How to Leverage Facebook for Nonprofit Fundraising

According to Facebook, the social media giant has raised more than $2 billion for nonprofits and personal causes since 2015. Since the release of that report in September, the social network has played an integral role in Giving Tuesday 2019, helping to raise $120 million on December 3. And more recently, the app’s fundraising tools helped users come together and raise more than $50 million to support the people and wildlife impacted by the Australian wildfires.

While annual giving holidays and tragic global events do inspire unfathomable support and generosity, many donations accumulated by Facebook’s fundraising tools are accumulated through much smaller donation efforts. Of that $2 billion raised since 2015, $1 billion of those donations were raised through Facebook’s birthday fundraisers, in which users ask their friends and family to contribute to important causes, in lieu of birthday gifts.

Facebook’s fundraising tools, and by extension those offered through Instagram, can be extremely powerful for raising awareness about your cause and reaching supporters. Here are some tips for using Facebook’s fundraising features:

Get verified.
All U.S. verified nonprofit pages can create or donate to fundraisers directly from their Facebook Page. If you haven’t verified your nonprofit yet, the process can be completed here. This is a necessary step in order to make use of Facebook’s fundraising tools.

Make use of the donate button.
The donate button is one of the simplest ways Facebook users can donate directly to your nonprofit and the best news is—they don’t have to leave Facebook to do it. The donate button can be added to your page, posts, live videos, and ads.

Create Page Fundraisers with a goal in mind.
Page fundraisers are a great way to share your mission and rally supporters! To garner the most support, it’s best to have a goal in mind.  Whether you’re asking for donations in honor of a national holiday, in response to a current event, to raise money for a new program, or for general support— Facebook users are more apt to donate when they feel like their contribution will help meet a specific goal. Additionally, they’re more likely to donate as a fundraiser nears goal completion.

Encourage birthday fundraisers.
Two weeks prior to their birthday, Facebook offers users the opportunity to create a birthday fundraiser in support of a cause they care about. Once they create the fundraiser, all of their Facebook friends will be notified and invited to donate. Make sure your followers and supporters know your nonprofit is verified and eligible for personal birthday fundraisers!

Use donation stickers.
Similar to the donation button, Facebook has also launched donation stickers for both Facebook Stories and Instagram Stories. As previously noted, your Facebook Page must be verified as a nonprofit. In order for the donation sticker to function on Instagram, you must also link your Instagram Business Page to your Facebook Business Page to confirm the verification between platforms. Once this is complete, the donation can stick can be used in Facebook and/or Instagram Stories by both your nonprofit, as well as other social media users to generate donations.

Over the past five years, Facebook’s fundraising tools have empowered nonprofit organizations and social media users to come together and make positive impacts across the world. As the tools continue to evolve, nonprofit organizations have even more opportunity to expand their awareness efforts, engage supporters, and generate donations through fundraising efforts that are widely accessible and simple to use.

If your nonprofit organization is looking for ways to bolster your online presence and explore new fundraising opportunities, let’s chat!