Alaska Sues Crowdfunding Platforms for Unauthorized Charity Pages

0:00I'm Cory with the story, bringing you the latest from Anchorage News today. Alaska's Attorney General Stephen Cox announced lawsuits against six crowdfunding platforms this week. The state accuses GoFundMe, PayPal, charity navigator, just giving, pledge to and network for good of setting up donation pages for nonprofits without their permission. These platforms use public info to create pages for over 1 million charities nationwide, including thousands in Alaska. Officials say GoFundMe alone made 1,400,000 such pages in the fall of 2025. Up to 5,000 Alaska nonprofits might have been affected, often without even knowing about it. Donors could have given money thinking it went straight to the charity, but fees might have cut into it, or the funds never arrived. This hurts trust and giving, as people expect their donations to reach the right place. The nonprofits want control over their fundraising, like picking partners and tracking donors.

1:00Unauthorized pages can show wrong info, take fees, or clash with the group's own efforts. The state's probe found similar issues across these sites, with pages mimicking Alaska charities. The suits claim breaks of the Charitable Solicitations Act and Consumer Protection Act, which demand consent before collecting in a charity's name. Alaska seeks court orders to delete these pages and hit the companies with penalties. A local nonprofit group cheered the move, stressing the need for clear donor intent and accountability in philanthropy. Special thanks to our sponsor for supporting this episode. Layback, press play, let the pillow do the rest, sound meets comfort, S-O-L-I-S-O-L-Pillow.com.