Brooklyn didn’t just show up for its neighbors this year — it led by example.
GoFundMe’s 2025 Year in Help report, released Tuesday, named Kings County the fifth most generous community in the United States, highlighting the borough’s deep-rooted culture of mutual aid, solidarity and grassroots giving.
The annual report captured a year of record generosity worldwide. In 2025, as natural disasters, economic pressures and emergencies mounted, people turned to GoFundMe at unprecedented rates — an average of 2.5 donations every second — to support one another, uplift nonprofits and respond to community crises.
New York State as a whole also earned recognition, ranking fifth in the nation for repeat donors, demonstrating how residents continue giving long after their first contribution.
Local fundraisers that defined Brooklyn’s generosity
According to GoFundMe, several Brooklyn-based fundraisers stood out among the thousands launched this year, each reflecting a different kind of heartbreak met with overwhelming community support.
After a Sept. 17 fire devastated the Red Hook waterfront community, residents raised nearly $200,000 to help artists and businesses rebuild.
When a man was pushed in front of a subway train in January, the local community raised more than $190,000 for Joe Lynskey’s medical bills.
After 7-year-old Devon Wong died in a tragic accident in July, the community raised more than $55,000 for a memorial, tribute and family support.
After security officer Aland Etienne was killed in a July mass shooting, Brooklynites rallied to raise nearly $250,000 to support his children.
And when local artist Jacolby Satterwhite needed treatment to resolve an infection in a prosthetic after surviving cancer twice, the community raised nearly $220,000 to help cover his care.
Beyond Brooklyn, other global trends emerged in the report: fundraisers supporting volunteers tripled, fundraising for school supplies doubled and $330 million was raised for national disaster relief.
This year also marked a major milestone for the platform — 15 years of GoFundMe — during which users have raised more than $40 billion and supported over 165,000 nonprofits.
