Key Takeaways
- GoFundMe has automatically created fundraising pages for over $1.4 million nonprofit organizations, many without the organizations’ knowledge or consent.
- These pages use publicly available IRS data and may contain outdated or inaccurate information about the nonprofits.
- GoFundMe’s fundraising pages often appear higher in search engine results than official nonprofit websites.
GoFundMe has auto-generated fundraising pages for over $1.4 million nonprofit organizations. Many of these pages have been created without the nonprofits’ knowledge or consent. The pages use publicly available IRS data, allowing donors to contribute directly to nonprofits through the platform.
They may contain outdated or inaccurate information and are often optimized to appear in search engine results ahead of official nonprofit websites.
However, as of October 23, 2025, GoFundMe has announced significant changes to its Nonprofit Pages program. Those changes include:
- Nonprofit Pages are now opt-in only. Only organizations that actively opt in and complete a verification process will have a public, searchable Nonprofit Page.
- Unclaimed pages will be removed and de-indexed. These pages will no longer appear in search engine results.
- SEO is turned off by default. Verified nonprofits can choose to enable SEO and customize their page.
Why This Matters
There are many things to consider with these pages, including:
- Donor confusion.
- Reputational risk due to inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Donations incur transaction fees and optional tipping.
What You Can Do
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Search for Your Page
- Search “[Your Organization Name] donate site:gofundme.com” on Google.
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Claim or Unpublish the Page
- Use the “Claim this page” option if you find a page.
- Alternatively, you can “unpublish” the page if you do not wish to be listed.
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Review Information
- After claiming, verify your mission statement, logo, contact information, and more to ensure the page accurately reflects your organization.
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Manage SEO Settings
- You can toggle search engine visibility to prevent the GoFundMe page from outranking your official website.
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Monitor Donor Communications
- Be prepared to respond to donor inquiries about GoFundMe donations and clarify your organization’s position.
Nonprofits rely heavily on donations. But that also means they need strong financial management for those donations.
With the right structures in place, your nonprofit can protect what matters most — your mission, people, and impact. We can help.
Strong Financial Management
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We’ll help you maximize your resources and remain compliant so you can focus on your mission.
Who We Are
Eide Bailly is a CPA firm bringing practical expertise in tax, audit, and advisory to help you perform, protect, and prosper with confidence.
