GoFundMegate: When “Free” Landing Pages Backfire

Last week, GoFundMe announced it had automatically created donation/landing pages for more than 1.4 million U.S. nonprofits—in many cases without the nonprofits’ knowledge or consent.

These pages weren’t necessarily harmful in all cases, but the way they were launched and the implications for nonprofits raise some serious brand and digital strategy warnings.

What Happened When GoFundMe Claimed the Pages

• GoFundMe used publicly available IRS and partner data to generate nonprofit pages—complete with logos and mission statements—for 1.4 million organizations.

• Many nonprofits never knew the pages existed. Some discovered them when a donor clicked a link or searched for “Donate to X” and ended up on a GoFundMe page.

• The pages were searchable and SEO‐optimized by default, meaning they sometimes outranked the nonprofit’s own official donation page.

• Donations entering via those pages meant the nonprofit had less direct control—less donor data, less oversight—and even optional “tips” to GoFundMe that many nonprofits hadn’t approved.

• Under pressure, GoFundMe announced a change: these pages will be opt-in only, unclaimed pages will be de-indexed or removed, and nonprofits can “claim” their page to take control. (NH Center for Nonprofits)

Why Claiming Your Brand Matters

For nonprofits, insurance agents and most any business or organization, the incident illustrates several broader risks:

1. Brand Control & Trust

   Your nonprofit brand is a trust asset. When someone donates thinking they’re giving to your organization and lands on a third‐party page you never authorized, you risk confusion, donor hesitation, and possibly reputational damage. If the page is out of date or misrepresents your mission, even worse.

2. Search Visibility & Donor Flow

   If a third-party page like this shows up ahead of your official donation page in Google or social links, you lose both visibility and donor conversion. Search engines don’t distinguish “official vs. unofficial” in the same way your constituents do.

3. Data, Donor Relationships & Stewardship

   Being on your own platform means you capture donor data, engage them, market to them, thank them, upsell or retain them. If the donation happens through a third-party page you don’t control, you may miss those opportunities entirely.

4. Platform Dependency & Hidden Costs

   Sometimes the “platform” – whether a crowdsourcing site, social network, marketplace – offers a promise of exposure or donor acquisition. But you give up control. Fees, tips, data access, branding—all may get layered in. In this case, GoFundMe charged transaction fees (2.2% + $0.30) plus optional tips.

5. Digital Asset Ownership

   Even if you don’t actively use a platform, you still need to know whether someone else is using your name, mission, EIN, or brand on that platform. Better to proactively claim/lock/control than to find out later when donors are mis-routed or you’re playing defensive cleanup.

Key Takeaways for Nonprofits and Agency Clients

Given this case, here are actionable items we recommend:

1. Audit your digital footprint

   1. Search for “[Organization Name] donate” or “[Organization Name] nonprofit page]” on major platforms and Google.

   2. Check whether you have pages on platforms you didn’t actively create (like GoFundMe, Every.org, etc.).

   3. If you find a page you don’t control, evaluate: Do you want to claim it (and control it)? Or unpublish/delete it?

2. Claim and control your pages

   1. If you find an autogenerated page on GoFundMe (or another platform) and you decide to keep it, go ahead and complete the verification so you own it. GoFundMe’s help page shows how to claim your page. (prosupport.gofundme.com)

   2. Update logos, mission statements, links, set visibility/search settings so it lines up with your brand.

   3. If you don’t want the page, unpublish it or ask the platform to remove it.

3. Ensure your official site and donation link are clear

   1. On your website and in communications, make it very clear: “This is our official donation link: [URL]”.

   2. In email, social, and printed materials, emphasize “Donate at our official site” rather than “Donate anywhere you find us”.

   3. Make sure your website is SEO optimized around “Donate to [Organization Name]” so you outrank third-party pages.

4. Maintain branding and donor experience

   1. Ensure your website, donation form, thank-you pages, receipts all reflect your brand, your voice and your stewardship journey.

   2. Platforms you allow to represent you must meet your standard for experience, data access, integration with your CRM, and branding.

5. Think long-term: channel strategy and risk management

   1. Even if you don’t plan to use every platform, you need to be aware of them.

   2. Monitor for “unauthorized” usage of your name. It’s better to pre-empt it than to have to clean it up.

Final Thoughts

The GoFundMe incident highlights a core truth: digital asset ownership matters. Having your name, brand, mission or service represented without your direct control is risky—especially when fundraising, payments, donor data, branding or customer experience are involved.

For nonprofits, this is especially sensitive because trust and transparency are foundational: donors want to know exactly where their gift goes. If they land on an unexpected page, or if the page is inaccurate, or if you don’t have donor data to follow up, the risk is real.

For agencies and service providers working with nonprofits (or insurance clients), this is a good moment to talk proactively about: “Which platforms do you own? Which do you monitor? Who owns your landing page? Who verifies your branding? Who monitors when someone creates one and you didn’t know about it?”