Bipartisan Group of State Attorneys General and State Charity Regulators Send Letter to GoFundMe: Implications for Charities and Companies

On March 3, 2026, a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general and state charity regulators (the “States”) sent a letter^[1]to GoFundMe expressing their concerns about GoFundMe's creation of donation web pages for more than 1.4 million charities without their prior knowledge or consent.

The States identified several specific harms arising from the unauthorized fundraising including (1) the display of inaccurate charity information, (2) failure to disclose the donor-advised fund structure, (3) false impression of charity affiliation, and (4) the application of a default “tip” that went directly to GoFundMe. The letter warned of various potential violations under state charitable laws and consumer protection laws including the lack of required consent from the charities, deceptive or misleading conduct, and insufficient or omitted disclosures.

In their letter, the States demanded that GoFundMe immediately provide proof that it has removed all unauthorized donation web pages and is requiring prior consent for charity donation web pages, demonstrate the takedown procedures have been implemented, and explain how it has modified its search engine optimization practices to ensure that the charities’ fundraising campaigns or websites are not disadvantaged.

The States also demanded that GoFundMe undertake a comprehensive review of its policies and procedures and prominently disclose all material information that would reasonably affect a person's decision to donate and review whether the “tips” collected by GoFundMe should be redirected to the charities.

GoFundMe was given 14 days from the date of the letter, March 3, 2026, to respond, along with notice that investigative requests from interested states are forthcoming.

Implications for Charities and Companies

This bipartisan multistate action carries significant implications well beyond GoFundMe as state-based charitable enforcement continues to expand beyond political divides. This action may signify a growing trend of concern for mislabeling tips or confusion on tips and enforcement. To that end, charities should consider taking the following affirmative steps:

1. actively monitor major fundraising platforms for unauthorized use of their identity and act promptly to request removal if discovered;
2. assess whether platforms using their name impose fees or default “tips” that reduce the amount that is ultimately received by the charity;
3. confirm that donations solicited in their name are being remitted; and
4. monitor their digital search presence and consider whether third-party pages are appearing above their own official fundraising channels.

In addition, companies that operate online fundraising or crowdfunding platforms should consider taking the following steps:

1. actively ensure that robust consent processes are in place before listing or creating pages in any charity’s name (regardless of the platform’s intent or the perceived benefit to the charity);
2. prominently disclose all material information that would reasonably affect a person's decision to donate; and
3. clearly distinguish platform identity from charity identity.

Lastly, companies should proactively review their practices for compliance with state charitable solicitation laws, consumer protection statutes, and disclosure requirements across all states in which it operates.