Reflections on a Year in Giving: GoFundMe in 2016

There is a Hebrew phrase called tikkun olam, which means “repairing the world.” Dating from the 3rd century, tikkun olam is the idea that it’s humanity’s responsibility to make the world a better place — that each person should work towards making the lives of others and those of future generations better through acts of loving kindness.

It’s an old concept but one that’s as relevant as ever. And it’s one we’ve seen at work during a year when the world needed a lot of repairing. When disaster or violence struck, ordinary people took it upon themselves to help heal the world by starting GoFundMes to provide relief and comfort for those who needed it.

We’ve now reached a point in popular culture where “GoFundMe” has become shorthand for help. What do you do when there are floods or a fire? You start a GoFundMe. What do you do when your neighbor has fallen on hard times or your child’s classroom needs books? You start a GoFundMe.

2016 saw record amounts of help given and received, and we’re proud of our progress and grateful to our community. But it’s only a start.

Looking ahead to next year and the years after that, we as a company have an enormous challenge ahead of us. It’s convincing more and more people that they have the power to change their world. It’s reminding ordinary people that they have the ability to do something extraordinary by looking around themselves and helping someone in need.

It’s tremendously exciting and a great privilege to have this kind of challenge to take on. Because the more we succeed, the more the world is repaired.

For more on GoFundMe’s Year in Giving, you can read our full report here.