Local News
GoFundMe Removes Nonprofit Page Following Controversy
SAN ANTONIO – A local nonprofit organization is raising concerns regarding GoFundMe’s recent actions.
San Antonio Pets Alive! reported that GoFundMe created a fundraising page for them without obtaining prior consent.
Bob Citrullo, the Executive Director of San Antonio Pets Alive!, expressed his alarm over the situation, fearing it could be a fraudulent scheme and urging GoFundMe to rectify the issue.
“Every dollar is crucial for caring for thes animals whose lives we are saving,” Citrullo stated.
Citrullo admitted he was taken aback when he discovered San Antonio pets Alive! featured on GoFundMe. “if people contribute to something like this and later find out it’s a scam… we didn’t initiate it, but if I were a donor, I’d feel very uneasy,” he remarked. “I would worry about how I could donate in the future.”
Last month alone, GoFundMe launched over 1.4 million donation pages for registered nonprofits across the United States.
“The intention was to raise awareness among donors about these organizations; however, the problem lies in needing approval from each organization to do so, which can be quite misleading,” Citrullo explained.
Citrullo and his team identified several unauthorized GoFundMe pages claiming they were supporting San Antonio Pets Alive!, which collectively raised more than $1,300.
“We cannot access those funds,” Citrullo lamented. “What I truly wont is for those donations to be returned to their original contributors so they can give through our official channels on our website.”
A representative from gofundme confirmed on Friday that the page associated with San Antonio Pets Alive! has been removed from their platform.They also clarified that all previously collected donations had been transferred directly to the nonprofit via PayPal Giving fund.
“Anyone wishing to make a donation should exercise caution—always verify where you are donating and ensure you visit the organization’s official website,” Citrullo advised.
San Antonio Pets Alive! emphasizes that they only accept contributions through their official site at
SanAntonioPetsAlive.org.
Read below for GoFundMe’s full statement provided to KSAT 12:
“At GoFundMe, our mission revolves around helping individuals support one another. This commitment extends fully towards nonprofits: we aim to connect them with new donors while empowering supporters in fundraising efforts and enabling communities to rally behind causes they care about.”
“We recognize that our recent initiatives involving Nonprofit Pages have caused confusion within our community; thus we are dedicated to restoring trust through action.”
“After receiving feedback from users, we’ve implemented several changes:
The Nonprofit Pages will now operate on an opt-in basis: Only nonprofits that choose this option and complete verification will have public searchable pages on GoFundMe.” “Nonprofits not claimed as of recent weeks have been removed from search results.” “We will continue listing all verified nonprofits so organizers can create fundraisers supporting them.”
< i > “Our team has communicated with San Antonio pets Alive both via email and phone calls. I can confirm not only has their Nonprofit Page been deleted but also their entire listing has been completely erased per their request.”
< i > “All previous donations made through fundraisers benefiting San Antonio Pets Alive have already reached them via PayPal Giving Fund; this information has also been shared with them.”
< i > “We remain committed in assisting nonprofits while ensuring prompt delivery of all funds raised.”
GoFundMe spokesperson
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