Harrisburg, PA – Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt joined attorneys general and charitable regulators from 20 other states in signing a letter, sent today to GoFundMe, raising concerns about the company’s creation of donation web pages for more than 1.4 million charities without their prior knowledge or consent.
“Millions of Pennsylvanians donate their hard-earned money to charities across the Commonwealth and the country, and they trust their donations are being used as intended,” Schmidt said. “In this letter, we are demanding both accountability and transparency to ensure that every donation goes to the intended charity and that no corporation prioritizes profits over a charity’s mission.”
In October 2025, the media reported that GoFundMe created its own donation web pages for 1.4 million charities in the United States without first asking those charities for permission.
Creation of the websites led to donor confusion, display of inaccurate information about the charities, and a false impression of charity affiliation. GoFundMe’s donation pages also may have applied a default “tip” of approximately 16.5%, intended to pay GoFundMe directly.
The letter, sent from the California Department of Justice, also points to public reports that “allege GoFundMe used search engine optimization (SEO) that caused its donation pages to appear above official fundraising campaigns maintained by the charities themselves. If true, the SEO may have diverted prospective donors from giving directly to the charities, or worse, the public in need of charitable services, looking for the charities’ official websites.”
These practices may violate several state charitable solicitation and consumer protection laws. State officials who signed the letter are demanding GoFundMe:
- Provide proof the company has removed all unauthorized donation web pages and is requiring prior consent from charities for donation web pages;
- Demonstrate the takedown procedures implemented to remove unauthorized donation pages without action by the charity;
- Explain how GoFundMe has modified its SEO practices to ensure charities’ own fundraising campaigns and websites are not disadvantaged;
- Disclose all information that would reasonably affect a person’s decision to donate, including the legal recipient of the donation and any fees, tips, or other charges added to or deducted from donations; and
- Review whether “tips” or other fees collected by GoFundMe should be redirected to the charities.
The states also are demanding GoFundMe undertake a “comprehensive review of relevant policies and procedures.”
The letter requests that GoFundMe respond to California Deputy Attorney General Stephen Abanise within 14 days.
The Pennsylvania Department of State maintains registration and financial information on over 13,000 charities soliciting in the Commonwealth, as well as more than 450 professional solicitors and fundraising counsels. For more information, including tips about charitable giving and your rights as a consumer, visit the Department’s website.