For the fourth year in a row, Ireland proudly remains the leading nation in generosity on the GoFundMe platform, as per the platform’s report.
A staggering five million contributions have accumulated to a sum of a quarter billion euros.
We are a generous nation!
While community and charitable initiatives benefit from these contributions, GoFundMe also profits by levying a service fee of 2.9% along with an additional 25c for every transaction. They also present an option for contributors to leave a gratuity for the platform.
In a breakdown of generosity by region, Galway emerges as the most charitable county in Ireland. It’s closely trailed by Limerick and Cork when assessing the donations on a per capita basis.
The charities reaping the most benefits from the GoFundMe drives include the Irish Cancer Society, Pieta, Irish Red Cross, Women’s Aid, and The Alzheimer Society of Ireland.
Tim Cadogan, GoFundMe’s Chief Executive, emphasized the company’s diligence in authenticating the genuineness of fundraising campaigns.
“Trust remains paramount in our operations as it’s essentially about people helping people,” Mr Cadogan remarked to Morning Ireland. “Our seasoned team, with over a decade of experience, leverages their expertise, discernment, and tech resources to detect any irregularities.
“Before disbursing, every single currency unit—be it a euro, dollar, or pound—is screened a second time by our third-party financial partners to ensure its rightful destination. Moreover, our GoFundMe Giving Guarantee ensures donors receive their money back in the event of any discrepancies.”
Cadogan also noted a 20% enhancement in the success rate of crowdfunding campaigns, attributing this to the advanced fundraising tools provided by GoFundMe.
Furthermore, he mentioned that the company conducts subsequent checks to confirm the appropriate utilization of raised funds. However, he stated, “the onus ultimately falls on the individuals and groups to utilize the funds as they initially committed.”
This year’s prevalent terms in Irish GoFundMe campaign titles encompassed words like help, family, cancer, home, fundraiser, fight, fund, life, support, and treatment.
Highlighting a unique trend, Mr Cadogan added, “Of the 19 nations we function in, only in Ireland does community-focused fundraising take the lead.”
Dr Gemma Donnelly-Cox, Joint Director of the Centre for Social Innovation at Trinity College Business School, elaborated on Ireland’s renowned magnanimity.
“The intrinsic Irish value of ‘meitheal*’, which symbolizes the spirit of community support, is fundamental to the Irish ethos. This inherent readiness to assist and donate, especially in pressing times, mirrors the usage patterns on GoFundMe in Ireland,” Dr Donnelly-Cox observed.
She concluded, “This innate sense of community and swift assistance epitomizes Ireland’s unparalleled generosity as seen on the GoFundMe platform.”
*Meitheal is an old Irish term that describes how neighbours would come together to assist in the saving of crops or in other tasks.