Christine Blasey Ford GoFundMe Sites Raise $700,000

Two GoFundMe sites have together raised more than $700,000 to help Dr. Christine Blasey Ford in the wake of her accusations against President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh. However, both pages have now stopped receiving donations.

If you’re still looking for a way to donate, though, one of the page’s administrators has now created a second account designed to raise funds for a scholarship in Blasey Ford’s name. That page has raised more than $25,000.

Ford mentioned the GoFundMe effort during her public testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee when asked how she was paying expenses. She indicated that she had not yet had time to figure out what to do with the money or how to access it. Ford herself did not organize the GoFundMe sites; that was done by supporters of the California professor.

The two campaigns that have generated the most media coverage are called “Help Christine Blasey Ford” and “Cover Dr. Blasey’s security costs.”

“We are working directly with all campaign organizers and guarantee the funds raised will be transferred directly to the Ford family,” Katherine Cichy, a GoFundMe spokeswoman, told ABC News and The New York Times of those two pages.

Here’s what you need to know about those two sites for Ford:

Help Christine Blasey Ford Page

GettyChristine Ford.

As of September 30, 2018, the “Help Christine Blasey Ford” GoFundMe account had raised more than $528,000. However, the page is no longer accepting donations. It had an original goal of $150,000. The page has suggested donations to other efforts, such as the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network; for a scholarship fund in Blasey Ford’s name (that page has raised more than $25,000); and for the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund.

The organizers wrote, “We are officially turning off this campaign. A statement of gratitude from the family will be forthcoming in the next 48 hours with a fuller explanation, but in the meantime, do keep your comments coming. I am sharing them with her. Thank you for your support. Please continue to support great causes that help women and others speak out and stay strong!”

The page originally explained:

Christine Blasey Ford demonstrated a huge amount of courage speaking out this week. She did not initially come forward because she was scared of the response. She was right to be scared. Not only has the right wing smear machine started, but she is receiving serious threats against her and has had to engage a security force to protect her family. This is all really expensive and she needs our help. We need to protect the voices of brave people who speak out – especially when they are part of our community.

Christine is Palo Alto mom, a beloved professor and mentor and friend. This fundraiser is sponsored by her neighbors and colleagues. She is truly grateful for your support!

Please note that we will not withdraw any of these funds. The family has been named the sole beneficiary and her husband will take the funds directly from GoFundMe.

The page was created on September 18, 2018.

Cover Dr. Blasey’s Security Costs Page

Christine Blasey Ford.

The “Cover Dr. Blasey’s Security Costs” page is also no longer accepting donations. However, it raised more than $209,000.

The original message on the page read:

Due to death threats, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford (who uses “Dr. Blasey” professionally) and her family have had to leave their residence and arrange for private security. Let’s create a fund to cover her security expenses, to do just a bit to make it easier for women in her position to come forward despite great risks. If we raise more than Dr. Blasey needs, extra funds will go to women’s organizations and/or into an account to cover similar costs incurred in comparable situations.

I do not know Dr. Blasey personally but will contact her via her former high school, Holton Arms, to inform her of this fundraising appeal and to make arrangements to transfer funds to Dr. Blasey.

I am a professor of law at Georgetown University who has raised money formally and informally for other causes over the years. My reason for starting this fundraiser is to make concrete the power of collective action in providing security, and therefore support, for Dr. Blasey’s willingness to contribute to a thorough, fair vetting of a nominee for Supreme Court Justice.

In announcing that the campaign was closed, the site, which was created by a woman named Heidi Feldman, explained:

It has been an honor to work with all of you who donated to, amplified, and encouraged this effort to raise funds for Dr. Blasey’s security expenses. I can confirm that she and her family appreciate the spirit of the givers and the amazing total raised. I am working with Dr. Blasey Ford and her representatives to ensure a responsible transfer of funds.

Please note that as of 3:00 am Pacific Time today, September 20, 2018, this campaign stopped accepting donations. Do not contribute to any other campaign, on this platform or elsewhere, that uses the photo of me which appeared on this one or any other attributes of this campaign (language, for example) as any such campaigns are not in fact sponsored by me and I cannot vouch for their legitimacy.

Should it make sense for me to raise further funds for Dr. Blasey Ford’s expenses or for any other cause, I will create an entirely new campaign.

Thank you again to the thousands of people who contributed, gave their attention to this effort, and brought it to others’ attention. Help spread the word!

Feldman is a professor at Georgtown University.