The Anti-Defamation League’s Extremism Research Center published a new study today (Tuesday), in which it is revealed that hundreds of extremist crowdfunding campaigns, using ten platforms, raised more than 6.2 million dollars between 2016-2022.
The major crowdfunding platforms GoFundMe and GiveSendGo were the most used, but there were also several small, short-lived sites dedicated to extremist and hateful causes.
Advertising campaigns on these sites advocate hateful rhetoric including anti-Semitism and white supremacy.
Across all ten platforms, the Anti-Defamation League’s Extremism Research Center found that extremists made at least $6,246,072 from 324 campaigns.
“Crowdfunding is a financial lifeline for various extremists who rely on it to finance their campaigns, propaganda and activities,” said Oren Segal, vice president of the Anti-Defamation League’s Extremism Research Center. “Major platforms like GoFundMe and GiveSendGo have a responsibility to enforce their terms of service and stop the exploitation of their platforms by individuals and groups who trade in bigotry and violence.”
Extremists use these campaigns to gain a wider audience for their hateful messages through online engagement, propaganda or other means. Some will even use the crowdfunding for legal or medical expenses related to violent activities.
Hundreds of campaigns were linked to the January 6 uprising, which raised more than $4.75 million. Dozens more have been linked to other violent extremist events, including the deadly 2017 right-wing Unionist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Campaigns related to the Unite the Right rally raised more than $75,000.