Donations to help an family of 10 from Afghanistan stay in their home after losing rental assistance and more than $100,000 for local restaurants to provide free meals amid the height of COVID-19 are just two of the campaigns that have landed Silver Spring the ranking of third most generous city since the creation of GoFundMe in 2010, according to the crowdfunding website that is celebrating its 15th anniversary.
“I am delighted that once again Silver Spring has been recognized by GoFundMe as the third most generous city in the U.S.,” County Council President Kate Stewart (D-Dist. 4) said via email to Bethesda Today. “It confirms what we know that Silver Spring is the kind of place where people look out for each other and support everyone in our community.”
GoFundMe calculated the most generous cities by donors per capita for cities with a population of more than 50,000, according to GoFundMe spokesperson Leigh Lehman. This is not the first time Silver Spring, or other Montgomery County areas, have made the most generous list. In 2021, 2022 and 2023, Silver Spring was also ranked the third most generous city as well. Rockville was ranked the 23rd most generous city in 2024.
More than 58,000 Silver Spring residents have donated to a GoFundMe in the last 15 years. Spring, Texas, and Marietta, Georgia, beat out Silver Spring, ranking first and second, respectively, according to GoFundMe. The website was founded in 2010 and has helped raise $40 billion for various causes, according to GoFundMe.
Almost $6 million of that $40 billion went toward causes in Silver Spring, according to GoFundMe, including more than $8,000 for a family-run Silver Spring market hit by robberies and more than $62,000 for the family of Silver Spring husband and father Nesredin Esleiman, who was killed while driving for Uber.
“[It’s] really incredible to see the folks of Silver Spring, Maryland, really continuing to show up for one another over the course of the 15 years,” Lehman told Bethesda Today on Wednesday. “That speaks to the strong sense of community that Silver Spring residents have, and that sense of connection for one another.”
According to GoFundMe, the most frequently supported categories in Maryland were medical, memorial and emergency causes, followed by education, family and animals. Maryland residents also raised $11 million for nonprofits, an area of focus for the website moving forward, Lehman said.
“We recognize that the simple act of asking for help can be really challenging,” Lehman said. “And we really are normalizing asking for help on GoFundMe.”
