TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – A nonprofit in Pinellas County that assists seniors with housing and meal programs finally received its donation funds after enlisting the help of Better Call Behnken to resolve issues with a fundraising platform.

The Area Agency on Aging for Pinellas-Pasco turned to 8 On Your Side Consumer Investigator Shannon Behnken when California-based Flipcause delayed releasing their donations since February. At one point, over $20,000 was on hold; by the time they reached out to Behnken, approximately $12,000 was still in limbo, and communication from the company had ceased.

Remarkably, just hours after the story aired on Better Call Behnken, the nonprofit received the entirety of the funds.

“These donations are vital for assisting seniors in crisis, and ironically, we found ourselves in a crisis due to the improper withholding of these funds,” explained Executive Director Ann Marie Winter.

“Right after the story was broadcast, I forwarded the link to Flipcause and contacted their CEO and upper management, who had previously ignored our phone calls and emails, and even our attorney’s letters. To our surprise, they finally responded, confirming that all our funds would be transferred to our organization,” Winter recounted.

No one from Flipcause has responded to Behnken’s requests for comment but the company’s CEO posted a message to nonprofit clients in August, acknowledging a backlog and promising to fix it soon.

Winter says she’s happy to have her organization’s money back but she still has serious questions.

“I’m actually concerned about so many other organizations that have reached out to us since the story ran, both local and both organizations outside of Florida that are being held hostage by Flipcause,” Winter said.

The Better Business Bureau has an alert for the business, citing long delays in nonprofits receiving their money. Several other nonprofits have in the Tampa Bay area have reached out to Better Call Behnken about similar issues, and this investigation continues. If you are in this situation, email BetterCallBehnken@wfla.com