How to Fundraise for Medical Expenses and Related Costs

United Spinal Association considers the medical fundraising platform Help Hope Live an invaluable resource. We asked Emily Progin, Help Hope Live's content manager, to tell us more about what her organization does for wheelchair users.

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If you're a member of the disability community, fundraising can be a way to get life-changing help and hope.

Whether you need to fill gaps for medical costs insurance doesn't fully cover, fund caregiving or rehabilitation, or secure a reliable accessible van, fundraising can be a powerful tool in your toolkit.

If you're new to fundraising, our nonprofit Help Hope Livewould love to give you some pointers. We've been helping individuals and their loved ones to start medical fundraising campaigns since 1983.

We know the disability community could always use another resource, and that's why we're grateful to get the chance to work with United Spinal's community as a trusted medical fundraising resource.

In this post, we'll give you an overview of fundraising for disability-related expenses along with some firsthand insights from our community.

Before You Start a GoFundMe, Know This…

GoFundMe has become a synonym for fundraising, but there's something you might not know: as a member of the disability community, starting a GoFundMe could put your benefits at risk.

When you fundraise with a platform like GoFundMe, even if you're raising funds for medical expenses, the funds you raise could end up being considered personal income or assets to you.

If you receive asset-based assistance like Medicaid or SSI, funds raised through GoFundMe that go into a personal bank account could cause you to exceed the program's asset limit and lose your benefits.

You may not even know you've exceeded the limituntil you lose those benefits-just ask our client Patrice Jetter, who came to Help Hope Live after losing her benefits because of a van fundraising campaign through GoFundMe.

That same risk exists if you fundraise through personal payment apps like Venmo or PayPal, too: as of the 2024 tax year, these apps have to report funds raised to the IRS when they exceed certain amounts.

Even if you're using one of these options specifically to fundraise for medical expenses, or for a disability-related cost like an accessible van, you could end up facing new financial challenges after you start fundraising.

Is There a Better Fundraising Option for the Disability Community?

At Help Hope Live, we were founded specifically to create a safer and more supportive community-based fundraising option for the disability community.

Our medical fundraising nonprofit operates differently than for-profit crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe:

• Donations are made to our nonprofit and administered by us, providing the maximum possible protection for your benefits.

• Because we administer the funds, they typically won't count against your asset-based benefits (though we always encourage clients to check with local benefits offices for peace of mind).

• Because we're a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, donations are tax deductible for donors.

• Our nonprofit also verifies every patient's medical conditionfor fraud-free fundraising that enables donors to give with total confidence and trust.

• Help Hope Live campaigns are eligible for special opportunities only available to nonprofits like ours, including matching donations, foundation gifts, and more.

• We pay medical bills and related expenses directly, giving the disability community a chance to focus more on what matters: treatment, recovery, and living life.

You can apply to start a fundraising campaign with us online.

If we're the right fit for you, we'll connect you with a real person who will provide you with one-on-one fundraising support. That support from our team continues for a lifetime of need atno cost to you.

You can fundraise in the way that works for you, whether that's online, in-person, or both.

We offer customized materials and tailored supportso we can help you to share your story and your current need in a way that's as authentic as possible.

With 40+ years of experience, we can help you figure out how to communicate your "why," keep your support community engaged, and take advantage of every resource you can to find fundraising success.

Stephan Golden delivering Bags of Hope

What Can I Fundraise For?

Based on our experience, here's a sample of some of the most common expenses that members of the disability community fundraise for:

• Health insurance premiums, deductibles, and co-pays

• Medications

• Caregiving and home health care services

• Activity-based therapy

• Travel expenses, relocation, moving expenses, or temporary housing associated with rehabilitation and treatment

• Specialized wheelchairs and other durable medical equipment

• Part replacements and repairs for manual chairs, power chairs, and other equipment

• Accessible vans and van modifications

• Home modifications for accessibility

• Assistive technology

• Service dog training

• And more

Getting Comfortable with Fundraising

Fundraising can be hard-not just the raising-money part but also navigating the emotional landscape of asking for help. We're here to make fundraising as simple as possible with tailored support at every step.

But it's not just us: we partner with client Ambassadors to share fundraising tips by and for the disability community.

We're advocates for the power of fundraising, but don't just take it from us-let's hear from them.

Why We Fundraise with Help Hope Live

"Whether it's within the first few years or decades after a spinal cord injury, fundraising can significantly improve your quality of life. For anyone who needs to fundraise for spinal cord injury expenses, Help Hope Live is at the top of the list," says Josh Basile.

"Choosing Help Hope Live for fundraising offers the best possible protection for my Medicaid benefits, and it allows me to fundraise in a way that keeps funds administered responsibly and available for a lifetime of need.I can fundraise around both medical needs and accessibility needs with confidence."

About Josh Basile, Esq.:We're guessing you might have heard Josh's name before. An associate attorney and disability community advocate and mentor, Josh has been living with paralysis for more than 20 years.

Fundraising with Help Hope Live Since:2023

"The entire experience of working with Help Hope Live has become a huge blessing-that is why we continue to share the organization with others. After the accident, the medical expenses that insurance didn't fully cover quickly fell back on us as out-of-pocket costs, so we started a GoFundMe page," says Katrina and Stephan Golden.

"When it was time to apply for asset-based benefits, we did not qualify because of the GoFundMe-the funds we raised were counted as income. As we searched for grants and other sources of financial relief, we came across Help Hope Live. We are so glad we did."

"We needed a platform where we could fundraise and still allow donors and supporters to access tax-deductible donation opportunities. We also loved learning that funds raised would not count as income or assets against our asset-based Medicare/Medicaid benefit eligibility."

"Beyond those benefits, the support that we get and the suggestions for fundraising as we plan to host events are awesome. We can plan fundraisers with help and support from the Help Hope Live team."

About Katrina and Stephan Golden:Now accessible travel agency co-founders, Stephan joined the disability community after a spinal cord injury in 2015, and his wife, Katrina, has been living with visual impairment since birth.

Fundraising with Help Hope Live since:2017

"Ultimately, my experience with Help Hope Live has genuinely lived up to the organization's mission statement. I believe fundraising with Help Hope Live is vital for anyone who wants to improve their quality of life after injury. I have always loved the support that I've received from the Help Hope Live team," says Ian Burkhart.

"It's fantastic to offer donors an opportunity to make a tax-deductible donation, and donors also have the added security and confidence that all donations will be used to cover verified medical and related expenses. You can put donors at ease knowing funds raised through Help Hope Live will always be used for the right reasons."

"In addition to these benefits for donors, it's a major distinction over other fundraising options like GoFundMe that all donations go directly to Help Hope Live and therefore won't jeopardize my benefits or prevent me from accessing resources through state and federal programs."

"It's frustrating to see people with spinal cord injuries penalized for fundraising for what insurance doesn't cover. With Help Hope Live, they can protect themselves from being punished just for fundraising for what they truly need. Help Hope Live gives communities a platform where they can take action and help in a way that's safe and trustworthy."

About Ian Burkhart:Living with paralysis since 2010, Ian is the Vice President of the North American Spinal Cord Injury Consortium and the President of The Ian Burkhart Foundation.

Fundraising with Help Hope Live since:2010

Where to Go from Here

• For more insightson fundraising and life after injury from Josh, Stephan and Katrina, Ian, and other Ambassadors, click here.

• If you'd like to apply to start a fundraising campaignwith Help Hope Live, click here.

• Click hereto learn how Help Hope Live is differentfrom other fundraising options.

• Click hereto take a deeper look at how Help Hope Live's nonprofit statusprovides strong support for the disability community.

• Find the most frequently asked questions about fundraising with us here.

Not sure if fundraising is a fit for you?

We also offer comprehensive and hand-vetted Resource Directories herethat are free to use, whether or not you fundraise with us. You'll find financial grant sources, support groups, and morein each Directory.

Whatever you do next, we hope you know that you are not alone-and that help and hope are never far away.

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