Critics have been blasting former President Donald Trump for choosing an unconventional platform to raise money for the survivors of his July assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, and the damage caused by hurricanes that tore through the East Coast, which left several states devasted in their aftermath. 

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign used GoFundMe to gather support from wealthy donors and regular supporters, ignoring the larger, well-known nonprofits. The two major fundraisers, organized by Trump’s national finance director, have raised over $14 million so far. 

Most of the money raised on Trump’s GoFundMe page for Butler victims was distributed earlier this month, and more payments will continue as long as the page is active. Trump campaign spokesperson Brian Hughes said that the “vast majority” of the funds went to the families of the three people who were shot. Some money also went to a local crane rental company whose owner said he lost business because the police investigation prevented him from retrieving the equipment he had donated for the rally. 

Funds raised for Hurricane Helene victims have been given to four nonprofits. Mtn2Sea Ministries, which provides generators and supplies right after storms, announced on Facebook that it received $25,000 on Monday. They said the money was used to buy gift cards from South Georgia businesses because “the best way to help those in need is to get resources directly into their hands.” 

Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian humanitarian aid organization, expressed gratitude for Trump’s support of their work. Spokesperson Gabrielle Bouquet did not share the exact amount of their donation. 

Water Mission, a Christian engineering nonprofit that builds safe water solutions in disaster areas, also confirmed that it received funds from Trump’s GoFundMe pages. 

According to Benjamin Soskis from the Urban Institute’s Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy, it makes sense that Trump’s team chose crowdfunding over recognized nonprofits. He pointed out that Trump supporters have a “distrust of institutions,” and GoFundMe appeals to people as an alternative to traditional charitable giving. 

However, crowdfunding can have less accountability, according to Soskis. Crowdfunding pages do not have the same financial disclosure requirements as public charities, which must share their finances in annual tax filings. Soskis mentioned that Trump’s “mixed record with philanthropy” has led to increased scrutiny. In 2019, a judge fined Trump $2 million for using his now-closed charitable foundation to “benefit himself.”   

Soskis explained that mixing campaigning with charitable giving creates a complicated situation, and the issues surrounding crowdfunding and Trump’s past with his charitable foundation “adds fuel to the fire.” 

According to Andrew Herman, a Washington lawyer specializing in campaign finance, campaign finance officials should not run crowdfunding pages while asking for money for their campaigns. Since online crowdfunding is less regulated, he believes directing supporters to a well-known nonprofit organization would be better. 

Campaign finance attorney Brett Kappel mentioned that it’s more common for candidates to donate campaign funds to IRS-approved nonprofits during natural disasters. He cited Federal Election Commission records showing that U.S. Senator Tim Scott’s 2022 campaign contributed to the American Red Cross after Hurricane Ian hit South Carolina. 

Hughes said the Trump campaign’s finance team only got involved because of their expertise in handling large accounts, assuring that “not one penny” of the funds would go anywhere except to those affected. As of October 11, Hughes said that more than $6.5 million of the $7.7 million raised for Hurricane Helene’s recovery had already been distributed. 

According to a company spokesperson, GoFundMe’s Global Trust & Safety team works closely with organizer Meredith O’Rourke to ensure that donations from the Butler, Pennsylvania, page are distributed safely to chosen organizations. The spokesperson also mentioned that O’Rourke provided a verified plan for distributing the money, which the company requires when organizers take out money for other people. 

By donating to the GoFundMe page, supporters can rest easily knowing that the funds will not go to nonprofits with bloated executive salaries. In 2022, Red Cross President and CEO Gail McGovern reported a salary of $832,241.  

In addition to overpaid executives, many well-known nonprofits pocket funds rather than sending them to those in need. In 2021, Samaritans’ Purse allocated just over half of every dollar spent to help people in need. The organization kept the rest. By the end of 2021, the organization had $1.2 billion in total assets. 

Of course, liberals will cry foul. Without a doubt, Trump will be accused of campaign finance violations in the future. But for now, Trump is stepping up after FEMA dropped the ball. For millions of Americans in storm-swept states, his unusual fundraising platform is their only hope of survival.