GoFundMe Says Its Users Raised $1 Billion Last Year

The website GoFundMe, which allows individuals to collect donations for personal needs or projects, raised $1.09 billion over the past 12 months, according to a new report by the giving portal.

If GoFundMe were a nonprofit, that figure would place it at No. 10 on The Chronicle’s Philanthropy 400, the annual ranking of America’s charities that raise the most private support.

GoFundMe, a five-year-old crowdfunding site, raised money from 16.1 million donors in 29 countries, benefiting 1.7 million projects.

The report analyzes the site’s digital transactions from November 1, 2014, through October 31, 2015.

Among the findings:

• A new campaign launches on GoFundMe every 18 seconds.
• The average gift is $67.
• Campaigns that were shared on Facebook saw a 350 percent increase in donations.
• Per capita giving was highest in Alaska, the District of Columbia, Washington, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
• The top five causes donors supported were medical needs, memorials and funerals, emergency relief, education, and community and sports teams.