Canberrans have dug deep and donated $15 million to GoFundMe causes since the crowdfunding platform was launched in Australia in 2015.
Overall, $1 billion has been donated to Australian causes since the arrival of GoFundMe nearly 10 years ago.
The ACT figures were:
- $15 million has been donated to ACT fundraisers on GoFundMe
- ACT fundraisers have received more than 170,000 donations
- More than 11,900 fundraisers have been launched by people in the ACT
The top five fundraisers launched by people in ACT since the GoFundMe launch are:
- Love for Annabelle Love for Annabelle - $298,000+
- 50 years in jail for whistleblowing on the ADF - 50 years in jail for whistleblowing on the ADF - $243,000+
- Pete's Legacy Pete's Legacy - $113,000+
- Help with Jacob's rehab Help with Jacob's rehab - $129,000+
- Help the AbuDagga family evacuate from Gaza Help the AbuDagga family evacuate from Gaza - $108,000
The top five fundraising categories in Australia are medical, memorials, emergencies, family and animals
The biggest GoFundMe fundraiser launched in Australia since 2015 was for the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital during the Black Summer Bushfires. The fundraiser is still accepting donations today, having raised more than $8 million from more than 100 countries around the world to fund a world-first breeding program and ensure the survival of Australia's koala population. The state-of-the-art facility is opening next month.
GoFundMe Australia regional director Nicola Britton said Australians had embraced the platform as a safe and easy way to give.
"Our mission is simple. We exist to help people help each other, and look forward to supporting Australians to deliver another one billion dollars worth of help, and beyond," she said.