State Moves to Strengthen Fundraising Platform Bill

CalNonprofits continues to advocate for protections for nonprofits and donors when using online fundraising platforms. CalNonprofits CEO Geoff Green was on hand to testify at a recent oversight committee hearing tasked with improving the implementation of AB 488, a bill that was intended to ensure online fundraising platforms - like PayPal and GoFundMe - have safeguards in place for both donors and the nonprofits they support.

Unfortunately, an unintended consequence of the bill has resulted in thousands of nonprofits being categorized as "not in good standing" by the state's Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, unable to receive funds, and facing lengthy delays when trying to comply with regulations.

CalNonprofits has been advocating for changes to the Registry process for several years now and has been working with the Attorney General's office to encourage modernization of the system. Green shared that needed changes seem to now be "going in the right direction."

A video recording of the Feb. 17th hearing will be available soon.

CalNonprofits has also joined with partners through the National Council of Nonprofits to explore the potential for a federal policy to further regulate fundraising platforms and encourage other states to advocate for their own policies.