A coalition of state attorney generals is scrutinizing GoFundMe months after the online fundraising platform created more than 1.4 million donation pages without the knowledge or consent of charities.
In March, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and officials from 20 states demanded GoFundMe provide proof that the company removed unauthorized charity pages from its platform, months after the company said it took them down.
“This conduct harms charities, erodes public trust, and sets a dangerous precedent that ultimately harms the people and causes that charities support,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said.
The pages had inaccurate charity information, may have confused or deceived donors about where their money was going, and used search engine optimization (SEO) to appear before charities’ official fundraising campaigns, according to the letter. GoFundMe charges a 2.2% plus 30 cent fee for each donation. Donations made through the pages sometimes go through payment processors. The states also alleged that GoFundMe might have applied a 16.5% “tip” that went directly to the donation platform, and not the charities. GoFundMe said it
The bipartisan coalition of state charity officials suggested that creating the pages went beyond facilitating donations and could violate solicitation and consumer protection laws.
GoFundMe says it is committed to transparency, donor protection
GoFundMe created the pages in October 2025 using publicly available data for nonprofits nationwide. Many organizations learned about the pages when donors brought it to their attention.
ABC7 first revealed GoFundMe created the unauthorized pages without the knowledge of nonprofits, including many in the Bay Area.
In its March 16 response, GoFundMe said the company removed unclaimed pages in late October 2025 and now requires nonprofits to opt-in.
Kim Wilford, chief legal officer at GoFundMe, pointed to California’s donation platform law, AB 488, which permits donation platforms to facilitate donations to nonprofits without written consent.
“[W]e remain fully committed to transparency, donor protection, and compliance with applicable laws,” Wilford wrote.
But, some charity officers expressed concerns that donors may not know how their donations were handled.
Nonprofit advocate applauds action to protect charities
Geoff Green of the California Association of Nonprofits praised the attorney general’s action as part of a broader effort at holding platforms accountable. The organization said that AB 488 improved transparency about platform fees, but also created “unintended consequences.”
For example, California requires nonprofits to register with the Department of Justice, which oversees charities in the state. Nonprofits listed as “not in good standing” are not able to receive donations, and have experienced challenges updating their status with the state Registry, Green said.
Donation platforms, a booming industry
AB 488 requires donation platforms to register each year and file an annual report with the California Attorney General’s Office. GoFundMe reported 323,447 donations made on its platform in its 2024 filing, totalling $33 million. The company reported that it deducted $822,186 in fees from donations.
Oakland-based donation platform Flipcause filed for bankruptcy in December. The company owed nearly $29 million to nonprofits nationwide. Following complaints and reporting by Oakland Voices, the California attorney general filed a cease and desist order against Flipcause for not registering as a charitable donation platform. Oakland Voices found nearly one in five donation platforms had not registered with the state. A recent state hearing found significant enforcement gaps.
Alaska, nonprofits in Oregon sue donation platforms
The multistate letter is part of a growing wave of scrutiny of and enforcement towards donation platforms. The states include California, Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
So far, only California and Hawaii have comprehensive fundraising platform laws.
On March 10, Alaska’s attorney general sued six platforms – GoFundMe, Pay Pal Inc, Charity Navigator, Just Giving, Pledge to and Network for Good— for creating donation pages without the knowledge or consent of nonprofits.
On March 11, three nonprofits filed a federal lawsuit that accused GoFundMe of fundraising in their names without authorization. They allege GoFundMe damaged their nonprofits’ reputation and undermined trust with donors. Last fall, nonprofits using Flipcause filed a proposed class action lawsuit against the company. The lawsuit was scheduled for Dec. 19, the same day Flipcause filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. That lawsuit is currently paused during the company’s bankruptcy process.
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