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Wagga Wagga, Mackay, and Launceston: We now have a list of Australia's most generous towns.

 

The results are in: The NSW town of Wagga Wagga is home to Australia’s most generous people.

According to GoFundMe’s 2019 Year in Giving Report, the online crowdfunding platform has calculated which issues Aussies cared about the most, and which Australian towns are the most giving.

As a nation, we ranked third highest in terms of the number of donations per capita (per person) trailing behind Ireland and the United States. In fourth and fifth place were Canada and the United Kingdom.

Formerly homeless people share what you can give to really make a difference. Post continues below.

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Here are Australia’s top 10 most generous towns of 2019. You’ll notice that Hobart was the only capital city to make the list.

1. Wagga Wagga, NSW.

2. Mackay, QLD.

3. Launceston, TAS.

4. Mandurah, WA.

5. Bundaberg, QLD.

6. Ballarat, VIC.

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7. Cairns, QLD.

8. Townsville, QLD.

9. Hobart, TAS.

10. Bendigo, VIC.

As for what we cared about, the list ranged from campaigns about funding treatment for Neuroblastoma (cancer found in the adrenal glands) to koala aid in light of the recent bushfires threatening large areas of their habitat.

1. Help thirsty koalas from fires.

After bushfires ravaged prime koala habitats in Port Macquarie, the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital initiated a GoFundMe profile asking for donations.

In light of the campaign’s overwhelming response, donations have also been shared with other organisations which aid the protection, treatment, and breeding of koalas.

koala-portmacquarie
A koala in recovery for burns from the Lake Innes fire. Image: Koala Hospital Port Macquarie.
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Amount raised: $1,979,210 (campaign still open).

2. Luke Toki: Australia’s true survivor.

Luke Toki might have come fourth in this year's season of Australian Survivor, but he won the heart of the nation. Throughout the show, the WA FIFO worker was determined to win the $500,000 prize money in order to provide for his young family, and support his twin sons, who have been diagnosed with autism, and his baby daughter who has cystic fibrosis.

After Toki was eliminated from the competition during a tear-jerking Tribal Council, his fans began a GoFundMe campaign on his behalf.

Amount raised: $550,390 (campaign now disabled)

 

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3. Free Her.

According to laws under the WA government, people are imprisoned if they're unable to pay a fine, even if they have no prior criminal convictions. In response, the Free Her GoFundMe campaign is a WA initiative that began as a way to support women who are "languishing in prison" under this law. The organisers also state that "single Aboriginal mothers" make up the bulk of these prisoners.

Now, Sisters Inside Inc. are fundraising to pay for the women's warrants, which will see them freed from prison. According to an update from March 5, 2019, the GoFundMe has already paid for the warrants of over 100 women.

Amount raised: $459,875 (campaign still open).

4. For Love.

When Israel Folau was dismissed from Rugby Australia for a tirade against homosexuals and other minorities, the former Wallaby player began a GoFundMe to help cover his legal fees.

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In response to Folau's now-defunct campaign, the For Love GoFundMe account was started as a way to counter Folau's hate-filled views.

"Fundraising efforts which seek to divide us divert time and energy from those in real, immediate need. There are too many in Australia in the 'fight of their lives' - doing their best to survive, and not seeking the chance to put others down," read the campaign's description.

 

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The fundraiser was founded in part by comedian, and LGBTQI+ advocate, Magda Szubanski, and all donated funds were given to two charities in a 90 to 10 per cent split. These included the Children's Cancer Foundation (90 per cent) which distributes grants for research, patient care, and family support, and  Twenty10 (10 per cent) which provides health, legal, and housing services (among others) to people of diverse sexualities and gender identities.

Amount raised: $275,155 (campaign now disabled).

5. Singleton family devastated by fire.

In June of this year, a house fire in Singleton in the NSW Hunter Valley took the lives of two twin sisters and their brother. Emergency teams were able to rescue their mother Kara Atkins and her eight-year-old daughter Bayley, but their family home had completely burnt down.

Family friend, Caitlyn Stemmer then started a GoFundMe to campaign, with the appeal raising nearly $20,000 within its first few hours. It's since been deactivated.

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Image: GoFundMe.
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Amount raised: $275,011(campaign now disabled).

6. The Blueboys 2019 Christmas Appeal.

Lachlan and Jenny are on a mission to clear up the stigmas associated with Staffies, and dogs like them. The owner of two Staffies, Darren and Phillip, they've reached out on GoFundMe to fund raise money for rescue dogs and prevent them from ending up in pounds and shelters that practice euthanasia.

Writing on their page, they state: "To get these dogs in a healthy state and ready for adoption costs thousands of dollars and we want to make sure that these babies are given every chance they deserve by providing as much funding as we can."

 

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All money raised from this campaign will be evenly split between the following charities: Players for Pits Chicago, Stafford Rescue Victoria, Staffordshire Bull Terrier Rescue UK, Senior Staffy Club London, Bullies in Need Ontario, Philly Bully Team, Philadelphia Project, Underdog Rescue Melbourne, QLD Staffy and Amstaff Rescue, I Pitty the Bull California and Christchurch Bull Breed Rescue.

Amount raised: $153,907 (campaign still open).

7. Eleanor’s Fight.

At just three years old, Eleanor has already undergone major brain surgery, surgery to remove her right kidney, a stem cell transplant, and high dose chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. This is all in an effort to treat her Stage Four High Risk Neuroblastoma.

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Now the only thing that could save her life is being admitted to an American drug trial so she can receive the 8h9 antibody. The cost of this is estimated to range from $300,000, to $2.2 million.

GoFundMe
Image: GoFundMe.

After undergoing her third brain surgery in November 2019, Eleanor's parents are currently waiting in Columbus, Ohio, to see if she will be able to receive the antibody, Omburtamab. They've also asked their followers to sign a petition which would allow similar drug trials to be available in Australia.

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"We cannot get this treatment in Australia which is just unbelievable as it is the only chance at cure. In the world," they wrote in one of their frequent updates, from December 5, 2019.

Amount raised: $329,070 (campaign still open).

8. Money for Eggboi

After the March Christchurch massacre, in which a terrorist killed 49 people at two mosques in New Zealand, Senator Fraser Anning released the following statement:

"The real cause of bloodshed on New Zealand streets today is the immigration program which allowed Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand in the first place."

 

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In retaliation, a 17-year-old named Will Connelly smashed an egg on the head of Senator Anning at a One Nation press conference. His actions immediately got him tackled by Anning's security team and supporters, but they also earned his praise from countless fans, both Australia-wide and international.

Amount raised: $80,241 (campaign now disabled).

9. Marko’s smile.

Two-year-old Marko has suffered from neuroblastoma since April 2018. After a brief remission, the cancer now affects his pelvis, legs, kidney and potentially his spine.

Since January, his parents have attempted to get Marko enrolled in a trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering hospital in New York, calling it their "best hope" to give Marko another chance in life. To do this, they estimate it'll cost $350,000 for medical expenses and living costs. They're currently just over 70 per cent of the way there.

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Image: GoFundMe.
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Amount raised: $250,107 (campaign still open).

10. Navar Herbert’s journey home.

In June of this year, Maria Falwasser married her partner, Navar Herbert. A day later he died after a nine-month battle with brain cancer. He was just 22 years old at the time.

After his death, Maria organised a GoFundMe to fly his body from the Gold Coast back to Kotahitanga Marae, in his home country of New Zealand.

"Today my heart is heavy and sad, I lost my best friend, Husband and the Father to our Son. I feel absolutely showered in LOVE by friends and family, this is a hard time, however, I do find my strength and refuge in everybody's support," she wrote on his GoFundMe page.

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Amount raised: $117,090(campaign still open).

Which causes do you care most about? Tell us in a comment below.