New York Attorney General Letitia James has joined a bipartisan coalition of 19 other attorneys general and charitable regulators in raising concerns about fundraising practices by GoFundMe, saying the company created more than 1.4 million donation pages for charities without their knowledge or consent.
In a letter to the crowdfunding platform, James and the coalition warned that the practice may have violated state charitable solicitation and consumer protection laws. The group said it has secured a commitment from GoFundMe to remove all pages created without authorization and is now demanding confirmation and proof that the pages have been taken down and policies changed.
“When Americans open their wallets to support a charity, they deserve to know exactly where their money is going,” James said. “By creating fundraising pages in charities’ names without their knowledge or consent, GoFundMe misled donors and put public trust in charitable giving at risk. We are demanding clear answers and meaningful reforms to ensure charities control their own fundraising and donors are fully informed.”
According to the coalition, GoFundMe reportedly launched donation pages in October 2025 for approximately 1.4 million charities across the country without first seeking permission. Many organizations said they were unaware the pages existed until after they were published, raising concerns about the use of their names and logos, inaccurate descriptions of their work, and confusion among donors.
Some pages allegedly promoted incorrect information and failed to clearly disclose when donations were routed through a donor-advised fund instead of going directly to the featured charity. In certain cases, the presentation may have given donors the impression the campaigns were operated by or affiliated with the named organizations.
Officials also said the company applied a default tip of about 16.5 percent to contributions, with that money going to GoFundMe rather than the charity. In addition, search engine optimization practices may have caused the company’s pages to appear above official charity websites in search results, potentially diverting donations.
The coalition argues that these actions may violate state laws requiring written consent before a third party solicits funds on a charity’s behalf, as well as laws prohibiting deceptive or misleading conduct in charitable fundraising.
GoFundMe has acknowledged that creating the pages without consent was wrong and committed to corrective action, including removing the unauthorized pages. The coalition is now seeking proof that the pages have been taken down, that written consent is required moving forward, and that the company has updated its takedown procedures and online search practices. States have requested a formal response within 14 days and say further investigative steps could follow if necessary.
