Why We Built HelpIndiaBreathe to Take 0% Platform Fee

When we were running relief efforts as TFL in 2020, nobody asked us for a cut of the food or medicine we were arranging. So when we later looked at how medical crowdfunding platforms work, the standard 2-8% platform fee felt wrong for what we were trying to build.

Here's the practical problem with that model: a family raising ₹5,00,000 for emergency surgery can lose ₹15,000-₹40,000 to platform and payment gateway fees before a single rupee reaches the hospital. For a family already stretched thin, that's not a rounding error — it's real money that could have paid for another week of medication.

So HelpIndiaBreathe works differently. Every donation is earmarked in full for the campaign. Instead, at checkout, donors are shown an optional tip — usually 5% — that funds our verification team, hosting, and support operations. Nobody is required to pay it, and campaigns are never penalized if they don't.

Is this sustainable long-term? We think so, because donors have consistently told us they're happy to tip a platform that isn't quietly taking a cut of someone's medical bill. Transparency, it turns out, is good for trust — and trust is what keeps donors coming back.

This is also why every campaign shows a public donor ledger. You should be able to see exactly where the money goes, not just take our word for it.