Allan Oliver faced a harrowing ordeal after his younger brother's unexpected death last year. A family friend initiated a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral expenses, raising over $15,000 from their community in Shelburne, Ontario. "My first thought was like, 'Wow, I can't believe someone would do this for our family,'" Oliver recalled. His brother, Aidan, a beloved local figure, passed away at just 23 years old on October 30, 2024, following a medical episode.

The community's generosity allowed the family to plan a larger funeral, ensuring that everyone could pay their respects. "Through this fundraiser, there were hundreds of people helping us through it," Oliver said. "And that was just really comforting." However, that comfort quickly turned to anxiety as Oliver struggled to retrieve the remaining funds from the campaign organizer.

On November 11, the day of Aidan's funeral, the organizer provided Oliver with $7,000 of the total raised. Yet, the remaining $8,200 was unaccounted for, leaving Oliver with an outstanding bill from the funeral home. Initially, he gave the organizer the benefit of the doubt, but his concerns grew when he received a text months later admitting that she had gambled away the remaining funds.

After community pressure, a relative of the organizer returned the funds to Oliver nearly seven months after the funeral. Despite this resolution, Oliver is advocating for policy changes at GoFundMe, emphasizing the need for better safeguards to ensure that funds reach their intended beneficiaries. A GoFundMe spokesperson stated that misuse of funds is "rare" and highlighted the company's Beneficiary Guarantee, which aims to protect recipients.

Oliver's struggle to access the funds began in January when he reached out to the organizer for updates. Text messages revealed that she was overwhelmed but promised to call, a call that never came. By February, Oliver requested to take over the GoFundMe account, but the organizer's response was vague, indicating she would contact GoFundMe for assistance.

In March, after receiving no further communication, Oliver contacted GoFundMe directly. The platform informed him that they could not share information without the organizer's consent, which left him feeling helpless. As the months passed, the funeral home warned Oliver that interest would accrue on his unpaid balance, adding to his stress.

On May 30, GoFundMe reached out to Oliver, acknowledging that his family might not have received the funds. He submitted a claim, providing proof that he was the intended beneficiary. GoFundMe later confirmed that the organizer had withdrawn the entire balance shortly after the funeral. "My heart was in my stomach," Oliver said, reflecting on the confirmation of his worst fears.

When confronted, the organizer admitted to having a gambling problem and proposed a repayment plan of $500 bi-weekly. However, GoFundMe advised Oliver to resolve the issue directly with the organizer before they could intervene. This left Oliver questioning why he was responsible for recovering the funds from someone who had already misused them.

Legal experts note that holding GoFundMe accountable for misuse of funds can be challenging, as it requires proving the company was aware of the misappropriation before funds were released. Tanya Walker, a Toronto-based lawyer, suggested that GoFundMe could implement measures to ensure funds are deposited directly into the intended beneficiary's account or involve a third-party guarantor in fundraising campaigns.

In response to Oliver's case, GoFundMe stated that the organizer's account has been banned from future use on the platform. However, Oliver believes more needs to be done to prevent similar situations. "I think this is a huge gap in their systems and their policies of how to actually ensure money is being sent to the intended recipient," he said.