GoFundMe Hits $2 Billion Raised
It took 5 years for the GoFundMe community to raise $1 billion on our platform. Today, a little more than 9 months later, we hit $2 billion raised on GoFundMe.
60 months for the first billion and 9 months for the second.
Since its founding in 2010, more than 20 million people have donated 30 million times to 2 million different GoFundMe campaigns. The amount of giving that is happening via GoFundMe is on par with some of the top giving organizations in the world.
GoFundMe is disrupting giving by democratizing help — with a few clicks a person can now mobilize their family, friends, community and even the world to help anyone, anywhere. Our campaigners and donors are drawn to the efficiency, transparency, and sense of community that GoFundMe provides.
We are so proud of our progress, but we measure our success, not in dollars raised, but in people helped. At GoFundMe, we come to work every day looking to use technology to empower people to help people. We are motivated every day by the thousands of stories of generosity and courage that appear on on our platform.
Take Johnnie Hodges Sr., for example. Johnnie is a 90-year-old World War II veteran who fell behind on his mortgage after his wife became sick with Alzheimer’s disease. Johnnie lived in his home for over 50 years, and worked hard each day to pay it off. When the bank evicted him, a kind stranger stepped in to help and ended up raising over $110,000 on a GoFundMe campaign to help Johnnie buy his home back where he could live out the rest of his days in peace.
And then there is the incredible story of Chris Mintz. Chris was at Umpqua Community College in Oregon on October 1, 2015, when a shooter opened fire on a crowd of people. Without thinking twice, Chris selflessly shielded others from the gunfire, but was tragically shot 7 times himself. Over 24,000 donors from around the world donated an astonishing $819,000 to a GoFundMe campaign to show their appreciation for Chris’ display of bravery.
GoFundMe is also a place for young people to rally their communities for important causes. Hailey Fort may only be 9 years old, but she is compassionate beyond her age. She spends her free time building tiny, portable houses with her own hands, which she and her mother deliver to members of their local homeless community. Hailey’s passion and giving heart truly exemplify the GoFundMe spirit, and what it means to give back.
Toni’s campaign is not just a success story, it’s also an amazing example of perseverance and determination. At one point in her life, Toni Morgan was a high school dropout with no place to live. Despite all of the setbacks in her life, she continued to follow her dreams and was eventually accepted to Harvard University. Her inspiring story touched people all over the world, and thousands rallied to help her pay for tuition.
We have witnessed millions of wonderful stories on our exciting journey to $2 billion raised, but this is just the beginning. As more and more of the world’s giving starts to take place online, GoFundMe is committed to being the best place for people to help each other on our way to being the largest giving organization in the world.
