SAN ANTONIO – A local priest is speaking out against GoFundMe.
The popular online fundraising platform recently created more than 1.4 million donation pages for organizations that are registered nonprofits in the U.S.
One of those pages lists St. Pius X Catholic Church, much to the chagrin of Father Pat O’Brien, who said he never asked for the page to go up.
“It just isn’t fair. It’s dishonest and it’s creating a lot of extra work for us,” O’Brien said.
When O’Brien saw his parish’s page on GoFundMe, he was concerned.
“We don’t do that,” he said.
The parish does, however, receive funds directly through its website. O’Brien said it’s easier to track money coming in that way, and simpler for people to understand, especially those who aren’t comfortable donating online.
“We work very hard to get all of our people … to trust online giving,” O’Brien said. “So then when a trusted — what used to be a trusted company … then does this, it sort of takes away that trust factor.”
Member donations and contributions are what keep parishes like his afloat.
As of Thursday evening, St. Pius’s GoFundMe page has received one $10 donation. But O’Brien said that’s $10 too many.
“It’s not that hard,” O’Brien said. (I want them to) take it down, we didn’t ask for it. We don’t want it, it’s confusing people. Take it down.”
St. Pius’s GoFundMe page remained on GoFundMe’s website as of Thursday night.
In response to the backlash from nonprofits across the U.S., GoFundMe issued an apology on Thursday.
It acknowledged when it set up nonprofit pages on its website, that caused “confusion, concern, and distraction.” The company said from now on, only nonprofits that opt in will have a public nonprofit page that’s searchable on GoFundMe.
The Archdiocese of San Antonio reminded the public that if anyone wants to donate to its ministries, parishes or schools, they can do so by visiting its website.
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