When Saton Wildfire drives Los Angeles, Nick Carranza, a 45-year-old director and producer, fighting 15-foot flames without firefighters. Join, they turn off the blast with water from the neighbor’s swimming pool.

Carranza, a former resident of Altadena, unable to sit on the paths of the crisis. She and some of his friends make a “A Love Altadena “Gofundme Campaign To help weaken residents of Aladena transferred from fires.

“Altadena is a different community of people from all socioeconomic backgrounds,” Carranza said. “I know there are people with trouble.”

After reaching a first target goal of $ 10,000, their Gofundme continues to collect moneywith continuity to help Black and Latino families in their own fundraising campaigns.

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The Site California Wildfires Hub Gathers a large number of individual suppliers, and a general Fundfire Relief Fund SENT “Emergency reliefs of $ 1,000 each of the individuals lost homes, loved ones and property because of palisades, food and grurst fire. ”

If you are interested in starting or Donate to a Gounundme campaign In order to help thousands of people affected by the continued Southern California Wildfires, it is important to know where to start, what the beneficiaries are determined and what the damages you can deal with.

How was Gofundme working?

Gofundme is a platform person where people create funding pages for themselves or loved ones facing financial hardship, even in an expensive accident or an natural disaster.

Can easily use the platform. With a series of prompts, you can easily Setting up a campaign and a goal of collecting for your cause. Once your fundraiser survives, you can add more information or change your collection objective. You can request a retraction of funds after your campaign begins, with transitions generally anywhere from two to five business days.

To cover payment processing, a standard fee, now 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction, removed from donation. Anyone can be a donor and contribute less $ 5 in a collection campaign.

Why do people use GofundMe for disaster relief?

A primary reason people use Gofundme for disaster disaster is the easiest they can spread the word through personal networks. You can share your fundraising campaign link by email, text or social media.

For example, after I gave many young people who lost their homes in wildfires, I shared links to my social media, helping to bring many donations.

Gofundme has an advantage over other officials of help with help because it is more available. People who wait for grants, loans or other forms of assistance often turns Gofundme to get the most convenient relief or development of awareness of their cause.

How do you know if a Gofundme Pahe Legit or a scam?

Gofundme has place steps to find out Potential scams and prevent misuse of the platform. According to its website, the Gofunte Gardad Gives donors a perfect refund if there is an indication of abuse or deception.

A Gofundme spokesman tells an email subject to an enhanced verification review process, which includes trust experts and technical goods and technical tools and Technical Supplies and Technical Supplies Trust and Technical Supplies and Technical Technical Tools to help catch.

That is said, scams can and will happen. It is best to donate the organizers of the campaign and recipients you know personally or by a family member or friend to each other. Find similarities and flags anything that looks like a fish – for example, if the story doesn’t add or if the fundraising page names don’t match the recipients.

“Do your research always before donating,” said Tai Stewart, founder of Help financial solutions. “There are processes of vetting in place, but you have to do your own important hard work.”

You can also do a Google Reverse-Image Search to verify any source or location information. My friend has tried it for a particular fundraiser fundraiser in LA to know something none. The photo location is in Ohio, not Altadena.

In Carranza’s case, he and his fellow organizers of the Campaign insured donations are eagerly distributed to personal contact with and knowing about their circumstances. For example, they confirm that an old couple who runs a house and care for home and care lost their home and source of income in wildfires.

Do funds from Gofundme limit Federal Aid Select?

Since wildfires occur in LA, some experts have been warned that donations abundantly received from Gofundme can limit the amount of Federal aid you have received.

Brandi Richard Thompson, a public affairs officer, said the agency could not have doubled the help that individuals receive from another source or a donation.

To manifest, those who have received outside donations not automatically disqualified from the Federal Aid. But if there is a Gofundme campaign to build their house because their house is on fire, it can be given as to receive funds elsewhere for the same loss.

“(The case) should be checked to make sure they do not duplicate the benefit they receive from the federal government,” says Richard Thompson.

However, if someone explains that they only raise money only for temporary needs (food, shelter or clothing), which should affect the federal government.

FEMA’s California Wildfires page Provides information to programs, funds and resources available to residents affected by wild wild wild wild wild wild. the Deadline for use For help hire femem feem for moving residents is March 10, 2025.

If you raise the money in Gofundme, do you have to pay taxes this?

Personal gifts usually don’t pay taxes, so you don’t have to worry about paying tax on the money you received. “You can think of it as a friend gives you $ 10,” Stewart said. “You don’t report that as we are in your tax.”

However, depending on how to process payments for your campaign, income from Venmo, Zelle, PayPal or Via Credit card will likely fall under 1099-K categoryStewrart said.

If the payment exceeds $ 5,000, a 1099-K tax form will be sent to the person to receive campaign funds, but that is not automatically meant to be this income. It is best to consult a tax professional to go to details and understand your tax responsibilities.

If you donate to Gofundme, can this tax?

You should make research before making a donation to see if the Crowdfunding pages consist of any tax information.

Some Gofundme campaigns are posted to nonprofits, commonly exposed to the campaign page, or you can find the unsaved taxes in The IRS view tool. If you provide an organization registered as a 501 (c) (3) Nonprofit, you will get a Tax Tax Write for your charitable contributions.

If not, if you offer a donation to an individual or a household, the way you will give money to a friend or family member, it is considered a personal gift, says Stewrt.

How is the Gofundme helping victims of wildfire?

Carranza is just one of many individuals who use the platform mainly to help those who have transferred to fires. By giving a hand to the residents of Aladena, he learned and his associates organizers about other people in need. Many of the transferred, with no technical access or English-speaking capacity, do not have their own Gofundme campaigns.

For example, Carranza experienced a woman living in a borrowed car with three cats. Firefighters destroy his house, work and car.

“Sometimes people need help but not always ready to ask for it,” Carranza said. “Show only though.”

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