Take Action on Unauthorized GoFundMe Pages

Advocacy isn’t easy, but when nonprofits step into the arena, we make a difference. Our collective voice is courageous, grounded in community, and not to be underestimated. Together, we are a powerful force for change. 

When we joined our collective voices with the National Council of Nonprofits (NCN) to raise awareness about a troubling initiative by GoFundMe, which created donation pages for 1.4 million nonprofits without their consent. This move sparked several concerns:

• Lack of Consent: Nonprofits were not informed or given the opportunity to approve these pages, undermining their autonomy in managing fundraising efforts.
• Donor Confusion: The pages often contain outdated or incorrect information, leading to confusion and potential damage to nonprofit branding.
• Fees and Tips: Donations through GoFundMe incur processing fees and prompt donors to tip GoFundMe, reducing the net support received by nonprofits.
• SEO Manipulation: GoFundMe’s pages may outrank official nonprofit websites in search results, diverting potential donors.
• Implementation Issues: Nonprofits face challenges such as unauthorized individuals claiming donations and difficulty removing pages without agreeing to GoFundMe’s terms or sharing sensitive data. ​

In response, NCN released the following statement:

“The National Council of Nonprofits was deeply concerned by GoFundMe’s creation of fundraising pages for more than a million nonprofits without their knowledge or consent. Nonprofits depend on transparency, trust, and the ability to control their own fundraising. GoFundMe’s actions were a breach of that trust.

On behalf of our network of nonprofits across the country, NCN raised these concerns directly with GoFundMe and were pleased with GoFundMe’s openness and self-reflection.”

GoFundMe issued an apology stating, “We understand clearly that our recent efforts with Nonprofit Pages have caused confusion, concern, and distraction from the vital missions of the very nonprofits we aim to support. We are very sorry for this and take responsibility for missing the mark. Trust is foundational to our work with nonprofits, and we are fully committed to rebuilding it through better communication, collaboration, and partnership.

Rebuilding trust starts with action. After speaking with many nonprofit leaders and advocates, and listening carefully to members of our community, we are taking swift action:

Nonprofit Pages are now opt-in only: Moving forward, only nonprofits that opt in to their Nonprofit Page and complete the verification process will have a public Nonprofit Page searchable on GoFundMe, making these Nonprofit Pages a completely opt-in experience. Nonprofit Pages for organizations that have not been claimed and verified will be removed. SEO will also be turned off by default. Nonprofits that opt in to their Nonprofit Pages will gain enhanced visibility, control, and access to specific supporter data for fundraising and compliance purposes. Nonprofits can verify their pages and learn more here.

If you still have questions:

Here’s What You Can Do:

• Check if your organization has an unauthorized GoFundMe page. 
• Decide whether to claim, edit, or request removal of the page. 
• Review guidance here. 

• Share your experience or concerns with us so we can advocate collectively and push for stronger protections. Share your story with NCN Senior Vice President Sarah Saadian at ssaadian@councilofnonprofits.org and Policy Director and Counsel Tiffany Gourley Carter at tcarter@councilofnonprofits.org