Commentary: 4 Lessons In The Fragility Of Trust

(Photo Courtesy of Pexels)

By Todd Baylis

Nonprofits work tirelessly to earn donor trust. For as long as it takes to build that trust, it can be shattered instantly when donation pages appear without your knowledge or consent. GoFundMe’s recent creation of 1.4 million donation pages proved how quickly confusion takes over when you don’t control the giving process tied to your organization’s name.

A donor sees a familiar organization listed on a major platform and assumes they’re seeing an authorized fundraising form when, in fact, they are not. Not only does this erode donor trust, but it poses risk to your future fundraising efforts.

While the company took action to rectify the situation, it took several days and does not repair the damage done to confidence in the platform. There are several lessons you can take away from this ordeal to further cement donors’ trust in your nonprofit — from owning your digital presence to ensuring transparency at every step of the giving journey.

Lesson 1: Your Digital Presence Will Make Or Break Trust 

Use transparency to actively maintain donor trust. When donors consider giving, it’s essential they can easily verify if a giving page is legitimate. You can make this simple for them with a consistent and transparent digital identity across donation platforms, websites, and social media.

If you’re on a third-party platform, ensure your logo, mission statement, and Employer Identification Number (EIN) are up to date, or remove yourself from platforms that don’t align with your values.

“Own” your search results. One of the biggest surprises for nonprofit leaders was how GoFundMe Pages began ranking above official donation pages in Google results. You need to take this as a wake-up call to treat search visibility as mission-critical. Your digital footprint should start and end with your official website.

To “own” your search results, conduct an SEO audit at least twice a year:

• Google your nonprofit’s name plus “donate” and see what appears first.
• Claim or request removal of any misleading listings.
• Use Google Search Console to submit your official donation page as the canonical source.

Control over data equals control over relationships. Many unclaimed GoFundMe Pages didn’t share full donor data with nonprofits. That means no thank-you emails, no stewardship, and no opportunity to build relationships.

Wherever donations come from — your website, a social platform, or a third-party processor — you need access to donor names, contact info, and gift details to share a timely thank you. Without those elements, you’re renting your relationships instead of owning them, and risk losing supporters. Leverage tools to centralize donor data, track giving behavior, and follow up quickly, even when donations come from external sources.

Digital vigilance must be a permanent part of nonprofit operations. This situation with GoFundMe was not a first. Other fundraising platforms have launched features that automatically pull nonprofit data from public records. As artificial intelligence (AI) and automation expand, these “autogenerated” experiences are becoming more common, making digital vigilance a key part of your regular operations checklist. To ensure your nonprofits’ brand presence is consistent:

• Search for unauthorized listings quarterly;
• Review your presence on popular giving platforms (GoFundMe, Facebook Fundraisers, Benevity, etc.); and,
• Assign someone on your team to monitor digital reputation and donor feedback.

Think of this digital vigilance as a new kind of donor stewardship; one of brand stewardship.

Lesson 2: Transparency Isn’t Optional — It’s Strategic 

 Platform convenience shouldn’t replace consent. When working to rectify the unauthorized donor pages, GoFundMe’s explanation was that they wanted to make it “easier for donors to find nonprofits,” but the execution overlooked a core nonprofit value: consent matters.

Understand how your data will be used and shared to ensure transparency with your donor base is clear before partnering with any fundraising or constituent relationship management (CRM) platform. Transparency and consent should always be mutual. Confirm the following information:

• Whether your logo or mission might appear publicly by default;
• What “claiming” or “verifying” actually gives you control over; and,
• What are the platform terms.

Communicate early and often. Be proactive. When something happens that could confuse or impact donors, early and clear communication are critical to maintaining trust. Many nonprofits shared direct updates with supporters once the news broke: “If you see us on GoFundMe, please use our official giving link instead.” That level of transparency built trust instead of eroding it.

A short message explaining what occurred, and linking to your verified donation page, goes a long way to reinforcing credibility.

 Transparency around tipping builds donor trust. A major source of confusion in the GoFundMe controversy was tipping — the optional amount donors could add to support GoFundMe itself. There was limited transparency about who this portion of the donation benefited (the nonprofit or the platform) and whether it was required, so it led to frustration for both donors and organizations.

While you can’t control how every platform structures its fees, you can control how those platforms talk about you. For example:

• Be upfront about fees and tips. Clearly state whether a platform charges a processing fee or includes an optional tip.
• Provide clarity before the donation. Let donors know where every dollar goes — and reassure them that tips are never required.
• Own the narrative. If donors are giving through your official website, highlight that 100% (or nearly all) of their gift goes directly to your mission.
• Reinforce trust through transparency. The clearer you are about costs, the more confident donors feel that their generosity is being respected.

Tipping isn’t just about percentages, it’s about perception. When donors understand how their money moves through the system, and feel confident in the giving journey, they’re more likely to give again.

Lesson 3: The Power Of Sector Advocacy And Standing Together

The swift response from the nonprofit community to GoFundMe’s actions sent a clear message: when nonprofits speak with a unified voice, they create change.

Following the days of public concern and sector-wide dialogue, GoFundMe reversed its policy, moving to an opt-in model and taking steps to remove unauthorized pages. The result of this reverse course proves advocacy isn’t just for public policy, it’s for protecting the integrity of the sector itself. The nonprofit community thrives when we lift each other up, share information openly, and work together to hold partners and platforms accountable.

True impact comes not only from individual voices but from solidarity and collective action. And the aftermath of the GoFundMe episode stands as a clear reminder that the nonprofit community is a powerful, mission-driven ecosystem rooted in the values of trust, transparency, and collaboration.

Lesson 4: Always Read The Fine Print And Ask Who’s Really In Your Corner

The GoFundMe incident reinforces that you are the best advocate for your mission and values. Too often, organizations accept digital tools at face value, assuming that if a platform serves nonprofits, it must also understand them. But terms of service, data-sharing policies, and “feature defaults” can tell a different story.

Before adopting or renewing any technology tool, take the time to dig deeper:

• Read the fine print. What rights are you granting the platform to use your organization’s name, logo, or donor data?
• Look for transparency. Are there clear explanations of how your information might be displayed, shared, or monetized?
• Ask the hard questions: Is this company a true partner in our mission, or just another tech provider chasing growth metrics?

Real partners earn your trust by showing respect for your brand, your donors, and your community. They prioritize mission alignment over market expansion and treat stewardship as seriously as you do.

Because in the end, technology should amplify your mission — not compromise it.

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Todd Baylis is chief customer officer at Bloomerang.