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CONCORD, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) New Hampshire has joined a multistate effort demanding answers from the online fundraising giant GoFundMe after reports the company created unauthorized donation pages using charities’ information.
Attorney General John M. Formella announced Tuesday that the state’s Charitable Trusts Unit is part of a bipartisan coalition pressing the California-based company to demonstrate that it has taken down every page created without a charity’s knowledge or permission.
The letter, sent by attorneys general and charity regulators from multiple states, follows reports that GoFundMe generated more than 1.4 million donation pages that mirrored or copied information from legitimate nonprofit organizations. According to the coalition, some of those pages contained inaccurate descriptions of the charities and may have misled donors about where their contributions were going.
Formella said New Hampshire donors and nonprofits are entitled to clarity when it comes to charitable appeals.
“Our Charitable Trusts Unit works to ensure organizations soliciting funds here follow state law,” Formella said in a statement. “We are seeking detailed information from GoFundMe about the extent of these activities and what steps have been taken to correct them.”
GoFundMe, a for-profit corporation registered in New Hampshire as a charitable fundraising platform, allows individuals to raise money for personal causes and nonprofit groups. Regulators allege that in some cases the company created charity-branded pages that appeared in online search results without authorization. The coalition’s letter questions whether those pages diverted donations or created confusion by appearing ahead of official charity websites.
The states are asking GoFundMe to provide documentation within 14 days showing that all unauthorized pages have been removed. They also want the company to disclose how it handled donations made through the disputed pages and explain what safeguards were in place to prevent its listings from outranking official charity sites in search results.
New Hampshire’s Charitable Trusts Unit, established in 1943 as the first state office in the nation dedicated to overseeing charitable organizations, is responsible for registering and regulating nonprofits operating in the state. The unit reviews fundraising practices to ensure compliance with state charitable solicitation and consumer protection laws.
The Attorney General’s Office said it will evaluate GoFundMe’s response and determine whether further action is warranted under New Hampshire law. The matter remains under review.