GoFundme is one of the world’s most popular ways to raise money for everything from veterinary bills to funeral costs. It says it has raised more than $15 billion since its founding in 2010, helping families and communities deal with tragedy. The company’s slogan is “for life’s desperate moments,” and it’s often used in that context, but it also has been tapped for more mundane needs like honeymoon trips and home repairs.
For the most part, campaigns follow a similar template: A well-off person stumbles upon a downtrodden but deserving “other,” and shares a heartwarming story to solicit help. It’s a savvy, powerful narrative that’s captured the imagination of millions—and earned Gofundme a dominant position in the crowdfunding market. By mid-2022, the company had raised more than $17 billion across more than 200 million donations (Business Wire, 2022).
With that kind of success, it’s not surprising that GoFundMe has found itself navigating numerous ethical dilemmas and moral hazards. From its start, the firm’s founders espoused ideals of utopian disruption and soteriological solutionism, selling their platform as a take-action button that empowers everyday people to better themselves and their communities.
As the firm expanded its offerings, however, it also began to attract campaigns that proved sensitive and divisive. Ideological opportunists realized the platform’s potential to capitalize on topical political issues, using fundraisers as expressions of democratic enfranchisement—a form of monetary voting that can yield immediate results and buy social capital that might otherwise be hard to come by.
GoFundMe has responded to these shifts with various strategies. For instance, the company has proactively advocated to the US Government for covid relief, touting their ability to act as a “weathervane” that signals a population in distress and warrants urgent intervention (Cadogan, 2021).
The firm has also sought to limit the amount of time individuals can devote to campaigns, requiring them to have a reason for raising funds and promise to share updates with donors. It has also shifted the way it handles campaigns that are found to be misused, promising donors that all donated money will reach those who need it and offering refunds where necessary.
In the future, GoFundMe plans to build profiles for individual donors to monitor donation activity and match them with causes they’re most likely to support. The firm’s CEO, Rob Soloman, also envisions building a platform where people can donate to charitable organizations directly.
Despite these efforts, it’s clear that GoFundMe will continue to navigate complex ethical issues in the years ahead. As the platform becomes ever more prominent, its responsibilities and potential for exploitation will only grow.
This piece was originally published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review and has been edited for length and clarity. To read the full article, subscribe now. You can also download the magazine’s free iOS app. This issue features original reporting on how technology is changing the world we live in. We hope you find it useful and informative.
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