As climate-fueled disasters destroy more American homes, the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe has exploded in popularity.
Its appeal is simple: People can provide cash directly to survivors, which is quicker than insurance and often more generous than government aid.
But new research suggests that cash sent through GoFundMe disproportionately benefits the wealthy rather than those who most need help.
They found that those with household incomes above $150,000 received 28 percent more money, on average, than those with incomes below $75,000.
The authors concluded that the explanation largely revolves around social networks: Wealthier disaster survivors tend to be connected to more people, and those people often have more money to give.
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