A donation and a guilt trip: How crowdfunding became a charity fund
A donation and a guilt trip: How crowdfunding became a charity fund
Since the pandemic and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, crowdfunding sites have become a major source of fundraising for humanitarian aid. But this tool suffers from all the problems of the digital world: scams, trolls, a need for digital literacy and more.
Between one post and another on X, an ad appears in English: "Help us rebuild our lives" accompanied by two emojis of hands held up in prayer, "My family in Gaza has lost everything, and we need your support to start over. Your donation can give us hope and relief.”
Crowdfunding campaigns for humanitarian aid in Gaza, especially during the current war, are an increasingly popular method of gathering funds for those affected. An example is the Taya family’s campaign on X, appealing for support after losing their home. This family is one of thousands from Gaza—over 12,000 families—who have turned to platforms like GoFundMe for financial help. While these efforts seem driven by compassion, they are fraught with the same challenges that arise in the digital world: scams, trolls, and the need for digital literacy.
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Palestinian refugees evacuate from Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip
(Photo: AFP/ Mahmud Hams)
Since the October 7 Hamas attack, many Gazan families have received support through crowdfunding. GoFundMe alone reported raising $150 million through projects related to Gaza. Much of this money went toward covering immigration costs to Egypt, which range from $5,000 to $8,000 per person. Other funds were directed toward basic needs like food, water, and medical supplies, or the rebuilding of destroyed homes. Some campaigns focus on assisting families who have fled the region and require immediate support. A platform called "Operation Olive Branch" tracks such fundraising efforts, featuring 775 active campaigns from Gaza on sites like GoFundMe and JustGiving.
This isn't the first instance of crowdfunding being used for war refugees. During the first year of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian families raised around $300 million through GoFundMe. At that time, GoFundMe Vice President John Coventry lauded the “immense generosity” shown to Ukrainians. In that case, the U.S. government partnered with GoFundMe to direct donations to organizations addressing the humanitarian crisis caused by Russian aggression, raising $2.6 million through 24,000 small donations.
While crowdfunding is a powerful tool for humanitarian aid, it also poses challenges. The crypto market, for example, offers an alternative method of transferring funds, particularly for organizations like Hamas, which exploit the market's relative anonymity and weaker regulatory oversight. However, crypto fundraising requires advanced digital literacy, limiting its accessibility.
Despite being useful, platforms like GoFundMe face their own limitations. For instance, GoFundMe only operates in 19 countries, mostly in Europe and North America, with Mexico being the sole non-Western country included. This restricts both who can contribute and who can open campaigns. Gazan families cannot directly create campaigns on GoFundMe and must rely on relatives abroad who meet the platform's criteria. Even when a campaign is successfully launched, funds often face delays or freezing due to anti-money laundering regulations and concerns over support for terrorism.
Additionally, platforms like PayPal face their own challenges. Some Palestinian fundraisers have claimed that pro-Israel activists report their campaigns en masse, leading to account freezes. Palestinian-American lawyer Taleed El-Sabawi, for example, alleged that "pro-Israel trolls" targeted her PayPal account, leading to its suspension. Although she lacked concrete evidence and PayPal remained opaque about the issue, this case is widely seen as an example of digital sabotage by pro-Israel activists.
These technical hurdles are just the surface of a more profound issue. Crowdfunding platforms, initially designed to support creative and innovative projects, have shifted toward humanitarian causes. Medical expenses, for instance, are now GoFundMe’s leading fundraising category. As the focus shifts to charity, the platforms’ algorithms tend to favor the most emotionally evocative stories, creating a competition for attention. Those seeking funds must present increasingly tragic narratives to capture donors’ interest, effectively forcing a hierarchy of suffering.
In a world where digital donations are one of the few accessible avenues for humanitarian aid, this trend reveals the complexities and ethical dilemmas of using technology for mass mobilization in crises.
