GoFundMe has no role in solving dispute over Stephen Termini fundraiser, CEO says

The chief executive of the GoFundMe donations platform has said the company is aware of a dispute between a US tourist who was seriously injured in a Dublin assault last summer and his family over the proceeds of a charity drive hosted by the company, but stressed that it has no role in seeking a resolution.

Stephen Termini (57), from Buffalo, New York, suffered serious injuries after an assault on Talbot Street in July.

He spent several weeks in hospital and while he was in a coma one of his sons – Michael (Mike) Rizzuto – set up a GoFundMe page to help with medical expenses and travel costs to enable Mr Termini’s family to come to Ireland to be with him during his recovery.

The appeal struck a chord with many Irish people who had been horrified by the attack and more than €120,000 was raised by 4,600 donors in a matter of weeks.

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However, a dispute between the father and son over the money broke out almost as soon as Mr Termini was released from hospital with the latter alleging that he had not received any of the money that had been donated.

In response, Mr Rizzuto said the donations had not been intended for his father’s personal use and added that taxes and charges would have to be covered before any decisions could be made as to what to do with the money.

The GoFundMe chief executive Tim Cadogan was in Dublin on Thursday to celebrate the app hitting the milestone of five million donations here. It equates to almost €250 million and makes Ireland the most generous country on the GoFundMe platform globally since it started operating here in 2017.

At an event in the Dylan Hotel he highlighted the unique position Ireland holds where “community” is the top category on the GoFundMe platform.

[ Family of assaulted US tourist say they ‘never expected any of this’ as they arrive in Dublin ]

“As the most generous nation on GoFundMe, this highlights the spirit of compassion and community that defines this country,” Mr Cadogan said.

“The power of crowdfunding has not only transformed individual lives but has also left an indelible mark on Ireland’s nation’s heart as is testament to some of our campaign organisers who are here today.”

He also told The Irish Times that he had been briefed on the dispute between Mr Termini and his son upon arrival in Ireland.

“Families are complicated,” he said. “This is true human nature so it happens, it’s not common, but it happens and you obviously take a step back and say listen we’ve done our job at this point and there’s not too much that we can do. I mean we’re not family therapists.”

After it emerged that the ultimate destination of the money raised was in dispute, Mr Termini set up a second GoFundMe page.

He said he was raising money to help him gain Irish citizenship and buy a home in Co Mayo and he called the new campaign “Uniting with Ireland”, setting set a target of reaching $100,200 (€93,930).

[ Stephen Termini advises Helen McEntee to increase garda patrols in city centre ]

However, almost a month after being set up it has raised just $115 from five separate donors. The campaign is ongoing.

Christy Burke, who is an independent councillor for Dublin north inner city where the alleged assault took place, noted that the “Irish are renowned for their willingness to donate to charities, but the issues around the first GoFundMe account should be dealt with first before another crowdfunding bid should be set-up”.