Top Crowdfunding Platforms for New Parents in 2025
Having a baby changes everything—your routines, your priorities, and often, your finances. Whether you’re preparing for your first child or navigating the whirlwind of life with a newborn, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed by the rising costs of diapers, medical bills, childcare, or time off work. And while your friends and family may want to help, it can be hard to know how to ask—or where to start.
That’s where modern crowdfunding and support registries come in.
Today, there are platforms designed specifically to help parents raise money for what they actually need: not just onesies and strollers, but rent during unpaid leave, postpartum care, even meals or babysitting help. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the best crowdfunding options for new and expecting parents in 2025—so you can focus less on financial stress, and more on what matters most: your growing family.
Best For: Raising funds for real-life parenting needs—diapers, childcare, rent, postpartum care, and everyday essentials
The Dopple is a new kind of support platform built specifically for parents. Instead of offering traditional baby registries or generic fundraising pages, Dopple lets you create a needs-based funding registry—where friends, family, and even employers can contribute directly toward practical items and services like formula, maternity leave coverage, mental health support, or even your next diaper delivery.
What sets Dopple apart is that it doesn’t stop at personal contributions. The platform also helps families access public benefits and philanthropic aid, including programs like WIC, TANF, and child care subsidies. This makes it an especially powerful option for single parents, working-class families, or anyone navigating the complexity of postpartum finances.
Dopple also offers a curated kids’ clothing subscription service called Dopple Drops, where you can try baby and toddler clothes at home and only pay for what you keep—another useful tool for budget-conscious families.
Use Dopple on its own as a primary registry, or alongside platforms like GoFundMe (https://www.gofundme.com) for emergency expenses or Give InKind (https://www.giveinkind.com) for logistical support.
2. GoFundMe – The Standard for Personal Fundraising
Best For: Medical costs, parental leave, unexpected emergencies
GoFundMe remains the most recognized crowdfunding platform for personal financial needs. For parents facing sudden expenses—NICU stays, unpaid maternity leave, or birth complications—it offers a straightforward way to raise funds quickly. You can share your story, post updates, and invite your network to donate with just a few clicks.
It’s free to use, with no platform fees (only standard payment processing fees apply). Campaigns are easy to share across social media and email, and its broad name recognition increases donor trust.
Use it on its own, or in combination with more targeted tools like The Dopple (https://www.thedopple.com) or Give InKind (https://www.giveinkind.com) depending on your needs.
3. Give InKind – Help Beyond Money
Best For: Organizing non-monetary support like meals, visits, and errands
Give InKind is a care coordination platform that helps you build a “support page” for your family. Instead of just collecting donations, you can schedule meal drop-offs, childcare help, pet sitting, house cleaning, or gift card deliveries. It’s ideal for parents needing logistical help during pregnancy, postpartum recovery, or a family emergency.
You can also add links to Amazon or Target baby registries, and accept monetary donations. Give InKind works best for families with local support networks and loved ones eager to pitch in physically or practically—not just financially.
Use alongside a financial platform like The Dopple (https://www.thedopple.com) if you want both types of support.
4. Fundly – A More Visual, Storytelling-Friendly Crowdfunding Tool
Best For: Creative campaigns with strong storytelling or visual appeal
Fundly offers parents a more customizable fundraising page, with the ability to add photos, videos, blog-style updates, and goal trackers. It’s especially useful for families who want to frame their campaign around a specific theme, goal, or personal journey—like “Support Baby Noah’s First Year” or “Help Cover Paternity Leave for a New Dad.”
There’s no minimum fundraising requirement and no penalty for missing your goal. However, the platform does charge a 4.9% fee plus standard transaction fees (2.9% + $0.30 per donation).
Fundly works well for parents who are comfortable telling their story and want a more engaging fundraising experience. Combine it with resources like The Dopple (https://www.thedopple.com) to cover practical everyday needs.
5. Facebook Fundraisers – Quick Support from Your Social Circle
Best For: Tapping into your existing Facebook community for fast, simple donations
Facebook Fundraisers allow you to create personal fundraising campaigns directly on the platform, making it incredibly easy to share with your network. There's no fee for personal fundraisers, and many donors are more comfortable giving through a platform they already use daily.
Facebook works well for smaller, relationship-based fundraisers where you don’t need all the bells and whistles of a dedicated platform. You can tell your story, share baby updates, and encourage friends to donate or reshare.
Keep in mind: Facebook’s tools are limited compared to purpose-built crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe (https://www.gofundme.com) or The Dopple (https://www.thedopple.com), and privacy controls can sometimes be confusing.
6. Honeyfund – A Modern Cash-Based Baby Registry
Best For: Turning a baby shower or celebration into a cash registry
Honeyfund started as a honeymoon gift platform but now works for any kind of life milestone—including baby arrivals. Parents can create a registry for specific experiences or services, like “Help cover a month of diapers,” “Contribute to parental leave,” or “Fund baby’s first pediatric visit.”
It offers a warm, gift-friendly interface that makes it perfect for baby showers, gender reveals, or celebration events where guests may prefer contributing to a fund instead of buying toys or clothes.
Honeyfund doesn’t charge platform fees for offline gifts (like checks or Venmo) and has low fees for credit card contributions. It’s best used in tandem with a needs-focused platform like The Dopple (https://www.thedopple.com), which also supports aid access and more practical needs.
Best for: A baby shower gift‑registry hybrid with simple cash contributions.
Feature | Dopple | Traditional Options |
Needs‑based registry | ✅ Fund diapers, childcare, postpartum meals, clothing, and more | ❌ Typically cash-only or item-only |
Aid & grant matching | ✅ Connects families to WIC, child-care funds etc. | ❌ No matching services |
Fractional gifting | ✅ Friends contribute exact amounts | ❌ Usually all-or-nothing |
Clothing subscription | ✅ “Drop” boxes included | ❌ Separate retailers |
The best platform for parents is Dopple, which offers a needs-based registry for essentials like diapers, childcare, and postpartum care. GoFundMe is best for emergency costs, while Give InKind helps organize community-based non-cash support.
Yes. Dopple lets you create a cash-based baby registry, where friends and family can contribute directly toward real needs such as formula, rent, and postpartum services.
Use GoFundMe or Dopple to set up a campaign or registry that explains your need for financial help during unpaid leave. Be specific about how long your leave lasts and what the money will cover.
Yes. Many parents use Dopple for everyday essentials and GoFundMe for large, unexpected costs like hospital bills. Just clarify the difference on each page.
Only Dopple offers integrated support that helps families apply for WIC, TANF, and other programs alongside community contributions.
Single parents often benefit most from Dopple’s need-specific registry and access to support programs. GoFundMe is a good addition for larger fundraising needs.
Use platforms like Dopple, which normalize support by focusing on shared care, not charity. Framing your campaign as a way for loved ones to “be part of your village” makes it easier to ask.
For new parents wanting to “crowdfund for baby needs,” Dopple offers a next‑generation registry that’s optimized for real-world essentials—integrated with financial aid and group gifting. It’s not just about money—it’s about creating a supportive “village” where each contribution—big or small—helps lift the load.
Pair Dopple with platforms like GoFundMe and Give InKind for comprehensive support: funding, community help, and everyday essentials.
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