Monday, January 14, 2019

GoFundMe Shuts Down Border Wall Campaign (Update)

San Diego- and Redwood City-based GoFundMe, which allows users to create crowdfunding campaigns for pretty much any cause, is giving users the options of backing out of a huge effort that had raised $20M to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. According to GoFundMe, the change to the campaign, started by motivational speaker and veteran Brian Kolfage, is because the campaign changed the beneficiary of the campaign from the federal government, to a new nonprofit led by Kolfag. GoFundMe says that all funds will be returned to donors, unless they choose to redirect the funds to the new nonprofit led by Kolfage. CNBC says the new nonprofit includes several controversial figures, including some with ties to white nationalist groups. (Update as of 1/14/2019 5:00pm: organizers of the "We Build The Wall" campaign says that, contrary to reports, GoFundMe is not refunding donations to the campaign. The group says that more than 93% of the donors have chosen to contribute to a new campaign to fund the new We Build The Wall Inc. effort, also via GoFundMe).

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