When “Helping” Hurts Trust: GoFundMe’s Uninvited Nonprofit Pages
Recently, GoFundMe automatically created “nonprofit pages” for approximately 1.4 million 501(c)(3) organizations using publicly available IRS data and information from partners like the PayPal Giving Fund.
None of these nonprofits consented to this, nor were they even notified about this.
According to GoFundMe, this move “allows individuals across GoFundMe’s 200 million-strong global community to easily discover and donate to nonprofit organizations, helping them support causes and charitable missions they care about—even if the organization hasn’t actively created a GoFundMe campaign.”
GoFundMe receives a transaction fee of 2.2% plus 30 cents per donation to a nonprofit fundraising page in addition to a so-called tip of 16%. While the so-called tip is characterized as optional, a donor must manually reduce this to zero in order to remove the so-called tip. GoFundMe recently indicated they will remove the “tip” until a page is claimed.
At a time when philanthropy is most critical, actions that are not fully transparent undermine the integrity of charitable giving.
At Philanos, we believe trust and consent are the foundation of philanthropy. GoFundMe’s actions in creating fundraising pages for nonprofits that provide financial benefits to GoFundMe, all without a nonprofit’s knowledge or permission, smack of deception. This can only lead to an atmosphere of mistrust in the philanthropic community.
According to the company, this new feature “allows individuals across GoFundMe’s 200 million-strong global community to easily discover and donate to nonprofit organizations, helping them support causes they care about—even if the organization hasn’t actively created a GoFundMe campaign.”
Why This Matters
GoFundMe’s move was unilateral. Organizations were not asked for permission, invited to verify details, or given a clear opt-in process before their “pages” went live. Using publicly available IRS data may make this legal — but it does not make it ethical.
These pages can potentially:
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Confuse members of your own circle or donors to a grantee partner, as they may assume active fundraising on GoFundMe is supported.
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Misrepresent or duplicate existing fundraising efforts.
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Divert funds, especially since GoFundMe may impose a 14–17% “tip” in donors during the giving process that goes to GoFundMe.
Independent coverage from Nonprofit Newsfeed highlights the frustration many in the sector feel about this unexpected “representation.”
Philanos Comment:
“When fundraising happens without transparency or permission—and when an automatic 14–17% ‘tip’ that goes to GoFundMe, not the nonprofit—it erodes donor trust. Transparency should never be optional.”
What Philanos Affiliates Can Do
We encourage all Philanos Affiliates to take the following steps:
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Search your organization on GoFundMe.com. See if a page exists for your circle or grantee partners.
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Verify the information. Check that your EIN, name, and mission are correct.
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Contact GoFundMe if needed. You can claim, update, or request removal of your page through their help center.
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Alert your grantees. Many may not realize their organizations now appear on GoFundMe. Share this blog or your own note to help them take action.
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Educate your donors. Reinforce that the safest and most effective way to give is directly — through your verified website or trusted donor channels.
Why This Flies in the Face of Collective Giving
Collective Giving is built on relationship, transparency, and consent.
Giving circles rely on mutual trust between members, grantees, and local communities — the very trust that mass-created pages like these put at risk.
Philanos believes in a model of philanthropy where nonprofits and donors choose each other intentionally, with full clarity about where funds go and how they’re used.
When that choice is taken away — even under the banner of “helping” — it’s time to speak up.
Together, we can ensure that generosity remains rooted in integrity.
