What the GoFundMe Nonprofit Page Roll-out Teaches Us About Owning Our Online Presence

In mid-October 2025, GoFundMe quietly generated over 1.4 million donation pages for U.S. nonprofits — many without those organizations’ knowledge or explicit consent. (Learn more here: Bloomerang) This unexpected development has triggered concern in the nonprofit sector and surfaced a critical lesson: if you don’t manage your digital presence, someone else may do so — in ways you don’t control.

For nonprofits, having a credible, clear, and controlled online footprint is no longer optional. Whether it’s direct donors or grant-makers doing their due diligence, your online presence — website, directory listings, ratings, donation pages — speaks volumes. In this post, I’ll unpack why this matters (for donors and grant-makers alike), walk through specific steps you should take now (including how to claim/delete your GoFundMe page), and illustrate how this connects to other reputation platforms like Charity Navigator and your competitive standing in the grant process.

Why this matters: The fallout of the mass GoFundMe page roll-out

Authoritative control and credibility

When a platform auto-creates donation pages in your name, even if well-intentioned, it shifts control of a piece of your brand and donor experience. GoFundMe’s roll-out of over 1.4 million pages—most made without nonprofits’ authorization—is a stark example.

Many organizations were surprised to find pages under their name, with little clarity about whether donations made there were routed correctly or how donors would perceive such pages.

Trust and donor behaviour

When donation pages appear unexpectedly, or when tipping/fee prompts are included, donor confidence can be eroded.  In a landscape where donors are increasingly cautious of phishing and fraudulent-looking pages, any uncertainty or mismatch in branding or message can reduce conversions.

SEO, search visibility and unintended competition

Another important consideration: auto-generated pages may appear higher in search results than your official site, potentially redirecting supporters away from your verified donation path. This means your SEO efforts — your branding, your primary website, your official giving channel — can be undermined by something you didn’t initiate.

Implication for digital stewardship

For nonprofits, this incident reinforces that your digital presence isn’t just marketing—it’s stewardship. The check-out experience, the page hosting your brand, the donor data you control (or don’t) — all of it contributes to how you’re perceived and your ability to perform.

What your nonprofit should do now with GoFundMe

Here’s an updated and enhanced checklist based on the latest recommendations:

Step 1: Search for your organization on GoFundMe

• Go to GoFundMe’s nonprofit search or directory and enter your legal nonprofit name or EIN.

• Note any page(s) you find, the URL, and whether your organization created it or it appears to be auto-generated.
  

Step 2: Decide whether to claim or remove the page

If you find a page you want to manage:

• Create/log in to a GoFundMe account using your official nonprofit email.

• Claim the page by verifying your identity and nonprofit status.

• Once you have control, ensure your mission, links, branding, and donation routing are accurate.
  

If you prefer not to keep it:

• Submit a removal request via GoFundMe’s Data Removal Form (or email privacy-requests@gofundme.com and dpo@gofundme.com) including: your legal name, EIN, URL(s) of the unauthorized pages, and request that they be “removed, delisted and de-indexed.”

• If donations have been collected, ensure funds are transferred correctly before requesting deletion.
  

Step 3: Audit your donation experience and messaging

• Review your giving forms and donation flows; look for any “tip” prompts or unclear fee language. Such prompts on third-party platforms can reduce completion rates and confuse donors.

• Make sure your website and donation link clearly instruct donors to use your “official” channel and articulate why.

• Use plain, transparent language: e.g., “Your gift goes directly to our mission when you donate here.”
  

Step 4: Strengthen your website and search culture

• Ensure consistent branding (logo, naming, mission statement) across website, social media, listing pages, and any third-party platforms.

• Optimize your website’s donation page URL, metadata, and link referrals to rank ahead of any unauthorized pages. Unclaimed pages may harm your SEO visibility.

• Monitor referring traffic to your site to identify if donors are landing on other platforms instead.
  

Step 5: Make online presence maintenance part of your operations

• Assign a staff or board member to check major platforms (GoFundMe, Charity Navigator, Candid, Google Business listings, social media) at least quarterly for accuracy and consistency.

• Document listing URLs, admin credentials, and a “who owns this page?” inventory.

• Integrate this into your digital stewardship plan and grant-writing documentation (see next section).
  

GoFundMe isn’t the only place donors look

This isn’t just about one platform—it’s about every corner of your nonprofit’s digital footprint.

The role of Charity Navigator

A well-maintained profile on Charity Navigator can help validate your transparency and accountability. To be rated, your organization must be a registered 501(c)(3) with recent Form 990 filings. Once eligible, update your profile regularly to ensure donors and funders are seeing current information.

A strong rating doesn’t just help with donors—it also helps in your grant competitiveness. Funders trust organizations that demonstrate strong governance and transparency.

• Charity Navigator assesses U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofits on Accountability & Finance and Impact & Results (and other dimensions). Being rated — especially in the higher tiers — offers external validation of your organization’s credibility.

• Nonprofits can register in the “Nonprofit Portal” and provide up-to-date information such as website URL, mission, board list, financials, etc.

• A strong Charity Navigator profile boosts trust with donors and grants alike: when a funder sees the rating they interpret it as evidence of transparency, sound management and mission focus.
  

Integrating this into your digital strategy

• Ensure your website, social media, directory listings and donation pages all reference the same brand name, logo, mission wording, and contact information.

• Connect your Charity Navigator rating or badge visibly on your website and communications.

• When you attribute your rating in grant applications, link it explicitly to your digital footprint: “See our verified listing on Charity Navigator and our official donation page URL ___”.

• In your grant-writing process, note whether the funder will review your online presence; include a note in your internal checklist: “Has our GoFundMe page (if any) been claimed/deleted? Are all listings up to date?”
  

Implications for grant writing competition

This digital-presence issue is increasingly relevant in the grant-landscape. Here’s why:

First impressions count

Many program officers perform a quick online scan of your organization before inviting you to apply. If that scan shows inconsistent branding, multiple listings, unclaimed donation pages, or confusing giving flows — that’s a credibility drag.

Signal of organizational capacity

When your digital brand is tidy, consistent, and controlled, it signals you have governance, communication, and donor stewardship processes in place. That matters to funders who are betting on organizations that can execute reliably.

Digital presence as part of your case

In your proposal narrative, you often discuss donor engagement, visibility, and impact. Your online presence is the real-world proof of that: website traffic, conversion rates, listing authority, and ratings. When your online presence is weak or scattered, you weaken your case.

Competitive edge

When two nonprofits submit similar proposals, the one whose digital brand looks stronger (verified listings, clean website, recognized rating, claimed donation pages) has an edge. The latter may raise concern: “If they can’t manage their digital footprint, can they manage our grant funds?”

Key take-aways & next-step action

• Your digital presence is not “nice to have” — it’s mission-critical for credibility and competitiveness.

• The recent GoFundMe roll-out is a wake-up call: if you’re not proactively managing your brand’s presence online, others may be doing it for you.
  

• Action steps this week:

  1. Search GoFundMe for your org name/EIN and claim or request removal of pages.

  2. Audit your donation experience for clarity (tips/fees, etc).

  3. Review your website, listing pages, and search results; fix any outdated or inconsistent information.

  4. Update your Charity Navigator and other rating/listing profiles.

  5. Incorporate online presence checks into your quarterly governance/digital audit process.
     

Because here’s the truth: if you don’t tell your story online, someone else will—and they may not get it right.

Your mission deserves a clear, confident voice in every space it appears.

Let’s strengthen your story—online and in your grants

At Just Write Grants, we do more than write proposals. We help nonprofits position themselves for success—on paper and online.

When we partner with your organization, we’ll make sure your grant narratives, digital footprint, and funder-facing materials all work together to tell a consistent, credible story that funders can trust.

If your nonprofit is ready to build a stronger case for funding and a stronger online presence to match, let’s talk.

👉 Schedule a consultation to see how our team can help you align your message, your mission, and your next grant win.