A growing number of people are turning to online fundraising not for medical emergencies or creative projects, but simply to stay afloat. And the shift is happening fast.
GoFundMe’s latest “Year in Help” report, released Tuesday, shows a dramatic rise in campaigns focused on covering basic needs — the kind of day-to-day necessities typically handled through wages, government programs, or local support networks.
According to The Associated Press, the company has stated that fundraisers tagged for essentials like rent, groceries, and utility bills climbed 20% this year, on top of a fourfold spike the year before.
The trend is appearing across all of GoFundMe’s major English-speaking markets, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
CEO Tim Cadogan said the pattern reflects what many families are feeling as living costs grow faster than incomes.
“Someone may be behind on rent or needs a little bit of extra help to get through the next month,” Cadogan said. “That’s a function of what’s going on in these economies. And what is interesting is that people do step up and support folks in those situations.”
The report arrives at the end of a tough year for many American households. Wage growth for lower-income workers slowed, hiring cooled, and unemployment ticked upward, all while consumer confidence struggled to recover.
Food insecurity also became a driving force behind new fundraisers.
Food banks emerged as the most-supported community organizations on the platform, and GoFundMe recorded a sixfold jump in food-related campaigns between late October and early November — a spike Cadogan attributed to Americans abruptly losing SNAP benefits during the government shutdown.
Researchers say the numbers tell a deeper story. Martin Lukk, a University of Toronto postdoctoral scholar who studies economic inequality, described crowdfunding as a rough measure of mounting financial distress.
“When there’s no other net to catch people, I think GoFundMe is where they often end up,” Lukk said.
He cautioned that the data captures only a portion of reality. Many people who need help don’t have internet access, the digital skills, or the personal networks needed to run a successful campaign. And even those who try often fall short of their fundraising goals.
One of those turning to the platform this year was 34-year-old Iesha Shepard of New Orleans. Shepard, who suffers from chronic heart failure after surviving multiple gunshot wounds, supports two daughters as a single mother. She said she became too ill to work her hotel job last month, and soon after received an eviction notice.
As rent and grocery prices kept climbing, Shepard said she felt overwhelmed — especially after her second attempt to secure Social Security benefits was denied.
“I don’t want to be homeless with my children around the holiday time,” Shepard said. “That was my last option. I prayed and I did a GoFundMe.”
Shepard said she was stunned by the response. Her campaign has raised more than $1,000 of its $1,800 goal, with donations surging after she shared her story on TikTok, where one of her videos drew more than 10,000 views.
Cadogan said stories like Shepard’s illustrate both the gaps in national support systems and the generosity people show when given the chance.
While he hopes governments maintain strong programs for health care, housing, and senior support, he said no system is complete. In his own community of Altadena, the year opened with devastating wildfires — another moment that underscored the role of public giving.
Asking for help is often “a difficult step,” Cadogan said, but he called it a “courageous act” that can spark unexpected kindness.
“Taking that action opens the door to what can be incredible goodness,” he said.
