You can delete a GoFundMe campaign, but the process and what happens to the money depends on whether you've already received donations

If your campaign has no donations yet, you can delete it when ready through your GoFundMe account settings, and the campaign disappears from the platform. If people have already donated, GoFundMe does not let you delete the campaign outright — instead, you can only close it to new donations. Money that's already been donated stays in the campaign unless you withdraw it or refund donors individually. The platform keeps a record of closed campaigns for a set period, even though they're no longer visible to the public.

The reason for this difference is straightforward: once someone has given money to a campaign, that transaction creates a record GoFundMe needs to maintain. Deleting it would erase the donor's contribution history and make refunds harder to track. Closing the campaign protects both you and the people who donated by keeping the transaction documented.

Key Takeaways

  • Campaigns with zero donations can be deleted entirely and will no longer appear on GoFundMe or in search results.
  • Campaigns that have received donations can only be closed, not deleted, and the money remains in your account until you withdraw or refund it.
  • Closing a campaign stops new donations but does not automatically refund existing donors — you must process refunds separately if you choose to.
  • GoFundMe keeps records of closed campaigns for compliance and dispute purposes, though they are hidden from public view.

How to delete a campaign with no donations

Log into your GoFundMe account and go to your campaign dashboard. Find the campaign you want to remove and look for the three-dot menu icon (often called a "more options" button) next to the campaign name. Click it and select "Delete Campaign" from the dropdown menu. GoFundMe will ask you to confirm the deletion — this is your final note to change your mind. Once you confirm, the campaign is permanently removed from GoFundMe's servers and will not appear in any search results or on your profile.

The entire process takes less than a minute. You do not need to contact GoFundMe support or provide a reason for the deletion. The campaign straightforward vanishes, and if you change your mind later, you'll need to create a new campaign from scratch — GoFundMe does not restore deleted campaigns.

How to close a campaign that has received donations

If your campaign has donations, navigate to the campaign page and look for the campaign settings or menu options. Select "Close Campaign" rather than delete. This action stops the campaign from accepting new donations and marks it as closed on your dashboard. The campaign may still be visible to people who previously donated or shared it, though it will show as closed and will not appear in GoFundMe's search results or category pages.

Closing a campaign does not move the money anywhere or send refunds automatically. The funds remain in your GoFundMe account, and you control what happens next. You can leave the money there, withdraw it to your bank account, or refund individual donors if you decide the campaign should not have happened.

What happens to the money after you close a campaign

Money donated to a closed campaign stays in your GoFundMe account balance. You have three main options: withdraw the funds to your connected bank account, leave the money in your account for a future campaign, or refund donors individually. GoFundMe does not set a time limit on how long you can hold the money, though your bank account connection may expire if you don't use it for an extended period.

If you decide to refund donors, you'll need to do this manually through your account. GoFundMe does not offer a bulk refund button — you process each refund individually, and the money comes from your account balance. The refund appears back on the donor's original payment method (credit card, debit card, or PayPal account) within 5 to 10 business days. Donors will receive a notification that the refund was issued.

Why you might want to close instead of delete

Closing a campaign is often the better choice even if you could delete it, because it preserves a record of what happened. If a donor disputes the transaction with their bank or credit card company, GoFundMe and your bank need proof that the campaign existed and was closed. Deleting the campaign can make it harder to resolve disputes and may trigger additional questions from your bank.

Closing also gives donors transparency. People who contributed can see that the campaign is no longer active, which is clearer than having it vanish entirely. If you're closing because the goal was reached or the situation changed, donors appreciate knowing the campaign's final status rather than wondering what happened.

Removing a campaign from public view without closing it

GoFundMe also offers a "pause" or "private" option on some campaigns, which hides the campaign from search results and public browsing without closing it entirely. This is useful if you want to stop receiving donations temporarily but might reactivate the campaign later. A paused campaign still appears on your profile if someone visits it directly, but it won't show up when people search for campaigns by category or keyword.

To pause a campaign, go to your campaign settings and look for visibility or status options. The exact wording varies depending on the type of campaign you created. This option is different from closing — a paused campaign can be reactivated, whereas a closed campaign cannot accept new donations again.

What happens to your campaign history

Deleted campaigns disappear from your public profile and from GoFundMe's database. Closed campaigns may remain visible on your profile with a "closed" label, depending on your privacy settings. You can usually adjust your profile to hide closed campaigns from public view, though GoFundMe retains the records internally for legal and compliance reasons.

If you've received a large number of donations or the campaign involved a sensitive topic, GoFundMe may keep records longer than usual. This is standard practice for payment platforms and helps protect both you and donors in case of chargebacks or disputes. You won't see these records in your account — they're stored on GoFundMe's servers for their own compliance purposes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete a campaign after people have donated to it?

No. Once a campaign has received donations, GoFundMe only allows you to close it, not delete it. The money remains in your account, and the campaign record stays in GoFundMe's system. You can refund individual donors if you choose, but you cannot erase the campaign entirely.

If I close my campaign, do donors automatically get their money back?

No. Closing a campaign does not trigger automatic refunds. The money stays in your GoFundMe account balance. You must manually process refunds for each donor if you decide to return their contributions. Refunds take 5 to 10 business days to reach the donor's original payment method.

What's the difference between closing and pausing a campaign?

Pausing hides a campaign from search results but keeps it active — you can reactivate it later and resume accepting donations. Closing stops all donations permanently and marks the campaign as inactive. Closed campaigns cannot be reopened; you'd need to create a new campaign if you want to fundraise again.

Will people still see my closed campaign if they have the direct link?

It depends on your privacy settings. Some closed campaigns remain visible to anyone with the direct link, while others are hidden entirely. You can adjust this in your campaign settings. Closed campaigns will not appear in GoFundMe's search results or category pages regardless of your privacy settings.

How long does GoFundMe keep records of deleted campaigns?

GoFundMe does not publicly state how long it retains deleted campaign records, but payment platforms typically keep transaction records for several years for legal and tax compliance. You won't see these records in your account, but they exist on GoFundMe's servers in case of disputes or chargebacks.