Milton has long been known for its giving spirit, and now has the national ranking to prove it.
Today, GoFundMe announced its top-20 Canada-wide list for most generous communities – with Milton taking the number five spot for 2024.
The town had more than 7,600 GoFundMe donors this past year contributing to 204 campaigns, which with a population of nearly 133,000 works out to a per capita donor rate of 5,75 per cent. In total, a whopping $1,489,494.
The biggest and arguably most heartwarming local campaign of 2024 was the one for Muhammad Saleem, a 55-year-old husband and father of three who was killed in an eight-vehicle collision in town on Sept. 20.
Over 1,700 donors came forward to aid his family – chipping in anywhere from $5 to $3,000 each for a grand total of $124,678. The goal was originally set at $50,000, but was raised four times to adjust for the incredible support.
Milton was the top Ontario GoFundMe community, while Brampton and Thunder Bay were close behind at sixth and eighth respectively.
Victoria ranked first for the second straight year with 19,500 donors, for a per capita donation rate of 21,3 per cent.
“From small acts of kindness to major community efforts, Canadians are consistently committed to leading a helping hand,” said GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan.