GoFundMe announced this week that Silver Spring has once again ranked as the third most generous city in the U.S. for its support of individuals, causes, and organizations.
The online fundraising platform reported that Silver Spring residents demonstrated a wide range of philanthropic interests in the past year, contributing to various causes within and beyond their community, including fundraisers for families, sports teams, local businesses, and more.
According to a press release, GoFundMe is organizing a celebration at the Downtown Silver Spring Farmers Market at Veterans Plaza from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 8th. The event will feature a photo booth, treats from local businesses, and complimentary merchandise.
Silver Spring, which was previously ranked as one of the most generous cities in the U.S. for 2020, 2021, and 2022, ranks behind Spring, Texas, and Marietta, Georgia, in donations per capita among cities with populations exceeding 50,000. In Maryland, donors contributed $47 million to over 100,000 fundraisers in 2023.
Some of the notable fundraisers supported by Silver Spring and Montgomery County residents over the past year included:
- A mother and her nine children who faced homelessness after fleeing Afghanistan in 2022;
- A beloved puppeteer diagnosed with cancer;
- A local costume shop that lost everything in a fire;
- Students in Vieux Fort who needed school supplies; and
- A kayaker who achieved her dreams by participating in the Paris Games this summer.
Additionally, over $7,600 was raised for residents displaced by the fire at the Arrive Silver Spring apartment complex in downtown Silver Spring.
GoFundMe said that donors from Maryland showed the most support for categories such as animals, family, and education. For the complete annual report, visit GoFundMe’s Year in Help 2023 website.
Photo: © Fazle – stock.adobe.com / GoFundMe graphic