Organizations like GoFundMe claim to tap into the power of social networks: those in need of financial assistance post on their social media sites and gather donations from people far beyond their immediate circle of family and friends. Yet according to researchers Nora Kenworthy and Ken Igra, crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe “have been largely unsuccessful in solving financial problems for most of the people who use them.” Kenworthy and Igra detail the reasons why and argue that the uptick in crowdfunding campaigns points toward growing inequities in our society.
