who also had illnesses, had to have FMLA perhaps, also incurred the extra expenses, and no Go Fund Me.

There are people who get into a pickle because they blow their money on trips, the casino, enabling adult children, or blowing their PTO and sick time frivolously. Then comes the cry for help when Murphy strikes.

Any thoughts?

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
Ok I had never heard of LulaRoe so I googled it...

Good Lord who dresses those poor women...

I work with middle-aged, over-weight women who wear the stuff. They don't seem to realize that patterned leggings and clingy knit tops do NOT look good/professional on them at all.

(I am an over-weight 61 year old woman myself. So I can say that.)

Ok I had never heard of LulaRoe so I googled it...

Good Lord who dresses those poor women...

I had to google it too . . . I'd never heard of it.

As to the OP, I haven't ever donated to a GFM. But I have helped out personally with money or other things when people needed help. I'm just not a fan of of online donating sites.

And funerals are expensive. I'm a hospice nurse and for the most part, people are shocked when they have their meeting with the mortuary/funeral home after the death and the deceased had no plan in place.

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

I have no issue with GFM or other online fundraising pages for whatever reason the person wants to create them. After all, if you don't ask, you don't get.

That being said, I don't feel compelled to donate to every single one that comes my way, regardless of whether they are a coworker. If I do choose to donate to any GFM/online fundraiser, I do it anonymously.

Specializes in LTC, Rehab.

Although I gave a little $$ to someone once on GoFundMe, and I know they really needed it, I honestly had no idea 'til this thread that it was used a lot. I went & looked at the site for a few minutes and was a little overwhelmed.

I was told that Go Fund Me takes a percentage from each donation for themselves--probably administrative fees. I will only give a donation personally to anyone I feel needs it.

Specializes in Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC.
A while back there were a couple of posters on here making a case for GFM accounts to pay for their nursing school. You see, they didn't want to work AND go to school.

Funny, I managed to work full time the entire time that I went to school. Not to say that it wasn't rough sometimes, and I often went with very little sleep, but I managed.

There are legitimate uses for Go Fund Me (I made donations to my niece's mission trip to Central America after she finished divinity school, for example), but some of the requests are just laughable.

I will only contribute when I know all of the circumstances. A local family had a child dying of cancer. I know their needs were very real. Travel expenses as well as taking care of their other children were very wearing not only emotionally but financially. People will try anything for a free money. It's the responsibility of the donator to be aware and make a informed choice.

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This gets the same reaction as other things that don't directly affect me do

If someone dies, it is pretty miserable event. I am sure she did not want the cheapest funeral for her mom, and she might have want to do some pretty one for 20 gran. GFM does not guarantee she will reach the goal...

I do not know the background but if it was lets say CNA, who made 10$ per hour, oh sure I would donate. Was it a coordinator who made double of my income... hmmm...

as someone here was talking earlier about coworker who started GFM for college while booking cruises... Nope, sorry.

I am trying to safe for my own school, vacations and funeral.

Just a thoughts

Specializes in Transitional Nursing.

For something truly devastating and heart wrenching, I would say absolutely. For the typical family tragedy without equally tragic extenuating circumstances, I wouldn't if I didn't know the person well. I don't see the harm in making a go fund me, although I don't think I'd create one or allow one to be created unless God forbid I fell in the first category.

Having just recently lost both of my parents I can say that $20,000 is extravagant. My family decided to cash in my parents plots and have them cremated (parent wishes) and place their ashes in a niche. Spent about half 10,000 for both. It helped having the plots, but in reality they didn't save us that much money, because somehow their value had depreciated over time, like a used car.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Having just recently lost both of my parents I can say that $20,000 is extravagant. My family decided to cash in my parents plots and have them cremated (parent wishes) and place their ashes in a niche. Spent about half 10,000 for both. It helped having the plots, but in reality they didn't save us that much money, because somehow their value had depreciated over time, like a used car.

I suspect that the cost of funerals varies with the general cost of living in your area. My parents are both gone, too. Each of their funerals cost $10,000 - $12,000 (and neither was extravagant) but they were in a pretty economically depressed area. $20,000 might actually be reasonable in some areas.

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