How a platform became the go-to charity hub in crises
Years after his company became a crucial lifeline for Australian bushfire survivors, Tim Cadogan held a water hose as he approached the fire door.
The deadly Los Angeles wildfire, which burned more than 5,500 acres, forced the GoFundMe CEO to quickly evacuate his family in January.
Being in the throes of a natural disaster that ravaged the homes of neighbors and friends in Altadena brought home the power of generosity.
After much urging, Mr. Cadogan persuaded a colleague to accept donations via the GoFundMe he helped set up, which has raised nearly $60,000.
His colleague had gone to the mountains to assist in search and rescue efforts, but returned to his burned-out home.
“The fire moved so quickly… it became an ember storm and they were all destroyed,” Mr Cadogan told AAP.
“But like many humble people, he thought other people were in greater need.
“GoFundMe is there to help people help each other… which made her feel like she wasn’t alone.”
In Australia, which has been hit hard by floods and fires, more than $1.1 billion has been donated to emergencies, sports, animals and community fundraisers since the platform’s local launch a decade ago.
The company, whose name is almost synonymous with crowdfunding, claims that one in three Australians use the platform to help others.
According to their own data, Australians are the third most generous people in the world.
“We let people tell their own stories,” Mr. Cadogan said.
“And that’s incredibly important because their own story is the reality on the ground and allows people to respond and help them directly.”
“In most cases, people donating to a fundraiser are people who know you or know you through a friend.
“What we do in a crisis is create a repository for all of these associated fundraisers.”
More than $500 million has been donated in fundraising campaigns to working families and organizations in Gaza in the last two years, serving as a lifeline in the war.
The company faced criticism For delaying payments worth millions of dollars and putting the lives of Gazans who depend on crucial funds at risk.
But Mr Cadogan said trust and verification checks were necessary.
GoFundMe takes a cut of approximately 2.2 percent on all donations; slightly less for certified charities.
“The biggest thing we do is give people the tools to share on Whatsapp, Reddit, Facebook or Insta… using the technology on the backend to put it in your hands,” he said.
“We are empowering the individuals or group running the fundraiser to spread the word.”
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