PA AG, Secretary of State call for proof GoFundMe removed unauthorized donation sites

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday and Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt have joined a coalition of more than 20 states demanding that GoFundMe address allegations of deceptive practices. 

In a letter sent to the California-based fundraising platform, the coalition of attorneys general and charitable regulators alleged that GoFundMe plagiarized donation pages for nonprofits nationwide without their knowledge or consent.

The group of officials is demanding the company provide proof within 14 days that all unauthorized pages have been removed.

The officials shared concern that the practice that was reportedly aimed at maximizing corporate profits misled donors and harmed the charities it claimed to support.

“These unauthorized pages can result in donations not reaching the donors’ intended recipients,” Sunday said in a statement. “Full transparency is absolutely necessary on online platforms soliciting and advertising donations.”

According to the Pennsylvania Department of State, media reports from October 2025 stated GoFundMe created these pages for 1.4 million U.S. charities.

The coalition of officials alleges these pages often contained inaccurate information and utilized search engine optimization (SEO) tactics to appear higher in search results than the charities’ official websites.

The letter also noted a default “tip” of approximately 16.5 percent that GoFundMe allegedly applied to donations, which was intended to pay the for-profit corporation directly.

“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,” Schmidt said.

The officials are asking for:

• Proof of the removal of all unauthorized donation pages.
• An explanation of how GoFundMe ensured its pages did not disadvantage official charity websites in search results.
• Full disclosure of all information affecting a donor’s decision, including the legal recipient of the funds and any fees or tips.
• A review of whether “tips” collected by GoFundMe should be redirected to the intended charities.

GoFundMe, a for-profit Delaware corporation, is currently registered as a charitable fundraising platform. 

State officials noted that the company’s actions may violate various state charitable solicitation and consumer protection laws.

The letter requests a formal response to the California Department of Justice, which is leading the effort, within 14 days. 

Pennsylvania officials are encouraging consumers who believe they were misled to file a complaint with the attorney general online, by dialing 1-800-441-2555, or by emailing [email protected].