GoFundMe campaigns take off for inflation-strapped families

• "GoFundMe enables people to react to the news quickly, including the state of the economy," Margaret Richardson, chief corporate affairs officer, tells Axios.

By the numbers: The number of crowdfunding campaigns for gas and groceries grew 60% and 10% this year, respectively.

• The platform also saw a 110% increase in the number of baby formula fundraisers amid the shortage crisis.

The big picture: GoFundMe's independently run nonprofit, GoFundMe.org, also verifies fundraisers to become recipients of the platform's Essentials Fund, which distributes donations for food, rent and utilities.

Of note: The "Stand with Ukraine" fundraiser from celebrity couple Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher was the single biggest campaign by donations on GoFundMe in 2022, raising $37 million.

• It's also now the second largest GoFundMe ever, behind America's Food Fund, which raised $45.2 million over two years.
• The Texas Elementary School Shooting Victims Fund and the Buffalo 5-14 Survivors Fund were this year's second and third biggest campaigns.
• Vermont, Delaware and Maine were the most generous states in the U.S.