You can delete a GoFundMe campaign yourself through your account settings, but the process and what happens to your money depend on whether you've already received donations

If your campaign is still active and has no donations, you can delete it immediately by going to your campaign page, clicking the menu icon (three dots), and selecting "Delete campaign." The campaign disappears from public view right away. If your campaign has received donations, GoFundMe does not let you delete it — you can only close it to new donations. Money already donated stays in your account until you withdraw it or refund donors.

The key difference is that GoFundMe treats campaigns with money as financial records. Once someone has donated, the platform keeps the campaign visible in your account history for accounting purposes, even if you stop accepting new gifts. This protects both you and donors by maintaining a record of the transaction.

Key Takeaways

  • Campaigns with no donations can be deleted permanently through your account menu in seconds.
  • Campaigns that have received money cannot be deleted, only closed to new donations.
  • Money in your GoFundMe account remains there until you withdraw it to your bank account or refund individual donors.
  • Closing a campaign does not automatically refund donors — you must refund them separately if you choose to.
  • Deleted campaigns cannot be recovered, so download any records or messages you want to keep first.

How to delete a campaign with no donations

Open your GoFundMe account and go to "My Campaigns." Find the campaign you want to remove and click the three-dot menu next to it. Select "Delete campaign" from the dropdown. GoFundMe will ask you to confirm — click "Delete" again, and the campaign is gone. It no longer appears on your profile or in search results.

This works only if the campaign has received zero donations. If even one person has donated, the delete option disappears and you'll see "Close campaign" instead. Before you delete, make sure you've saved any messages, fundraising updates, or donor comments you want to keep — deletion is permanent and GoFundMe does not provide a way to recover deleted campaigns.

What happens when you close a campaign instead of deleting it

When a campaign has donations, you can close it to stop accepting new gifts. Click the three-dot menu, select "Close campaign," and confirm. The campaign stays on your profile and in your account history, but the donation button disappears and people can no longer give money to it. The campaign page itself remains viewable — donors can still see it, and you can still see all the donations and comments.

Closing a campaign does not move the money anywhere or change its status. The funds sit in your GoFundMe account balance until you take action. You can withdraw the money to your bank account, refund specific donors, or leave it there. If you change your mind, you can reopen a closed campaign by clicking the menu again and selecting "Reopen campaign."

How to withdraw money from your account

Money donated to your campaign stays in your GoFundMe account balance. To move it to your bank account, go to your account settings and select "Withdrawals." Choose your connected bank account and enter the amount you want to transfer. GoFundMe processes withdrawals to most U.S. bank accounts within one to three business days, though some banks take longer to show the deposit.

You can withdraw money in full or in smaller amounts over time — there's no requirement to take it all at once. If you haven't connected a bank account yet, GoFundMe will walk you through that process before you can withdraw. You'll need your routing number and account number, which you can find on a check or by logging into your bank's website.

How to refund individual donors

If you want to return money to specific people who donated, go to your campaign page and click "Donations" or "Activity." Find the donor you want to refund and click the three-dot menu next to their donation. Select "Refund donation." GoFundMe will process the refund back to the original payment method — usually a credit card or bank account — within one to three business days.

You can refund one person, several people, or everyone. There's no penalty for refunding donations, and you can do it whether the campaign is open, closed, or deleted. If you refund all donations and want to remove the campaign entirely, you'll still only be able to close it, not delete it, because it now has a transaction history.

Why GoFundMe keeps campaigns with donations on record

GoFundMe maintains a permanent record of any campaign that received money because it's a financial transaction. This protects you by documenting where money came from and where it went, which matters if there are questions later. It also protects donors by keeping their contribution visible and traceable. If a donor disputes a charge with their credit card company, the campaign record helps prove the donation was real and intentional.

This is standard practice for payment platforms. PayPal, Stripe, and other services also keep records of completed transactions even after you close an account. You cannot delete financial history, but you can close the campaign to new donations and manage the money however you choose.

What to do before you delete or close a campaign

Before you take action, download or save anything you want to keep. Take screenshots of donor comments, fundraising updates, or personal messages. Copy any text you wrote about your cause. GoFundMe does not provide an export tool, so manual saving is the only way to preserve this information — once a campaign is deleted or closed, you cannot retrieve these details later.

If the campaign was for a specific cause or person, consider whether you want to keep it visible as a record. Some people close campaigns instead of deleting them so that donors can see where their money went and what was accomplished. Others prefer to remove the campaign from public view entirely. There's no right answer — it depends on your situation and what you're comfortable with.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

No. Once a campaign receives donations, GoFundMe locks the delete option and only allows you to close it. The campaign stays in your account history as a financial record. You can close it to new donations and manage the money, but you cannot remove it entirely.

If I close my campaign, do donors automatically get refunded?

No. Closing a campaign stops new donations but does not refund existing ones. The money stays in your GoFundMe account. You must refund donors individually if you choose to, or you can withdraw the money to your bank account and keep it.

How long does it take to get money out of GoFundMe?

Withdrawals to your bank account typically process within one to three business days. Some banks take additional time to display the deposit. Refunds to donors' original payment methods also take one to three business days.

Can I reopen a campaign after I close it?

Yes. Go to your account, find the closed campaign, click the menu, and select "Reopen campaign." The campaign will accept donations again, and all previous donations and comments remain visible.

What happens to my campaign if I delete my GoFundMe account?

If you delete your account, all campaigns are removed from public view. However, if any campaign received donations, GoFundMe may retain records for legal and financial reasons. Contact GoFundMe support directly if you need information about account deletion and what happens to your campaign history.