GoFundMe experienced a significant rise this year in users turning to the platform for help with housing, food, and everyday expenses, according to the company’s annual review of campaigns.
The self-published “Year in Help” report shows that campaigns aimed at covering rent, utilities, and groceries increased by 20% compared with last year. The platform’s fastest-growing categories were “Charity”, followed by “Monthly Bills.” GoFundMe’s analysis highlights growing concerns across the U.S. about affordability, as economists and lawmakers have recently pointed to slower wage growth for lower-income workers, declining consumer confidence, and modest hiring trends.
The affordability issue is also gaining attention in national politics. President Donald Trump has repeatedly maintained that consumer prices have fallen since he returned to the White House in January. In a recent interview with Politico, Trump gave the economy during his second term an “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus” grade.
Within GoFundMe’s “community causes” category, food banks were the top focus for fundraisers this year. Between late October and early November, the platform saw nearly a sixfold increase in food-related campaigns. This spike coincided with a federal government shutdown that temporarily halted SNAP food assistance and left tens of thousands of federal employees without paychecks.
“In a year marked by natural disasters and growing everyday needs, the power of help united communities like never before,” GoFundMe said in a news release. “With an average of 2.5 donations every second, people around the world turned to GoFundMe to support one another, strengthen communities, and help nonprofits.”
The company also highlighted Jan. 10 as the year’s most generous day, during the Los Angeles County wildfires, when users across all 50 states raised a total of $265 million for wildfire relief.
For the seventh consecutive year, Ireland was ranked the most generous country, followed by the United States and the United Kingdom.