Startling increase in GoFundMe campaigns launched to help Canadians deal with cost of living

As Canadians continue to struggle with the cost of living, people are turning to GoFundMe fundraisers for support.

The struggles are seen in rising food bank use and more people forced to live in shelters or encampments. Home prices have nearly tripled in parts of Ontario in the last 10 years and rents are soaring.

And a new report from fundraising platform GoFundMe shows Canadians are turning to campaigns to make ends meet.

Since 2020, GoFundMe has recorded a whopping 274 per cent increase in Canadian campaigns that mention “cost-of-living,” according to the report.

From 2020 to 2023, approximately 214,912 GoFundMe campaigns were created and approximately $480,212,706 in donations were recorded to support Canadians struggling with cost-of-living related expenses, according to the report. 

The data was obtained by conducting a comprehensive search for GoFundMe campaigns that include the keywords food, rent, housing, expenses, groceries, bills and/or cost-of-living.  

The report also found that from 2022 to 2023, GoFundMe recorded a 43 per cent increase in campaigns that mentioned cost-of-living.  

And in 2023 alone, GoFundMe recorded a 23 per cent increase in campaigns mentioning cost-of-living.  

There have been approximately 55,997 GoFundMe campaigns created to support Canadians struggling with the cost of food from 2020 to 2023. In 2023 alone, approximately 13,462 campaigns were created to help people with the cost of food.   

To deal with the cost of rent, there were approximately 139,447 GoFundMe campaigns launched from 2020 to 2023. In 2023 alone, approximately 35,525 GoFundMe campaigns were created to support Canadians struggling with the cost of rent. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the three Canadian cities with the most cost-of-living-related campaigns are also among the largest in the country. GoFundMe said the highest number of campaigns were launched from Toronto, followed by Calgary and Vancouver. 

For more, see the GoFundMe page here.

Lead photo: Michael Burrows