Case Study: Fund The First achieves verified crowdfunding platform status and raises $1.5M in Year One with ID.me identity verification

Fund the First combats crowdfunding fraud with ID.me identity verification

Fund The First is a verified crowdfunding platform created to protect first responders, military, nurses, medical providers and teachers from fraud by ensuring donations reach the intended recipients. Facing rampant duplicate and fraudulent campaigns, founder Robert Garland selected ID.me for its identity verification capabilities to provide a trusted, easy-to-use verification layer on the platform.

By embedding ID.me’s identity verification, Fund The First requires group verification at campaign launch and beneficiary verification when funds are requested, preventing imposters and duplicate campaigns. Since launching in July 2020 with ID.me, the site ran 220 campaigns, attracted over 5,000 users and 14,500 unique donors, and raised more than $1.5 million in Year One.

Fund The First

Robert Garland

New York City Detective