P-54 Crowdfunding for Victims of School Shootings: Factors Influencing Campaign Success
Abstract
After an emergency, crowdfunding campaigns are often organized to raise money for victims’ healthcare costs. In 2019, GoFundMe.com, claimed that it hosted over 250,000 medical campaigns, raising $650 million (2019). While crowdfunding can be tremendously helpful to individuals, previous research has suggested that it may also deepen existing social inequalities by providing greater benefit to white, wealthier, and younger beneficiaries. Our research examines factors that influence crowdfunding success among victims of high school shootings. We have created a database of all GoFundMe campaigns for victims of U.S. high-school shootings between 2010 and 2019, and will present our preliminary findings here, including statistics on crowdfunding success by gender, race/ethnicity, age, injury-type, shooting size, title 1 status, community income, electoral records, and community attitudes on gun-control.
Start Date
2-28-2020 2:30 PM
P-54 Crowdfunding for Victims of School Shootings: Factors Influencing Campaign Success
After an emergency, crowdfunding campaigns are often organized to raise money for victims’ healthcare costs. In 2019, GoFundMe.com, claimed that it hosted over 250,000 medical campaigns, raising $650 million (2019). While crowdfunding can be tremendously helpful to individuals, previous research has suggested that it may also deepen existing social inequalities by providing greater benefit to white, wealthier, and younger beneficiaries. Our research examines factors that influence crowdfunding success among victims of high school shootings. We have created a database of all GoFundMe campaigns for victims of U.S. high-school shootings between 2010 and 2019, and will present our preliminary findings here, including statistics on crowdfunding success by gender, race/ethnicity, age, injury-type, shooting size, title 1 status, community income, electoral records, and community attitudes on gun-control.
Acknowledgments
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar: Aubrey L. Kibble & Malachi Regis
Undergraduate Research Scholar: Malachi Regis & Abigail Lopez
Mentor: Kristen Witzel, Behavioral Sciences