GoFundMe Releases Annual Social Fundraising Report

Category: Human Interest

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. crowdfunding / ˈkraʊdˌfʌn dɪŋ / (n) – the act of raising money through events or activities, usually done online
    Example:

    His crowdfunding is for the benefit of the poor.


  2. generous / ˈdʒɛn ər əs / (adj) – willing to give money to others or share things with others
    Example:

    The generous CEO gave each employee a Christmas gift.


  3. claim / kleɪm / (v) – to assert an achievement
    Example:

    Team Alpha claims victory after raising $1 million for the campaign.


  4. ignite / ɪgˈnaɪt / (v) – to spark emotions or feelings
    Example:

    The viral video ignited hatred and anger among the people.


  5. instrument / ˈɪn strə mənt / (n) – something or someone used as a means or way to achieve something else
    Example:

    She became an instrument for raising awareness about climate change.


Article

Read the text below.

American crowdfunding platform GoFundMe released its 2019 report featuring the most generous US states and countries around the world.


GoFundMe allows individuals to start fundraising campaigns for certain causes, events, or organizations and opens the campaigns for people to donate money through debit or credit cards. To start, users have to indicate the purpose of the fundraising and the amount they want to raise.


According to GoFundMe’s 2019 Year in Giving report, over 120 million donations have been made and more than $9 billion has been raised for various groups, causes, and people in need since the platform was established in 2010.


The report cited Ireland as the most generous country, followed by the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For the most generous state in America, Massachusetts claims the top spot, followed by Vermont, Washington, New Hampshire, and Colorado.


Some highlights of the report are the issues that ignited action and awareness around the world. These include the fight for women’s reproductive health rights, animal welfare initiatives, and climate change campaigns. The report also found that some notable events, such as the burning of the Notre Dame in Paris and the wildfires in California and Australia, spurred plenty of donations.


GoFundMe CEO Rob Solomon said that the company is grateful to be used as an instrument for positive change. He believes that, through the platform, compassion and empathy will spread around the world, and he hopes to continue helping people and their causes in the coming years.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• Do you think GoFundMe is a good platform to spread compassion and empathy among people? Why or why not?
• Do you think GoFundMe’s annual report encourages more people to donate to the platform’s campaigns? Why or why not?

Discussion B

• If you could start an online campaign on GoFundMe, what would it be? Explain.
• How would you encourage donors to support your cause? Discuss.