Medical fundraising can be a life-changing source of help and hope for the disability community. If you’re experiencing an overwhelming, painful, and financially draining time in your life, you can watch your community come together to make a difference.
But there’s something you may not know: starting a GoFundMe could put your disability benefits at risk.
When you fundraise with a crowdfunding platform like GoFundMe, even if you’re raising funds for medical expenses, the funds you raise could be considered personal income or assets to you.
If you or someone you care about relies on asset-based assistance like Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), funds raised through GoFundMe could cause you to exceed the program’s asset limit—and subsequently lose your benefits.
While you’re already dealing with the emotional challenge of having to ask your community for support, if you choose the wrong fundraising platform, you’ll find yourself with an even heavier financial burden—and even more barriers to getting what you need.
But there’s hope for people who are seeking to fundraise for medical expenses. Help Hope Live is a nonprofit that partners with individuals and their communities to start trusted medical fundraising campaigns. Our platform operates differently than for-profit crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe.
All donations are made to our nonprofit and administered by us, providing the maximum possible protection for your benefits. Because we’re a 501(c)(3), donations are tax deductible for donors. Our nonprofit also verifies every patient’s medical condition for truly fraud-free fundraising that enables donors to give with confidence and trust.
We also pay medical bills and related expenses directly, giving the disability community a chance to focus less on administrative tasks and more on what matters most: treatment, recovery, and living life.
We know how hard fundraising can be, from planning out communications to overcoming feelings of reluctance about asking for help in the first place. We’re here to make it simple.
We provide one-on-one fundraising support for a lifetime of need from our team of specialists. You can fundraise in the way that works for you, whether that’s online, in-person, or both.
We offer customized materials and tailored support to share your story in a way that’s authentic and personal to you and makes your community a part of your journey. This can have a big impact.
In 2021, Rebecca Koltun of Plainview, New York, was an active and vibrant 21-year-old excited to graduate. In an instant, a skiing accident left her paralyzed from the neck down.
In addition to the devastating physical and emotional impact of the injury, Rebecca and her family had to contend with the overwhelming financial burden of quadriplegia. They were told to expect over $1 million in out-of-pocket expenses within the first year after her injury.
The Koltun family turned to Help Hope Live for trusted medical fundraising. Their community of support has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to Help Hope Live in Rebecca’s honor to help meet critical needs.
Fundraising goes deeper than financial help for the Koltun family.
Over these three years, they’ve uncovered support from both strangers and close friends across a local, national, and even international network of hope.
As Rebecca shares her daily life with humor and insight on social media and beyond, her family utilizes Help Hope Live Campaign Page updates like these to reflect how fundraising has made a profound impact:
“Every week, we cover hundreds and often thousands of dollars in expenses related to Rebecca’s medical care that are not picked up by insurance. This is why fundraising is so important to us.
We have received some lovely communications from individuals who are inspired by Rebecca. Some of them we know and some we don’t. These messages inspire us. Fundraising also helps bring about more awareness for those with spinal cord injuries.
We continue to be grateful for all of the financial and emotional support that we receive.”
A life-changing medical condition is physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially draining. With the right support in place, helplessness and setbacks can give way to milestones, gratitude, pride, strength, and hope.
If you are dealing with this reality, you are not alone—and we want to help you find that hope.
Submit an initial application for medical fundraising help at: https://helphopelive.org/get-started/apply/
You can follow or direct message Help Hope Live for additional support on social media.
Opinions expressed are solely those of the writer(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Able News at The Viscardi Center and/or The Viscardi Center.