Oakland-based fundraising platform Flipcause has come under intense scrutiny after several nonprofit organizations have accused the company of failing to distribute hundreds of thousands of dollars in donor contributions. These charities are experiencing significant financial stress due to Flipcause’s inability to transfer funds promptly, with some nonprofits reporting delays that extend for months or even more than a year.
According to ABC7 News, organizations such as Youth In Arts and Bunny Blessings have encountered challenges getting responses from Flipcause, despite promises of immediate payouts. Youth In Arts has been owed over $18,000 for five months, which climbed to $22,329.78 following the interview. This delay has hampered the charity’s ability to fund their programs, which are essential for their operation. “When I have to tell my staff, I’m sorry, guys, you’re gonna have to wait for your paycheck, because we’re waiting for Flipcause to pay us our money,” said Julia Wyson from the Shakespeare Youth Festival in Los Angeles.
The company’s inability to deliver on its promises has not gone unnoticed by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which has now issued Flipcause an ‘F’ rating, the organization’s lowest grade. The BBB attributes this rating to a pattern of unresolved complaints and delayed fund transfers, as per their review in August 2025. One BBB report available online has detailed that, despite efforts to address these issues, no response has been received from Flipcause.
Furthermore, in a report by Oakland Voices, the East Oakland Collective (EOC) is among the groups most heavily impacted, with Flipcause withholding more than $100,000 from them. Candice Elder, the executive director of EOC, described it as “a constant fight to get the money.” When she decided to make her frustrations public, Sean Wheeler, CEO of Flipcause, promised to expedite a pending transfer of $34,185 and credit EOC with a one-year subscription, which Elder soon after received.
Several nonprofits, feeling the pinch of Flipcause’s practices, have filed complaints with their state attorney generals or the California AG; however, no public confirmation of ongoing investigations has been provided. Suffering from the repercussions of Flipcause’s actions, these organizations have been forced to cancel essential programs and lay off staff. “That’s money that we can’t use to purchase gas cards. That’s money that we can’t use to purchase food; that’s money that we can’t use to purchase supplies, and it hurts,” Kerry Klein from New Day Advocacy Center, a domestic violence center in Ashland, Wisconsin, told ABC7 News. In search of a solution, some nonprofits have moved to competitor platforms like Givebutter, as expressed by Rashida Hanif, the Executive Director of RepresentEd Leadership.
