The Unfair Gatekeepers of Opportunity: Why Platforms Like Kickstarter and GoFundMe Exclude Those Who Need Them Most

In an age when digital platforms promise to democratize opportunity and empower creators globally, it’s disheartening to see how some of the biggest names in crowdfunding still draw invisible lines on the map — excluding millions of people based on where they happen to live.

If you reside in a “wealthier” country like the U.S., Germany, or Australia, crowdfunding platforms offer real opportunities. You can raise funds for your book, startup, invention, or even personal emergencies. But if you live in Romania, Hungary, Ukraine, India, or dozens of other countries in the so-called “developing” world, you are shut out entirely. No campaign creation. No money transfers. No voice.

And that’s not just frustrating — it’s fundamentally unjust.

Crowdfunding: A Revolution With Borders

When Kickstarter launched in 2009, and GoFundMe followed in 2010, both were hailed as revolutionary tools for independent creators and everyday people. They were supposed to level the playing field, bypassing gatekeepers like publishers, investors, or banks. The promise was clear: if your idea was good enough, if your story moved people, then geography wouldn’t matter.

But the reality is starkly different.

Both Kickstarter and GoFundMe only support campaigns in a limited number of countries, most of which are already economically advantaged. Creators in over half the world — including large parts of Eastern Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia — cannot start campaigns, no matter how innovative or urgent their cause may be.

Who Gets Left Behind?

Let’s be clear about what this exclusion means.

• A young writer from Romania who’s written an extraordinary fantasy novel and wants to self-publish can’t raise funds on Kickstarter.

• A mother in Hungary whose child needs emergency medical treatment can’t use GoFundMe to seek international help.

• An entrepreneur in Nigeria with a brilliant low-cost clean energy solution can’t launch a Kickstarter campaign to build prototypes.

These are not edge cases. These are daily realities for millions of people who live with fewer safety nets and fewer local funding opportunities. For them, platforms like Kickstarter and GoFundMe are not “extra help” — they are potential lifelines that are simply not accessible.

The Irony of Exclusion

Here’s the real irony: the countries that need crowdfunding the most are often the ones excluded from it.

Crowdfunding isn't just about raising money — it’s about building community, visibility, and a sense of agency. For people in poorer regions, who may lack government support or access to venture capital, crowdfunding is sometimes the only viable way to launch a dream or survive a crisis.

Yet the very platforms that promote inclusivity and empowerment draw hard borders around opportunity.

Why?

The Usual Excuse: Payment & Fraud Risk

When questioned, most of crowdfunding sites says: technical limitations as the main reason for excluding countries: payment processing, tax compliance, fraud risk. These are real concerns, yes — but they are not unsolvable.

If global companies like Airbnb, Etsy, and Upwork can operate in over 150 countries, securely handling payments, taxes, and regulations, then why can’t crowdfunding platforms evolve?

Moreover, excluding entire nations because of potential risk sends the wrong message. It assumes bad faith. It prioritizes platform convenience over real human need. And most importantly, it punishes the many for the misdeeds of the few.

The Cost of Silence

Perhaps the worst part of this systemic exclusion is that it’s rarely talked about. Most people in supported countries — including many investors, authors, tech entrepreneurs — are simply unaware that millions of creative and driven individuals elsewhere can’t even start a campaign.

Crowdfunding success stories flood LinkedIn, YouTube, and Medium every week: “This startup raised $200K on Kickstarter!” “This author funded their novel in 24 hours!” “This family got help on GoFundMe!”

But hidden behind those triumphs is an entire world of invisible creators — equally talented, equally ambitious — whose stories don’t get told because they aren’t allowed on the platform in the first place.

What Needs to Change?

It’s time to start holding platforms accountable for their global impact. If a company claims to be a force for good — a democratizer of opportunity — then they must also acknowledge who they’re leaving behind.

A Call for Inclusion

If the 21st century is truly about global collaboration, then we need platforms that live up to that promise. It’s no longer enough to serve only the privileged few who happen to live in the “right” countries.

Crowdfunding platforms! You’ve changed lives — but you’ve also excluded millions who deserve the same tools and chances. This is a call not to cancel, but to evolve. To open the gates wider. To recognize that talent, struggle, creativity, and hope do not stop at borders — and neither should opportunity.

Author note: I write this as someone personally affected by this digital divide. I live in a country that is not supported by the major crowdfunding platforms. I have a story to tell, a book to publish, and a dream to pursue — just like anyone else. But because of where I live, those doors are closed.

It’s time we talk about this. And it’s time those platforms listen.