Have you ever searched for websites where rich people give away free money? The idea sounds almost too good to be true, but there are legitimate online platforms where wealthy donors, philanthropists, businesses, foundations, and ordinary people financially support individuals, creators, nonprofits, and worthwhile projects.
However, there is an important difference between “free money” and legitimate financial support.
Most trustworthy websites do not simply send money to anyone who asks. Instead, they provide a platform where you can create a fundraiser, apply for a grant, present a creative project, receive creator support, or connect with donors.
For example, GoFundMe lets people create public fundraisers and share their stories with potential donors, while Kickstarter focuses on creative projects funded by backers.
So, if you need money for an emergency, education, creative project, nonprofit cause, business idea, or personal situation, these websites may be worth exploring.
Important: No legitimate website can guarantee that a stranger or wealthy person will give you money. Never pay someone who promises guaranteed free cash, and never share your bank password, OTP, PIN, or other sensitive information.
What Does “Rich People Give Away Free Money” Actually Mean?
The phrase is commonly used online to describe websites where people with money support other people financially.
But in reality, the money can come from several sources:
- Wealthy individuals
- Philanthropists
- Charitable foundations
- Companies
- Nonprofit organizations
- Crowdfunding supporters
- Content fans
- Community members
- Anonymous donors
For example, the Awesome Foundation distributes monthly grants funded by its network of micro-trustees. Its grants are genuine grants rather than loans and do not require repayment.
Similarly, Modest Needs provides certain grants to qualifying working households facing short-term financial emergencies.
Therefore, it is more accurate to think of these as websites for finding donations, grants, crowdfunding support, and financial assistance rather than websites where billionaires simply hand out cash.
1. GoFundMe
GoFundMe is one of the most recognizable crowdfunding platforms for personal and charitable fundraising.
You can create a fundraiser explaining why you need financial support and share it with friends, family, communities, and social media followers.
Common fundraising purposes include:
- Medical expenses
- Emergency situations
- Education
- Funeral expenses
- Family support
- Disaster recovery
- Nonprofit causes
- Personal emergencies
GoFundMe says organizers create a public fundraiser, tell their story, share the campaign and receive funds through the platform. It also emphasizes that GoFundMe does not find donors for you, so promotion is an important part of fundraising.
Best for: Personal emergencies and charitable causes.
2. Kickstarter
Kickstarter is designed primarily for creative projects.
It can be useful if you have an original idea involving:
- Technology
- Games
- Film
- Music
- Art
- Design
- Publishing
- Photography
- Food
- Theater
Kickstarter uses an all-or-nothing funding model. If a project reaches its funding goal by the deadline, backers are charged and the creator receives the funds. If the goal isn’t reached, no money changes hands.
Best for: Creators, entrepreneurs and innovative projects.
3. Indiegogo
Indiegogo is another crowdfunding platform where creators can present ideas to potential backers.
The platform explains crowdfunding as a way of getting support from a community before a product or project is fully created. Backers may receive rewards or early access depending on the campaign.
Potential projects include:
- New products
- Technology
- Consumer products
- Creative projects
- Innovative ideas
Best for: Product creators and startup-style projects.
4. Patreon
Patreon is particularly useful for creators who already produce content.
Instead of requesting a one-time donation, creators can build a community of paying supporters.
Creators can offer:
- Videos
- Podcasts
- Artwork
- Writing
- Music
- Courses
- Exclusive content
- Communities
Patreon says creators can start for free and then use paid memberships and commerce tools to monetize their audience.
Best for: YouTubers, writers, artists, musicians and online creators.
5. Ko-fi
Ko-fi allows creators to receive direct support from their audience.
You can create a page and connect PayPal or Stripe. Supporters can send payments, while creators can also use features such as memberships, commissions and a shop.
This can be useful for:
- Freelancers
- Artists
- Bloggers
- Developers
- Writers
- YouTubers
- Designers
Best for: Small creator donations and direct audience support.
6. Buy Me a Coffee
Buy Me a Coffee is another creator-support platform.
Creators can create a page and ask their audience for financial support.
The platform says there is no minimum requirement to create a page and start receiving support; creators need an email address and a payout method.
Best for: Bloggers, artists, developers and independent creators.
7. The Awesome Foundation
The Awesome Foundation is one of the more interesting options on this list.
The foundation operates through chapters that provide grants to people and projects.
Its official information says the foundation distributes monthly $1,000 grants through its network of micro-trustees. The grants are not loans and don’t require repayment.
Projects can involve:
- Art
- Science
- Technology
- Community projects
- Social ideas
- Creative experiments
Best for: Creative and community-focused ideas.
8. Modest Needs
Modest Needs is different from normal crowdfunding websites.
It focuses on helping certain low-income working households facing unexpected financial difficulties.
Its Self-Sufficiency Grants are intended for qualifying households that are working but may be only one or two missed paychecks away from a serious financial crisis. Applicants have to satisfy the organization’s income and employment requirements.
Potential needs can include certain:
- Emergency expenses
- Essential bills
- Unexpected costs
Best for: Eligible working households facing short-term financial emergencies.
9. DonorsChoose
DonorsChoose is focused on education rather than general personal cash assistance.
Teachers at eligible U.S. public and charter schools can create classroom projects requesting resources for their students.
Donors can choose projects and contribute money. DonorsChoose verifies projects and purchases and ships requested materials directly to teachers.
Examples include:
- Books
- Classroom supplies
- Technology
- STEM equipment
- Educational materials
Best for: Eligible U.S. educators and classrooms.
10. Givebutter
Givebutter is primarily a fundraising platform for organizations.
It supports:
- Nonprofits
- Schools
- Community groups
- Sports teams
- Startups
- Fundraising campaigns
Givebutter states that individual personal fundraising accounts are not supported; individuals can instead donate, fundraise for verified organizations, or join an existing campaign as a team member.
Best for: Nonprofits and organized community fundraising.
11. Seed&Spark
Seed&Spark is particularly useful for filmmakers and creative professionals.
Creators can use crowdfunding to finance film and television projects.
Seed&Spark says its platform was created by filmmakers and reports an approximately 80% crowdfunding success rate across its campaigns; it also states that it charges no platform fee, although payment-processing fees apply.
Best for: Filmmakers and creative productions.
12. JustGiving
JustGiving is primarily associated with charitable fundraising.
You can create a fundraising page supporting a charity or campaign and encourage people to donate.
When someone donates to a JustGiving fundraising page, the donation is processed and sent to the selected charity according to the relevant payment schedule.
Best for: Charity fundraising and nonprofit causes.
13. GlobalGiving
GlobalGiving connects donors with vetted nonprofit organizations and projects around the world.
GlobalGiving says it supports nonprofits in more than 175 countries and conducts due diligence on organizations in its community.
It can be useful for:
- International development
- Education
- Disaster relief
- Community development
- Poverty reduction
- Health projects
- Environmental causes
For individuals, GlobalGiving also provides a fundraiser tool that allows someone to raise money for an existing project on the platform.
Best for: Nonprofits and international charitable projects.
14. Chuffed
Chuffed.org is a global crowdfunding platform focused on social causes.
Campaign categories include:
- Health
- Social welfare
- Animals
- Environment
- Education
- Community
- International development
- Disaster relief
Chuffed states that it supports individuals, nonprofits, social enterprises and community groups and has supported campaigns around the world.
Its eligibility rules require campaigns to relate to approved social, environmental, political, community or similar causes.
Best for: Social causes and community campaigns.
15. Reddit r/Assistance
Reddit r/Assistance is a community where Reddit users can request and provide assistance.
It isn’t a traditional fundraising company. Instead, it is a community-based support forum.
The community has eligibility requirements and rules for financial requests, including account activity and waiting periods.
Possible assistance can involve:
- Food
- Essential purchases
- Short-term financial help
- Gift-card/wishlist assistance
- Advice and resources
Best for: People who meet the community’s specific requirements and need short-term assistance.
Quick Comparison: 15 Websites
| Website | Best For | Type of Support |
|---|---|---|
| GoFundMe | Personal causes | Donations |
| Kickstarter | Creative projects | Crowdfunding |
| Indiegogo | Products & ideas | Crowdfunding |
| Patreon | Creators | Memberships |
| Ko-fi | Creators | Tips & support |
| Buy Me a Coffee | Creators | Direct support |
| Awesome Foundation | Creative ideas | Grants |
| Modest Needs | Emergency needs | Grants |
| DonorsChoose | Teachers | Classroom funding |
| Givebutter | Organizations | Fundraising |
| Seed&Spark | Filmmakers | Crowdfunding |
| JustGiving | Charities | Fundraising |
| GlobalGiving | Nonprofits | Donations |
| Chuffed | Social causes | Crowdfunding |
| Reddit r/Assistance | Community help | Direct assistance |
A Quick Warning: Be highly skeptical of any website, social media post, or email claiming that a billionaire or wealthy philanthropist is randomly giving away “free cash” to strangers. These are almost always scams designed to steal your personal information or charge you an “application fee.” Legitimate financial assistance always goes through established platforms and formal application processes.