GoFundMe Sees 17% Spike in Campaigns for Basic Necessities Despite Positive Wage Growth

Crowdfunding is quietly becoming a safety net for everyday life in America. GoFundMe reported a 17% increase in campaigns for essentials like rent, groceries, housing, and fuel in 2025, pointing to stress beneath otherwise solid economic data. CEO Tim Cadogan noted many users are falling behind on rent and asking friends and family for help, a sharp contrast to what CNN calls a “windchill economy.”

• Fundraisers were dominated by everyday keywords like “work,” “home,” “food,” “bill,” and “care,” with monthly bills becoming the second-fastest-growing category after nonprofit appeals.
• Over the past five years, grocery prices rose 30% alongside 29% wage growth, while electricity, rent, and home prices climbed 55%, 38%, and 30%, respectively.

The cruel arithmetic: Paychecks rose 3.8% year-over-year in September versus 3% inflation, but that gap has narrowed sharply since April. Bank of America data shows the split clearly, with higher-income households seeing 4% growth while lower-income workers gained just 1.4% — below inflation. For many families, that squeeze is already showing up in daily life, as rising housing and living costs erase the brief financial cushion created during the pandemic.