NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett has joined a coalition of attorneys general and charitable regulators from across the country in demanding answers from GoFundMe after reports that the online fundraising platform created donation webpages for charities without their knowledge or consent. See the multi-state letter HERE. 

Hargett and officials from 23 other states sent a formal letter to GoFundMe raising concerns that the company created donation pages for more than 1.4 million charities nationwide without obtaining permission from the organizations being referenced. The coalition is requesting immediate corrective action and has given the company 14 days to demonstrate that the pages have been removed.

“The practices of GoFundMe potentially violate several state charitable solicitation and consumer protection laws, and our office must be vigilant in protecting Tennessee’s donors and registered charitable organizations,” Hargett said. “We are pleased to stand with other states in safeguarding our citizens.”

GoFundMe operates an internet-based fundraising platform that allows individuals, groups and nonprofit organizations to solicit donations for a wide range of causes. The company is a for-profit Delaware corporation headquartered in California and is registered with Tennessee’s Registry of Charities and Fundraisers as a charitable fundraising platform.

According to the multi-state letter, GoFundMe allegedly created donation webpages for more than 1.4 million U.S. charities in October 2025 without first seeking approval from the organizations involved. Regulators say many charities discovered the pages only after they were already active online, raising concerns about unauthorized use of their names and identities.

The coalition warned that the practice may have created confusion among donors and damaged trust between charities and the public. Officials also noted that some of the automatically generated pages included inaccurate information about charities, such as incorrect names, logos, social media links or descriptions of charitable missions.

The letter also raises concerns that some pages may not have clearly disclosed that donations were routed through a donor-advised fund rather than being sent directly to the featured charity. Regulators say the lack of disclosure could have misled donors about how their contributions were ultimately distributed.

In addition, state officials say reports indicate the pages sometimes included a default “tip” of roughly 16.5 percent intended for GoFundMe. Regulators also cited concerns that the company’s use of search engine optimization may have allowed the unauthorized pages to appear above official charity websites or legitimate fundraising campaigns in online search results.

Officials say those practices could potentially violate charitable solicitation and consumer protection laws in numerous states. Some laws require explicit written consent before a third party can solicit donations using a charity’s name or likeness, while others prohibit misleading advertising or incomplete disclosure when soliciting donations.

As part of the coalition’s demands, GoFundMe has been asked to provide proof that all unauthorized donation pages have been removed and to explain what steps the company has taken to prevent similar issues in the future.

Specifically, regulators are asking GoFundMe to:

• Provide documentation confirming the removal of all unauthorized donation webpages.
• Disclose all information that could influence a donor’s decision, including where donations were directed if they were not sent directly to the charities referenced.
• Explain how the company ensured its fundraising pages did not appear above official charity websites or campaigns in online search results.

The coalition is also asking GoFundMe to review its policies and ensure that future fundraising pages clearly disclose who receives donated funds, whether donor-advised funds are involved, and whether any fees or tips are applied to donations.

The letter was signed by officials from numerous states, including attorneys general from California, New York, Illinois, Michigan and others, along with secretaries of state and charitable regulators responsible for overseeing nonprofit fundraising activity.

State officials say the action reflects growing concern about transparency in online fundraising platforms and the need to protect both donors and legitimate nonprofit organizations from misleading solicitations.