In October, GoFundMe launched pages on its website for 1.4 million nonprofits – without their permission. Nonprofits voiced their displeasure, specifically arguing that GoFundMe:
- Used their logos (and other information about their nonprofits) to create these fundraising pages without permission;
- Usurped many nonprofits SEO, meaning donors and other interested individuals would likely land on the GoFundMe page long before the nonprofit’s own website;
- Claimed a percentage of the donation (2.2% plus 30 cents per donation) – meaning less money would go to the nonprofit than if the donation was submitted directly to the nonprofit; and
- Did not make it easy for nonprofits to opt-out of these shenanigans.
At first, those complaints went unanswered, as GoFundMe publicly doubled down on their decision to “help” nonprofits. Their chief marketing and corporate affairs officer claimed that these platform should not have caught people off-guard since GoFundMe had discussed the topic with other organizations and at conferences.
Nonprofits didn’t back down. I know I worked to get one of my client’s page removed, and I voiced our issues with this decision in every email I sent and phone call I made. Because to add insult to injury – there were no instructions on how to shut down your nonprofit’s GoFundMe page. To say the whole thing was a cluster was putting it mildly.
Within a week, the nonprofit swell of disapproval finally hit an appropriate level, because GoFundMe apologized and corrected their actions: taking all unclaimed nonprofit pages offline and turning SEO off.
What does their debacle teach us? So, so much my friends.
- Just because your intentions are pure, that doesn’t mean we always know what we’re talking about. As grant professionals, we are here to help – but we cannot help the community and people we’re serving if we don’t talk to said community and people. The same goes for board members. There is no swooping in and saving the day. Instead, you’re here to listen and learn about the needs of the nonprofit and those it serves. Then you can roll up your sleeves and help.
- There is power in numbers. GoFundMe didn’t stop because 2-3 nonprofits complained. They didn’t change course because people sent emails privately. No, they changed their way because of the massive groundswell of public complaints and attention brought to this matter. Between the week the nonprofit pages were made public and everything was removed, I couldn’t go 30 minutes without hearing about this debacle. There were LinkedIn posts, news articles, podcasts, blogs, and more about the debacle. And was everyone sharing ways to voice your own concerns and work to fix the problem. Now imagine what we could do if that same groundswell came together to tackle another problem: like the federal government pulling grant research funding from universities and other think tanks or new federal grant opportunities stating that organizations can only receive funding if they are willing to allow ICE into their facilities. (Seriously, there are a number of racists policies sweeping grant processes this year thanks to our current administration. It’s time to start calling it out. And loudly.)
- Change is possible. And what a beautiful thing! Yes, it took a lot of people and a lot of public pressure. But GoFundMe did the right thing. Surely this can happen elsewhere.
Are you reading this and thinking, but Amanda, I’m only one person. I don’t have time to start a massive movement. I’ve got grants to write and programs to fund.
I get it; I really do. But you don’t have to go it alone. Here are some small steps we can all take to start making a difference.
- Make sure your board understands the role of grants and the difficulties you’re facing in 2025 due to the many changes in the federal landscape. Your organization as a whole is in a much better position to fight the good fight than you are alone – and that won’t happen if you don’t educate people about the lay of the land these days.
- Talk to your funders, both public and private. If you’ve lost public grants, let the foundations you work with know. Share the impact this is having on the people you serve. Ask them to consider making larger awards and/or multi-year awards to help sustain your organization during this period of disenfranchisement.
- Email your elected officials (local and national) about things that are impacting your community. And spread the word. Email your friends about issues that are hurting others. Because the more people understand, the more they can do to help.
If GoFundMe taught us anything, it’s that change is truly possible. Let’s get out there and make some change!
Amanda Day, GPC, is a national trainer and speaker. With 20 years of grant prospect research, writing, and management experience, she has the knowledge, know-how, and stories to keep every workshop participant and conference attendee engaged and better prepared to succeed in the grant profession. She is well versed in federal and private grant funding, as well as educating up and using your professional network to best build career path. Her passion lies in preparing grant professionals to successfully fund their organizational and community needs, along with meeting their personal career and leadership goals.
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