Los Angeles Wildfires Prompt Debate Over GoFundMe Fees

If you’ve been following the news about a series of widfires currently devastating Los Angeles County, you’ve probably also seen a number of requests for aid from people who have lost property, homes or businesses in the fires. Given that insurance in California was already becoming harder to get in the months and years before the fires hit, it’s not hard to see why some Californians have been especially hard-hit.

Understandably, a number of affected people have opted to create online fundraisers to respond to what was lost. That, in turn, prompted one local politician to critique one of the best-known platforms for online fundraising: GoFundMe. As Lauren Edmonds and Katie Balevic reported for Business Insider, Kathryn Barger — who chairs the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors — recently critiqued the fundraising platform’s policies and fees.

What’s less clear is whether Barger erred in the scale of her critique. Edmonds and Balevic cited comments Barger made during a press conference. Barger mentioned having donated several hundred dollars to a friend’s fundraiser. “I was shocked to find out that to give $500, they were going to charge me $95,” she recalled — and pledged to raise the issue with GoFundMe’s CEO.

As Business Insider pointed out, GoFundMe does charge fees — but not quite at this scale. Barger later shared a list of verified fundraisers that GoFundMe had posted on social media. “If you’re going to donate to a @gofundme for those impacted by a wildfire, make sure it’s one that’s verified!” Barger wrote. “Also, note that the tip amount before you check out is optional.”

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Whether or not people are adding optional tips, they have certainly been pitching in financially. By Saturday, $50 million had been donated to GoFundMe campaigns supporting people affected by the Los Angeles County wildfires, according to a report at the Los Angeles Daily News.