More people than ever are turning to online campaigns to raise money and right now in Winnipeg there are nearly one thousand active GoFundMe accounts.

One of them is raising money for the Ducharme family who lost everything when a fire tore through their Alexander Avenue home last Wednesday.

"I was trying to get some stuff and I was only able to grab one of my laundry baskets and throw it out the door here,” said Tanya Ducharme.

When sister-in-law Raquel Kirton heard what happened, she immediately wanted to help so she started the online fundraiser to help with a damage deposit and rent on a new place as well as other expenses.

"I know it must have been difficult for them to lose all their belongings and family pictures. All their memories of their kids growing up,” said Kirton.

University of Winnipeg political science student Mackenzie Van den Berg met her goal of $800 in just one week,

It took 12 donations from family and friends to fund a trip to a human rights conference at the United Nations in New York City.

"I want to thank every person who donated to me. I'm so overwhelmed and so grateful of everyone's donations and I'm going to make everyone proud when I go on the trip,” said Van den Berg.

International student Gabriel Jiménez has her face on advertisements for the University of Winnipeg’s Indigenous Development program and says she sees similarities between issues in her home country of Venezuela and here in Manitoba.

"Both sides, we have issues in indigenous peoples and indigenous communities that have to be addressed as soon as possible to include them in society and to include them in development,” she said.

Jiménez worked for five years in her home country to save money for the Master’s program but now restrictive banking laws won’t allow her to transfer that money out of the country to cover expenses at school. She also has a GoFundMe page.

"The tuition is 20-thousand but I got a scholarship for 10-thousand from the University. I still have to pay 10-thousand and that's a lot,” said Jiménez.

In Canada GoFundMe takes 7.9 per cent of every donation.