Watch Duty and GoFundMe Partner to Strengthen Disaster Response

Two TIME100 honorees join forces to connect real-time alerts with real-time giving, enabling faster support for frontline responders and communities in crisis

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Watch Duty, the nonprofit changing how people receive real-time disaster alerts, and GoFundMe, the global leader in online fundraising, today announced a two-part partnership that links Watch Duty’s trusted information with GoFundMe’s trusted giving platform.

The collaboration unites two TIME100 honorees recognized among the most influential companies and organizations of 2025 for their innovation, impact, and leadership in shaping how communities give and stay connected. It also reflects the leadership of John Clarke Mills, CEO of Watch Duty, and Tim Cadogan, CEO of GoFundMe, both named to TIME’s list of the 100 Most Influential People of 2025 for their roles in reshaping disaster response and community resilience.

Together, they are making it easier for communities to respond when disaster strikes by:

1. Allowing firefighters and first responders to launch GoFundMe fundraisers directly through the Watch Duty platform. This makes it easy for them to rally support for critical needs such as equipment, medical bills, and recovery assistance. Supporters can also discover and donate to these fundraisers through a new, dedicated partner hub on GoFundMe.
2. Watch Duty is integrating GoFundMe Pro, GoFundMe’s powerful nonprofit software, into its website, giving supporters more ways to contribute directly to its mission.

During the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, which burned nearly 40,000 acres, damaged or destroyed 18,000 structures, and forced over 200,000 residents to evacuate, Watch Duty became the #1 most downloaded app, spiking to 8 million users and handling over 100,000 requests per second when other systems crashed. At the same time, GoFundMe mobilized its community of over 200 million, powering thousands of fundraisers and delivering more than $265 million to those affected and nonprofits leading response efforts on the ground.

Building on their proven strengths, Watch Duty delivers real-time alerts while GoFundMe empowers real-time giving; together helping millions take action to protect lives, support frontline responders, and speed recovery. The fundraising partnership will also help fuel Watch Duty’s next phase of transformative growth: expanding from 22 states to the entire continental U.S. and adding new disaster alerts, starting with floods.

“At Watch Duty, our roots are in lived experience — firefighters, radio operators, and families who’ve seen the stakes firsthand. This partnership with GoFundMe means that when danger approaches, people won’t just know what’s happening; they’ll know how to help their neighbors, their first responders, and their communities.” — John Clarke Mills, Co-Founder & CEO, Watch Duty

“When disaster strikes, people want to help, but they need timely information and a trusted way to turn empathy into action. Through our partnership with Watch Duty, we’re connecting real-time alerts to real-time giving, so communities can respond faster, support first responders, and help families access food, shelter, and other essentials. As a Los Angeles resident directly affected by the fires, I used Watch Duty intensively during the crisis and it was invaluable. We’re honored to help them generate more support for more people.” —Tim Cadogan, CEO, GoFundMe

About Watch Duty

Watch Duty is a nonprofit organization delivering hyperlocal, real-time disaster alerts through a free public app. Powered by a lean staff and a network of active and retired firefighters, dispatchers, and radio operators, Watch Duty monitors radio traffic, weather data, and verified sources around the clock to deliver timely, actionable information when every second counts. Today, millions of users across 22 states rely on Watch Duty, and the organization is preparing to expand nationwide and add flood alerts. Learn more at watchduty.org.

About GoFundMe

GoFundMe is a community-powered fundraising platform dedicated to helping people help each other. GoFundMe combines storytelling and fundraising to make it easy for people and nonprofits to share their stories, connect with supporters, and reach their fundraising goals. GoFundMe empowers individuals and organizations to make a meaningful difference for the causes and communities that matter most to them. GoFundMe Pro combines powerful, flexible software with the scale and intelligence of the world’s largest fundraising platform. Designed to help organizations fundraise in any way they want, GoFundMe Pro unlocks new opportunities to inspire giving, reach broader audiences, and drive greater impact. GoFundMe has enabled more than $40 billion of help for communities across the globe.