Dear Tennessee Nonprofit Network Members,
I am writing with an extremely important and positive update on an issue similar to the recent GoFundMe controversy—the presence of unauthorized, third-party fundraising mechanisms using your organization’s name.
As you know, we heard from hundreds of our members about this challenge, and we acted swiftly. We commend GoFundMe for their quick and decisive actions to change their policies regarding their unauthorized fundraising pages for nonprofits. Because you alerted us to other websites engaging in this practice, we immediately focused our attention on Charity Navigator. Thank you to those of you who alerted us to the unauthorized donate buttons linked to your organization on Charity Navigator’s page.
Policy Success: Charity Navigator Agrees to Remove Unauthorized Pages
Tennessee Nonprofit Network has successfully engaged with Charity Navigator, resulting in a major policy change that directly benefits all our members. We are thankful to Charity Navigator for working towards this change. Charity Navigator has agreed to remove their Giving Basket feature from all unclaimed pages by December 19th. The Giving Basket includes donation buttons and the optional tipping component (which supports Charity Navigator). Please note that we cannot guarantee the removal of pages for organizations outside of Tennessee. For more information on pages for organizations outside of Tennessee, please email info@charitynavigator.org.
We are proud that Tennessee Nonprofit Network’s efforts have contributed to resolving this statewide issue, setting a powerful precedent for consent and control in online giving. Charity Navigator is a long-standing national nonprofit that has raised millions of dollars for nonprofits, but we always advocate for our members to give consent to online fundraising and fundraising mechanisms by third parties.
What This Means for You: Action Steps for All Nonprofits
Charity Navigator is preparing to remove the Giving Basket feature from all nonprofit profile pages that have not been actively claimed by December 19th. You now have the full control to determine if you want this feature on your page.
ACTION REQUIRED: Decide if you want the Giving Basket on your Charity Navigator page and follow the corresponding steps below.
- Check the status of your organization on their website. Go to Charity Navigator‘s home page and search for your organization. If you have a donate button, you can either decide to keep it (nothing like a surprise check every now and then!) or do nothing, and it will be removed. We want to make sure you know that your organization is listed on their website and may currently contain a donate button with tipping options for Charity Navigator.
- To KEEP the Giving Basket Feature: If you are satisfied with Charity Navigator featuring a donate button on your behalf and wish to continue receiving donations through their platform: You should formally claim your profile here. Claiming your profile also allows you to submit additional information for inclusion in your charity’s rating and claim your Rating Badge if you are a 3 or 4-star charity. For the nonprofits that have already claimed their profiles and actively opted in, no action is required.
- To have the Giving Basket Feature REMOVED:
- If your profile remains unclaimed by the deadline, the Giving Basket will be automatically and permanently removed from your page. If you wish for the donate button to be removed, do nothing. They will remove it by EOD December 19th.
- If you have previously claimed your profile but now wish to opt out, you must follow their official opt-out process. You can use the contact information below to assert your right to refuse funds and ask for the removal of the authorized page here
Why the Concern?
While we celebrate the upcoming change, the unauthorized Giving Basket practice was problematic because it replicated core issues we faced previously:
- Lack of Consent and Control: Your organization did not authorize the creation of this fundraising mechanism.
- Fundraising Off Your Brand: Donors are asked for an optional “tip” or monthly contribution to Charity Navigator, potentially diverting funds intended for you. While this is common for online fundraising platforms, it should be your choice whether or not Charity Navigator fundraises for you with these terms.
Next Steps
For those of you who appreciate the tool and choose to claim your page, we hope that you raise lots of money through them! Third-party fundraising software is an important tool for nonprofits, but trust and consent are key. Your proactive response helps us demonstrate the sector’s unified demand for consent and control. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or require additional support. If you have specific questions about Charity Navigator, email them here.
Sincerely,
Kevin Dean
President & CEO
Tennessee Nonprofit Network