Create a Classroom Exercise: Investigate a Viral Fundraiser—Research, Verify, Present

Hook: Turn Viral Fundraisers into a Classroom Investigation

Students see a viral fundraiser and want to help — that impulse is good. But in 2026, with AI-generated content, synthetic fundraisers, and lightning-fast social sharing, it’s essential to teach young researchers how to verify legitimacy before donating. This classroom exercise gives teachers a ready-to-run, step-by-step project to guide students through researching, verifying, contacting organizers, and presenting findings with clear evidence and citations.

Why this matters in 2026

Over the last two years platforms and verification tools have changed: crowdfunding sites adopted stricter Know-Your-Customer (KYC) checks and many social platforms rolled out controls for synthetic media. Yet scams and mistaken fundraisers still spread quickly. Students must learn practical verification steps, how to document evidence, and how to present conclusions responsibly. This project trains media literacy, critical thinking, and real-world research skills that map directly to civic engagement and digital citizenship.

Quick overview: What students will learn

• Source triage: Rapidly decide whether a fundraiser is worth deeper investigation.
• Evidence gathering: Use archival tools, reverse image search, whois, and social listening.
• Verification: Confirm organizer identity, beneficiary claims, and platform metadata.
• Contacting actors: Draft respectful outreach to organizers and platforms for clarification.
• Presentation: Build a short report and live presentation with citations and an evidence appendix.

Classroom-ready learning objectives

• Students will evaluate a viral fundraising campaign and classify it as credible, questionable, or likely fraudulent using documented evidence.
• Students will produce a reproducible research packet that includes screenshots, archived links, and a bibliography.
• Students will practice professional communication by composing a respectful inquiry to the campaign organizer and to the platform.
• Students will present findings and recommend a course of action for potential donors.

Materials and tools (free or school-friendly)

• Web browser with extensions (screenshot tool, timestamp plugin)
• Wayback Machine and Archive.today
• Reverse image search: Google Images and TinEye (image provenance and storage tools)
• Basic OSINT tools: WHOIS lookup, domain checkers
• Fact-check repositories: Snopes, PolitiFact, AFP Fact Check
• Evidence management: Google Drive / OneDrive / Zotero
• Optional: image forensics tools (InVID, FotoForensics) and AI-assisted verification aids

Case study to start: the Mickey Rourke GoFundMe example (Jan 2026)

In January 2026, actor Mickey Rourke publicly stated he was not involved in a GoFundMe fundraiser created under his name and urged fans to seek refunds after funds reportedly remained unclaimed. This is a useful classroom anchor: it shows how a high-profile figure, platform pages, and social posts collide and why independent verification matters (Rolling Stone, Jan 15, 2026).

Use public statements and platform records together: a direct denial by the beneficiary, plus platform transaction data, helps clarify the situation.

Step-by-step student project template

Phase 0: Instructor prep (30–60 minutes)

• Pick one viral fundraiser circulating on social media as the class focus. Ideally choose a non-sensitive case where contacting the organizer is safe.
• Prepare an evidence folder template (folders for screenshots, archived pages, emails, notes). Consider using a small internal app or template from a micro-app template pack.
• Print or share the grading rubric and ethical guidelines (see below).

Phase 1: Rapid triage (30–45 minutes)

Goal: Decide if the fundraiser warrants a deeper investigation.

1. Record the fundraiser URL, platform, date found, and who shared it.
2. Look for basic trust signals: platform verification badges, campaign owner name, beneficiary designation, withdrawal method, and stated use of funds.
3. Ask the 5-minute questions: Does the fundraiser name a verifiable beneficiary? Are donation withdrawals linked to a named person or organization? Is there offline corroboration (local news, hospital statements)?

Phase 2: Source mapping and evidence gathering (2–3 class periods)

Goal: Build a timeline and an evidence archive.

1. Archive the page: Save the campaign URL to the Wayback Machine and Archive.today. Export a PDF or use the browser’s "Save as PDF" with printed headers showing the date.
2. Screenshot with metadata: Take full-page screenshots and include visible browser timestamps or use a timestamping extension. Save originals without edits.
3. Reverse image search: Run campaign images through Google Images and TinEye. Check if the photos are reused from other contexts or stock sites. (For deeper image provenance, see perceptual AI techniques.)
4. Check organizer identity: Look for social media profiles linked to the organizer. Verify consistency across profiles (same photos, mutual friends, posts about the same event).
5. WHOIS and domain checks: If the campaign links to a website, run a WHOIS lookup and check for recently-registered domains that match the fundraiser timeline.
6. Search local reporting: Use local news and public records for corroboration — police reports, court filings, hospital statements, or nonprofit records.
7. Collect platform metadata: Some sites show creation date, number of shares, or payout info. Note what is public and what is not.

Phase 3: Deeper verification (1–2 class periods)

Goal: Test claims and identify red flags.

1. Cross-check names: Search for the beneficiary/organizer name in local directories, LinkedIn, and news archives.
2. Image forensics: Use InVID or FotoForensics to look for signs of manipulation (inconsistent shadows, cloned areas). Note that detection isn’t definitive; treat findings as part of the evidence mosaic. (See background on perceptual AI and image storage.)
3. Transaction trail: If the platform displays donation totals and recent donors, look for suspicious patterns: many identical donations, odd time clustering, or many small donations that match bot behavior.
4. Platform policy search: Read the platform’s form of verification for fundraisers — in 2025–26 many platforms updated KYC and beneficiary verification. Document what the platform requires and whether the campaign meets those standards (platform policy shifts).
5. Consult fact-checkers: Search Snopes, PolitiFact, and other fact-check repositories for related claims already assessed.

Phase 4: Contacting the organizer and platform (1 class session + asynchronous time)

Goal: Seek clarifications and create records of outreach.

Guidelines before sending any message:

• Keep communication respectful, neutral, and focused on verification — do not accuse.
• Do not impersonate press or legal authority.
• Follow privacy and safety rules: do not publish private contact details you discover.

Sample email template to organizer:

Subject: Classroom research question about [Fundraiser Title] Hello [Name], We are a class at [School]. We are researching a public fundraiser titled "[Title]" on [Platform]. For our project we are documenting public evidence and would appreciate confirmation of a few facts: who the beneficiary is, whether funds are being withdrawn and by whom, and whether you have a statement for donors. Could you please confirm by replying to this message or directing us to a public statement? Thank you for your time. Sincerely, [Student Team Name] — [Teacher contact info]

Sample message to platform support (short web form copy):

We are researching a public fundraiser titled "[Title]" on [Platform]. Please confirm whether this campaign has completed KYC verification and whether the listed payout account matches the named beneficiary. We will include your reply in our classroom research packet. Thank you.

Phase 5: Analysis and conclusion (1 class period)

Goal: Pull evidence into a clear classification and recommendation.

1. Use an evidence table: claim → source → reliability rating → verification status.
2. Classify the fundraiser as: Credible (verified), Questionable (gaps, pending clarification), or Likely fraudulent (clear misrepresentation).
3. Make a recommendation for potential donors: donate, wait for verification, or avoid and report.

Evidence checklist (what every student packet should include)

• Campaign URL and archived links (Wayback/Archive.today)
• Screenshots with timestamps and raw images (consider capture and timestamp tools from a reviewer kit)
• Reverse image search results and links
• Any emails or replies from organizers/platforms
• Search logs (news articles, public records) with links
• Forensic notes (what tools were used and what they found)
• Final classification and recommended action

Presentation format and tips

Students will present a 5-7 minute summary and hand over a one-page evidence brief. Use this slide outline:

1. Slide 1: Campaign snapshot (title, platform, link, date found)
2. Slide 2: Key claims made by the campaign
3. Slide 3: Top 5 pieces of evidence (with archived links)
4. Slide 4: Verification status and red flags
5. Slide 5: Recommendation and ethical considerations

Presentation tips:

• Lead with the conclusion. Use the inverted pyramid: most important finding first.
• Show evidence, don't just describe it. Cite exact URLs and timestamps.
• Be transparent about uncertainty — label items as corroborated, uncorroborated, or contradicted.

Assessment rubric (sample)

• Accuracy of evidence collection — 30%
• Quality of verification and reasoning — 30%
• Clarity and professionalism of communication (emails, report) — 15%
• Presentation effectiveness — 15%
• Ethical awareness and safety practices — 10%

Ethics and safety: important rules

• Do not post or share private financial details or leaked donor data.
• Avoid naming private individuals unless they are public actors connected to the campaign claim.
• Respect platform terms: do not attempt to access private dashboards or impersonate others.
• When in doubt, consult legal counsel at your school or district before publishing investigations that assert fraud.

Common red flags students should watch for

• Campaign created very recently with a high number of rapid donations without supporting media coverage.
• Organizer identity is anonymous or inconsistent across platforms.
• Images are clearly repurposed from other events or stock libraries.
• Claims of urgency combined with pressure to donate through untraceable channels.
• Platform shows unusual payout methods or lacks beneficiary verification badges.

Limitations of verification tools in 2026

Tooling has improved — AI-driven image detectors and platform KYC are more common — but limitations remain. Image forensic tools can produce false positives or negatives; AI detectors are probabilistic, not definitive. Always combine multiple kinds of evidence. Teach students to treat tools as aids, not final judges.

How to cite sources and assemble a bibliography

Encourage students to use a consistent citation style (APA or Chicago) and include web citations with archived URLs. Example entry for the case study covered in class:

Madarang, C. (2026, January 15). Mickey Rourke says there’s still $90,000 in GoFundMe, urges fans to get their refunds. Rolling Stone. [Archived link]

Store all source links in a shared Zotero or micro-app template or Google Sheet so the class can reproduce the research steps later.

Extension activities and differentiation

• Advanced: Add a data analysis module where students chart donation timing patterns and detect anomalies.
• Career skills: Invite a local journalist or digital forensics expert for a Q&A.
• Lower stakes: Practice on historical campaigns where final outcomes are known.

Quick checklist for teachers (ready-to-print)

• Pick a safe, public case.
• Create evidence folders and share tools list.
• Set a clear timeline and rubric.
• Review legal/ethical rules with students before outreach.
• Debrief: discuss uncertainty, bias, and what to do if a campaign is confirmed fraudulent.

Final note: What to do if your class finds likely fraud

If investigation points to fraud: do not publish accusations on public social channels. Instead, compile your evidence packet (use local backups and shared templates), notify the platform via official channels, and share your findings with a supervising teacher, school administrator, or local journalist who can escalate. Schools should avoid directly intervening in ongoing legal matters.

Further reading and tools

• Wayback Machine and Archive.today for archiving
• Google Images and TinEye for reverse image searches
• InVID and FotoForensics for image checks (perceptual AI background)
• Snopes, PolitiFact, and major fact-checkers for reference
• WHOIS lookup and offline-first backup tools for site verification and evidence preservation

Why this skillset will matter beyond the classroom

By 2026, verification literacy is a civic skill. Students who learn to research fundraisers responsibly gain transferable skills in evidence-based reporting, digital ethics, and public communication — competencies that employers and universities value. They also learn to protect their communities from fraud while supporting legitimate causes with confidence.

Call to action

Want the printable lesson plan, grading rubric, and downloadable evidence folder template? Visit our teacher resource hub or email us to get the classroom packet. Try this module with one viral fundraiser this semester — then share student projects and anonymized findings to help other educators teach verification in the age of rapid sharing.

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