GoFundMe is backpedaling from its move to add the logos of nonprofits to the pages it set up for more than 1 million nonprofits. The firm announced it will remove logos from unclaimed pages. Nonprofits will have the ability to manage their own branding and assets after completing the process to claim the page.
Nonprofit leaders loudly complained that trademarked logos were being used without permission, potentially hurting branding. GoFundMe is also removing optional tips from Nonprofits’ Pages for direct donations until consent has been given by the organization through the claim process.
In most cases charities’ officials had no idea about the pages. For example, leaders at the small nonprofit Acquaint in Bellevue, Washington saw some comments on LinkedIn about GoFundMe launching an initiative that included hosting on its platform’s donation pages. They immediately went searching the platform.
“The logo GoFundMe used says “HomeAgain VR,” which was the name of our organization before we changed it officially to Acquaint with the IRS in 2021,” said Alex Szebenyi, co-founder and chief technology officer at Acquaint. The page also linked to the wrong social accounts, he said. For example, GoFundMe listed an incorrect LinkedIn and Instagram accounts along with a suspended X account.
An organization has to claim the page to remove it from GoFundMe and the rules include prohibiting use of the GoFundMe trademarks in any way, even though the platform used a nonprofit’s logo without permission, said Szebenyi.
In a statement reversing the use of logos without permission, GoFundMe officials said: “We have heard from nonprofits over the last few days about our Nonprofit Pages, and wanted to take a moment to address some of their concerns, and share a few updates we’re making to improve the experience for nonprofits and their supporters.”
The changes include:
- Removing optional tips from Nonprofits Pages for direct donations until consent has been given by the organization through the claim process.
- Improved brand control for nonprofits by removing logos from unclaimed pages. Nonprofits will have the ability to manage their own branding and assets after completing the claim process.
- Improving transparency and communication, including more communication around search for visibility in search. Organizations have the ability to toggle off SEO after claiming their page (
https://lnkd.in/enbMV6uN) or contact GoFundMe directly (support.gofundme.com).
“While we have shared updates on Nonprofit Pages across webinars, articles, emails, and conferences throughout this year, we know we can do a better job explaining the “why” and “how” behind it, and we’re committed to that ongoing work,” according to a statement from GoFundMe.
Previous to the announcement, Margaret L. Richardson, chief marketing and corporate affairs officer at GoFundMe, said the information on the pages was taken from publicly available data with the intent of allowing nonprofits to use the site for fundraising. “Every month, more than 100 million people visit GoFundMe, and many of them are searching for nonprofits to support by donating, fundraising, or both. Our goal with nonprofit pages is to give GoFundMe’s vast global community an easy way to discover and donate to nonprofit organizations,” according to Richardson. More than 70,000 nonprofits had donations via GoFundMe during 2024, she said.
The money raised from both direct donations to Nonprofit Pages and those who fundraise on a nonprofit’s behalf go directly to the organization through Paypal Giving Fund or other payments processors. Other payment processors used by the platform are Stripe and Adyen.
GoFundMe receives a transaction fee of 2.2% plus 30 cents per donation to a nonprofit fundraiser, which helps us pay our payment processors and safely deliver funds. GoFundMe’s pricing model gives our donors the choice to leave an optional tip, which helps power the platform.
“These completely voluntary contributions make it possible for us to provide trusted fundraising tools, customer support, and a dedicated global Trust & Safety team that protects our community. The majority of donors adjust our tipping slider, and in many cases, do move it to zero,” explained Richardson.
Many of the comments on variously online platforms expressed surprise regarding the pages and of not having been informed. Richardson said the firm has had nonprofit pages for years and that the updated platforms as of January should not have caught people off guard. The topic has been discussed “for many months, with organizations and at conferences,” said Richardson.
Organizations can also request that their nonprofit page be taken down via our Help Center (support.gofundme.com), said Richardson. “Our team promptly removes nonprofit pages upon request.”
Szebenyi said he asked the page be taken down. “Instead of claiming the page, we reached out to their legal team to request removal on the basis of unauthorized use of intellectual property and misrepresentation. The response from their Trust & Safety team essentially repeated the same suggestion: claim the page, agree to the Terms, and consider the ‘benefits’ of using GoFundMe.”
