A regional city in Queensland has been named the most generous Australian city in 2023 by fundraising platform GoFundMe. Bundaberg, 375km north of Brisbane, took the national crown with the most donations per capita in the past 12 months. The Sunshine State proved the most generous, dominating the top three spots with Toowoomba and Hervey Bay in second and third respectively. A Bundaberg based appeal by Anish Maharjan raised more than $73,000 to help fund medical treatment for his wife Anu, who required a kidney transplant. It comes as a record 1.4 million donations were made to Australian fundraisers in 2023, according to GoFundMe's Year in Giving report. The rising number of families facing financial hardship was reflected in the 196 per cent jump in the number of fundraisers mentioning "cost of living". The biggest fundraiser of the year collected $1.95 million for the wife and four children of Victorian jockey Dean Holland, who died after falling from his horse during a race in April. Prominent racehorse owner Tony Ottobre and his wife Lynn organised the fundraiser on behalf of Dean's wife Lucy. "The generosity shown towards this fund is extraordinary, we thank every individual person for their kindness," Mr Ottobre said. International causes also struck the hearts of Aussies with more than $1.1 million donated to support charities and organisations since the start of the Israel and Palestine conflict in October. And more than $770,000 has been given in the wake of devastating earthquakes in Turkey, Syria, Morocco and Afghanistan. GoFundMe Australia regional director Nicola Britton said it was inspiring to see the generosity of Australians amid economic uncertainty for many households. "Though many more have needed to ask for help, in true Australian spirit donors have continued to dig deep and back their neighbours, friends and families in times of need."
