Outrage Alert: GoFundMe Hijacks the Donor Experience — Without Your Permission

Dear Colleagues,

Buckle up. Because what I’m about to share is so egregious, so deeply disrespectful to our donors and our missions, it should leave every nonprofit professional incensed.

GoFundMe—yes, that GoFundMe—has created over 1.4 million donation pages for U.S. nonprofits without consent.

Let me say that again for the people in the back: They are fundraising in your organization’s name without telling you.

This isn’t just a tech snafu. This is a full-frontal assault on the very thing that sustains us: donor trust.

The Donor Experience, Dumpster-Fired

Here’s what this looks like in the real world:

• A donor gives to your “GoFundMe” page, thinking they’re supporting your work.

• You don’t even know it happened.

• You get no usable donor data.

• You can’t thank them.

• You can’t steward them.

• You can’t build a relationship.

  
  

That’s not just sloppy. It’s sabotage.

These are orphaned donors—lost in a transaction, unthanked, unrecognized, and unlikely to ever give again. For the donor, it's a deeply unsatisfying experience. For you, it’s a leaky bucket hemorrhaging potential loyalty, recurring revenue, and mission-critical support.

You Built a Brand. They Hijacked It.

These pages are using your EINs. Your public information. Sometimes, even your outdated logos.

They're also ranking higher than your official donation pages in Google search results.

Let me be crystal clear: this is brand erosion by stealth. You’ve spent years cultivating your identity and your donor relationships. GoFundMe just slapped a tip jar on it and walked away with a cut.

Show Me the Money (and the Fees)

Let’s talk numbers:

• A standard transaction fee (fine).

• A default “tip” to GoFundMe (not fine).

• An extra 5% surcharge on recurring gifts (absolutely not fine).

And for what? A for-profit company capitalizing on your nonprofit’s goodwill while donors think they’re helping you.

Spoiler: They’re not. Not really.

Legal? Maybe. Ethical? Absolutely Not.

We’re not attorneys, but many in the sector believe this behavior qualifies as unauthorized charitable solicitation. Which—hello—you could be on the hook for.

So not only is this undermining your donor experience, it’s putting your compliance status at risk. That’s a legal mess you didn’t ask for and don’t deserve.

What to Do About It — Today

There’s no one-size-fits-all here, but here’s a decision matrix we believe in:

1. Search First

   Go to gofundme.com/charity/claim/search and search for your organization by EIN or legal name.

   
   

2. Claim or Remove

   • Claim it only if you’re ready to dance with the devil (read: agree to GoFundMe’s terms, including binding arbitration).

   • Remove it by emailing:

     • privacy-requests@gofundme.com

     • dpo@gofundme.com

     • Use the phrases “unauthorized charitable solicitation” and “trademark infringement”.

       
       

3. File a Complaint

   If they ghost you, go straight to:

   • Your State Attorney General’s Charities Division

   • The Federal Trade Commission

Document everything. Be loud.

Our Recommendation? Do Less with Them. Do More with You.

Let’s not sugarcoat it: GoFundMe doesn’t care about donor relationships. They care about transactions. Clicks. Volume.

You know better. You know that the real magic happens after the gift. When a donor is thanked, seen, and made part of something meaningful.

Our advice? Opt out. Claim or remove the page. Focus on the things that matter:

• Own your channels.

• Control your donor data.

• Audit third-party platforms regularly.

• Double down on experience and retention.

This is our moment as a sector to draw a line in the sand and say donor exploitation stops here. Because if it doesn’t benefit the donor, we don’t do it.

Full stop.

With fierce gratitude and righteous fire, Lynne Wester Founder, The Donor Relations Group