A deadly Los Angeles wildfire that burned through more than 5500 hectares forced the GoFundMe CEO to evacuate his family quickly in January.
Being in the throes of a natural disaster ripping through the homes of neighbours and friends in Altadena drove home the power of generosity.
After much insistence, Mr Cadogan convinced a colleague to accept donations that came through a GoFundMe he helped set up that raised almost $60,000.
The colleague had headed to the mountains to assist in search and rescue efforts, only to return to his burned-down home.
"The fire moved so fast ... it basically turned into an ember storm and it was all gone," Mr Cadogan told AAP.
"But like a lot of humble people, he thought other people were more in need.
"GoFundMe exists to help people help each other ... so the way it made him feel like he was not alone."
In Australia, hit with its fair share of floods and fires, more than $1.1 billion has been donated for emergencies, sports, animals and community fundraisers since the platform's local launch a decade ago.
The company, whose name is virtually synonymous with crowdfunding itself, claims one in three Australians have used the platform to lend a hand to others.
According to its own data, Australians are the third-most generous people in the world.
"We let people tell their own stories," Mr Cadogan said.
"And that's incredibly important because their own story is the reality on the ground and it lets people react to them and help them directly."
"In most cases, people who are giving to a fundraiser are people who know you or know of you through a friend.
"What we do in a crisis situation is create a repository for all these fundraisers that are connected."
It has served as a lifeline in wars, with more than $500 million donated in fundraisers for families and organisations working in Gaza in the past two years.
The company has faced criticism for delaying millions of dollars in payments and putting at risk the lives of Gazans dependent on crucial funds.
But Mr Cadogan said the trust and verification checks in place are necessary.
GoFundMe takes a cut of about 2.2 per cent on all donations, slightly less for certified charities.
"The biggest thing we do is give people the tools to share on Whatsapp, Reddit, Facebook or Insta ... using technology from the back-end to put it in your hands," he said.
"We are empowering the individuals or the group running the fundraiser to spread the word."
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