Santa Barbara made GoFundMe’s top 10 list of the most generous communities for the first time, based on the number of repeat donors, according to its 2025 Year in Help Report.
More than 34,000 local residents donated to a GoFundMe fundraiser in 2025. That is about one in 13 residents, according to Margaret Richardson, chief marketing and corporate affairs officer.
California also was named the most generous state across the country, according to the report.
Santa Barbara is listed as No. 10, with neighboring Ventura County listed as No. 9.
The top local donor in made 97 donations on the fundraising platform, but they are an anonymous donor, according to Richardson.
“They are an amazingly generous Santa Barbaran,” Richardson said.
Rankings
- Los Angeles, California
- Marin, California
- Hampshire, Massachusetts
- Buncombe, North Carolina
- Kings, New York
- Ulster, New York
- Chittenden, Vermont
- Santa Cruz, California
- Ventura, California
- Santa Barbara, California
GoFundMe did not disclose the total amount raised for each community in the report.
Some of the largest local fundraisers on the platform in 2025 fell under the categories of memorials, medical expenses and emergencies. Charity and volunteer fundraisers are the fastest-growing ones in Santa Barbara County, Richardson added.
“We see that it really speaks to the issues and causes that people care about the most,” she said.
The GoFundMe report specifically notes three fundraisers — all for memorial and funeral expenses.
On that list was the recent fundraiser made in memory of 17-year-old Tayden Tomblin, a San Marcos High School student who passed away from a skateboarding accident over the Thanksgiving holiday.
The GoFundMe page garnered more than $85,000, surpassing its original $50,000 goal.
“Wow! The generosity of this community is truly unparalleled. The Tomblin family is deeply grateful for the way you are all coming together to honor Tayden. Thank you for surrounding them with love during this heartbreak,” fundraiser organizer Nellie Hill wrote.
The second fundraiser was to support the family of Joel Sotero Benitez in May. The fundraiser generated more than $43,000, almost reaching its $50,000 goal.
“We want to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who has made a donation to support Joel’s family during this incredibly difficult time,” the GoFundMe page said.
The third fundraiser was based in Lompoc, for Joe “Big Joe” Medina, founder of the taco truck Birria Boyz, who passed away in July. The GoFundMe page was created to support his five children and partner.
Donors raised more than $29,000 of the $50,000 goal.
“No amount is too small, and every single share, prayer, and kind word truly means the world,” fundraiser organizer Robin Jennings said.
Of those fundraisers, GoFundMe takes 2.9% plus 30 cents from each donation in a “processing fee,” Richardson said.
GoFundMe also asks each donor if they want to give a tip that goes back to the platform.
Nonprofit organizations who use the platform to raise funds have a different processing fee of 2.2% plus 30 cents for each donation.
All of the California counties listed are considered wealthy areas, including Santa Barbara, where making $100,000 is considered “low-income,” as Noozhawk previously reported.
However, Richardson said wealth does not point to a trend in which people are more inclined to give.
“What we see is that a lot of these first donations are small-dollar donations, and so it is not necessarily from people who are themselves particularly affluent,” she said.
She believes that the donations are mostly from people hoping to help people in their community.
“I think this shows that Californians really show up for each other, and I think we are really excited about the power of our community,” she said.