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Category: California News

Sacramento, California - Attorney General Xavier Becerra Tuesday provided a list of guidelines to Californians who choose to donate to charities through online charitable fundraising platforms. Charitable fundraising platforms are third-party internet-based platforms that allow the donor to give to charities listed on the platform. The fundraising platforms include Amazon, Benevity, Charity Navigator, CrowdRise, eBay, Facebook, GoFundMe, Google, GuideStar (Candid), Lyft, Overstock, and PayPal.

“As online fundraising evolves, it is important for donors to make wise and informed decisions,” said Attorney General Becerra. “The California Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that Californians’ charitable donations are not misapplied. I encourage donors to always do their research before making a donation of any kind.”

Online Donation Guidelines

Attorney General Becerra recommends that, when donating through charitable fundraising platforms, donors should be aware of how the donation process works for indirect methods of charitable giving. Online donations are permanent and non-refundable. Prior to submitting a charitable donation using a charitable fundraising platform, donors should research and confirm the following:

For the complete list of guidelines, including guidelines on the duties and best practices of charitable fundraising platforms, you can read our entire Guide for Online Charitable Giving here. For additional resources regarding charitable donations, please visit oag.ca.gov/charities.