GoFundMe for groceries? 2025 was the year, crowdfunding platform says | Fortune

"More and more people are turning to GoFundMe for help covering the cost of housing, food and other basic needs. The for-profit crowdfunding platform's annual "Year in Help" report, released Tuesday, underscored ongoing concerns around affordability. The number of fundraisers started to help cover essential expenses such as rent, utilities and groceries jumped 20%, according to the company's 2025 review, after already quadrupling last year. "Monthly bills" were the second fastest-growing category behind individual support for nonprofits."

"The number of "essentials" fundraisers has increased over the last three years in all of the company's major English-speaking markets, according to GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan. That includes the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia. In the United States, the self-published report comes at the end of a year that has seen weakened wage growth for lower-income workers, sluggish hiring, a rise in the unemployment rate and low consumer confidence in the economy."

"Cadogan said GoFundMe can see that people are struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living. "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.""

Fundraisers to cover essential expenses such as rent, utilities and groceries rose 20%, after quadrupling the prior year. Monthly bills became the second fastest-growing category behind individual support for nonprofits. Essentials fundraisers increased over three years across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Economic conditions in the United States included weakened wage growth for lower-income workers, sluggish hiring, rising unemployment and low consumer confidence. People are struggling to keep up with rising costs of living and often seek short-term help for rent or to get through the next month. Food banks emerged as the most common recipient, with a nearly sixfold spike in food-related fundraisers between late October and early November after SNAP benefits were cut off during a government shutdown.

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