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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Technology
Aston Brown

‘A mixed blessing’: crowdfunding has changed the way we give, but is it fair and effective?

Hands putting coins into a piggy bank
The dynamics of giving are changing: nearly one in five Australians now make their first charitable donation on GoFundMe, while the share of people making tax-deductible donations is falling. Photograph: Prostock-Studio/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Within hours of the Bondi beach terror attack, the money had already begun to pour in. As images of the tragedy flooded social media, people from around the world donated tens of thousands of dollars to the victims, their families and first responders.

Passing the hat around the neighbourhood or the local pub has always been a staple response in times of crisis. But today, that instinct to open your wallet has been exponentially supercharged via a digital simulacrum: online crowdfunding platforms.

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