Three days after a 28-year-old man took an AR-15 rifle into a Washington pizzeria to investigate false reports of a child trafficking ring, an online fund-raising effort for the business was already underway.

“Many friends, including those who live in other places, have asked how they can support us and our staff besides drinking and eating pizza with us,” organizers wrote on the GoFundMe page for Comet Ping Pong. “And as a result of recent stories and events, we realize we could use support.”

Just as people turn to online platforms for all aspects of daily life, from food deliveries to job hunting, the same is true of charity. GoFundMe appears to have become synonymous with giving in the wake of catastrophes, crimes and stories that tug at the heartstrings. Some people even fear that this may be siphoning — or, at least, splintering — donations that would have gone to more traditional aid organizations and charities. There’s no clear evidence, and GoFundMe will not reveal annual totals.

According to GoFundMe’s second annual giving report, released Tuesday, the platform has helped campaigns raise more than $3 billion since it started in 2010, with a majority of those funds amassed in the past two years.