A Better Gift lets you create a private request and receive contributions from friends and family directly to your bank account. No public campaign. No strangers. Just the people who already care about you.
Create a Free RequestFree to create · Contributors need no account · You keep 100%
A medical emergency. A car repair that can't wait. A month where rent came due before the paycheck did. Most people will face at least one stretch in their lives where their expenses outpace what they have — and the question isn't whether it happens, but what you do when it does.
Government assistance programs can help some people in some situations, but they take time, come with eligibility requirements, and often don't cover the specific bill in front of you. The fastest, most direct path to getting bills paid is usually the people who already know you — friends, family, coworkers — who want to help but need a clear, easy way to do it.
A Better Gift is built for exactly that: a private request from you to the specific people you choose, with contributions going directly to your bank account or debit card. No public campaign, no strangers, nothing deducted from what you receive.
If you're not sure how to approach the conversation, our guide on how to ask friends and family for financial help walks through how to frame the ask in a way that's honest, specific, and gets a real response. Most people find it far less uncomfortable than they expected — especially when the request is clear and private.
Each situation is a little different. Pick the one that matches yours for more specific guidance and tips.
Hospital bills, surgery, prescriptions, dental, therapy, specialist care. When insurance falls short.
Get specific help →Behind on rent, a security deposit, or utility bills. Keep your home.
Get specific help →No car means no work. A repair bill that can't wait for a payment plan.
Get specific help →Deposits, first month's rent, movers. The upfront cost of starting over.
Get specific help →Tuition, certifications, textbooks, trade school. Build your future without drowning in debt.
Get specific help →Burial, cremation, service, travel. Bills that come at the worst possible time.
Get specific help →Emergency surgery, cancer treatment, chronic care. When your pet needs help now.
Get specific help →Legal fees, childcare, home repairs, utility bills, job transition. Any personal expense qualifies.
Create a request →Simple enough to set up in the middle of a stressful week.
Describe what you need help with, set a goal amount, and add a photo if you'd like. Takes about two minutes. Your request is never public — it exists only as a private link. Learn more about how to collect money from friends and family online.
Send your private link by text, email, Facebook, or any messaging app. Only the people you share it with can see it. Contributors pay with any card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay — no account needed on their end.
Contributions go straight to your bank account (1–2 business days) or debit card (near-instant for eligible accounts). You receive 100% — contributors cover the small processing fee so nothing is deducted from what you receive.
Public platforms reach the internet. A Better Gift reaches the people who already care about you — and that's a completely different outcome.
Your request is never indexed in search engines or visible to anyone you haven't personally sent your link to. What you share stays between you and the people you choose. This is private personal fundraising — not a public campaign.
A 6.9% processing fee is added on top of each contribution — paid by the contributor, not you. If someone contributes $100, they pay $106.90 and you receive $100. Nothing is deducted from what you receive.
When bills are due, you can't wait weeks for a campaign to "go viral." Contributions process directly to your bank account or debit card as they come in — you don't need to reach your full goal before funds are released.
Most public crowdfunding campaigns fail to reach half their goal because they depend on strangers. The people in your life — who know you, trust you, and want you to be okay — are far more likely to contribute when given a clear, private way to do so.
No complicated setup. No public profile to maintain. Just one private link you can share however you communicate — text, email, Facebook, group chat. Contributors click, choose an amount, and pay in under a minute.
Asking for help one-on-one is hard. A clear, organized request with a goal and a description removes the awkwardness — for you and for them. They can see exactly what's needed and contribute without an uncomfortable back-and-forth.
Create a free request on A Better Gift, describe what you need help with, and share your private link with the friends and family you choose. Contributors click the link, choose an amount, and pay directly. Contributions go straight to your bank account or debit card — you receive 100% of every contribution. If you're unsure how to approach the ask, our guide on how to ask friends and family for financial help covers how to frame it clearly and honestly.
Yes. Nearly everyone goes through a period where expenses outpace income. The people in your life would rather know you need help than wonder why you're struggling alone. A Better Gift makes the ask easier by giving contributors a clear, private, organized way to help — so the request feels less like a burden and more like an invitation.
GoFundMe is built for public campaigns that try to reach as many strangers as possible. A Better Gift is built for private requests with people who already know you. Your request is never searchable, never public, and never visible to anyone you haven't personally sent your link to. You also keep 100% of every contribution — contributors cover the processing fee, unlike GoFundMe where fees are deducted from what you receive.
Any personal expense. Medical bills, rent, utilities, car repairs, moving costs, education, funeral expenses, vet bills, legal fees, childcare, home repairs — if you need financial support from the people in your life, you can create a request for it. Use the category links above to find guidance specific to your situation.
Contributions process directly to your bank account (typically 1–2 business days) or debit card (near-instant for eligible accounts). You don't need to reach your full goal before funds are released — every contribution is available as it arrives. This matters when bills have a due date.
No. They click your private link, choose an amount, and pay with any major credit or debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. No signup, no account creation, no friction. The easier it is to contribute, the more people follow through.
Create a private request in two minutes. Share it with the people you trust. Receive contributions directly to your bank account or debit card.
Create Your Request — Free