You can delete a GoFundMe account by going to your settings, but the process depends on whether you have an active campaign
Deleting a GoFundMe account takes about five minutes if you have no active campaigns. If you do have a campaign running, you will need to decide what happens to the money first — you can withdraw it, leave it for the organizer, or refund donors. GoFundMe does not let you delete an account with an active campaign still collecting money.
The steps are straightforward, but the real decision is what to do with any funds already raised. That choice affects whether your deletion is when ready or delayed.
Key Takeaways
- You can delete your account from the settings menu, but only if no campaign is currently accepting donations.
- If you have an active campaign, you must first decide whether to withdraw the funds, leave them for the organizer, or issue refunds to donors.
- Deleting your account removes your profile and donation history from public view, but GoFundMe keeps records for legal and tax reasons.
- If you only want to stop a campaign without deleting your account, you can pause or close it instead.
How to delete your account if you have no active campaigns
Open GoFundMe in a web browser and sign in. Click your profile picture or initial in the top right corner, then select "Settings" from the dropdown menu. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and look for "Delete Account" or "Close Account" — the exact wording varies slightly depending on when your account was created.
Click that option. GoFundMe will ask you to confirm your decision and may ask why you are leaving. You can skip the survey if you want. After you confirm, your account is deleted. Your profile page will no longer be visible to other people, and your donation history will be removed from public view.
What to do if you have an active campaign
An active campaign is one that is still set to accept donations. If you try to delete your account while a campaign is running, GoFundMe will block the deletion and tell you to close the campaign first.
You have three options: withdraw the money to your bank account, leave it for the campaign organizer to claim later, or issue refunds to everyone who donated. To close the campaign, go to the campaign page, click the three-dot menu, and select "Close Campaign." GoFundMe will walk you through which option you want. Once the campaign is closed, you can then delete your account using the steps above.
The difference between pausing and closing a campaign
If you are not sure whether you want to delete your account entirely, you have a middle option: pause the campaign instead. A paused campaign stops accepting new donations but stays on your account. You can reopen it later if you change your mind.
To pause a campaign, go to the campaign page, click the three-dot menu, and select "Pause Campaign." The campaign will no longer appear in search results or on your profile, but the page itself still exists. Closing a campaign is permanent — once closed, you cannot reopen it, though you can create a new campaign for the same cause if you want.
What happens to your data after deletion
When you delete your GoFundMe account, your profile and public donation history disappear when ready. However, GoFundMe keeps records of your account behind the scenes for tax and legal reasons. If you donated money or received donations, those records exist in their system even after your account is gone.
This matters if you received a donation that counts as taxable income. The IRS may still have records of that donation, and you may still owe taxes on it even after you delete your account. Similarly, if you donated to a campaign, your payment information and transaction history remain in GoFundMe's records for dispute resolution and fraud prevention.
Deleting the mobile app does not delete your account
straightforward deleting the GoFundMe app from your phone or tablet does not delete your account. You must go through the account deletion process in the web browser to actually remove your account. Uninstalling the app just removes the software from your device — your account stays active on GoFundMe's servers.
If you want to stop getting notifications from the app, you can turn off notifications in your phone's settings without deleting anything. Go to your phone's Settings, find the GoFundMe app, and toggle off notifications.
If you forgot your password or cannot access your account
If you cannot sign in to your account, you cannot delete it through the normal process. Go to the GoFundMe login page and click "Forgot Password?" Enter the email address associated with your account. GoFundMe will send you a password reset link. Click that link, create a new password, and sign in. Then follow the deletion steps above.
If you no longer have access to the email address on your account, contact GoFundMe support directly. Go to the GoFundMe Help Center, scroll to the bottom, and click "Contact Us." Explain that you cannot access your account and want to delete it. Support can verify your identity and delete the account for you, though this may take a few business days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete my account if I am the organizer of someone else's campaign?
No. If you created a campaign for another person, you cannot delete your account while that campaign is active. You must close the campaign first and decide what to do with the funds. If the campaign is for someone else, you may want to transfer organizer rights to them instead of closing it.
Will deleting my account refund all the donations I received?
Not automatically. When you close a campaign, you choose what happens to the money. If you select "issue refunds," GoFundMe will refund donors. If you select "withdraw," the money goes to your bank account. You control this choice — deletion does not trigger automatic refunds.
Can I reactivate my account after I delete it?
No. Once you delete your GoFundMe account, it cannot be reactivated. If you want to use GoFundMe again, you will need to create a new account with the same or a different email address.
Does GoFundMe charge a fee to delete my account?
No. Deleting your account is free. GoFundMe does not charge any fee for account closure.
What if I only want to hide my profile instead of deleting it?
You can make your profile private instead of deleting it. In Settings, look for privacy options and choose to make your profile visible only to you. This hides your profile from other people without actually deleting your account, and you can change it back later.