Facebook is making it easier than ever to create fundraising campaigns on its platform. The social network has launched a set of tools that allow you to raise money from your Facebook friends to donate to a registered U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity of your choice.
Starting Thursday, a selection of Facebook users will be able to create campaign pages that contain a personal story, a fundraising goal, and a donate button that lets others contribute with a few clicks. Unlike in the past, when users were forced to post links to external websites or crowdfunding platforms, the new tools allow all the actions to be performed on Facebook. Additionally, each time someone donates, they will be prompted to share the campaign or invite others to join. The donate button will be integrated into each new status and reshare that is posted on the platform.
Facebook announced the news in a video that contained example campaigns for popular charities including the World Wildlife Fund, and World Food Program.
“Fundraisers allow nonprofit supporters to set up a dedicated page to share their story, tell others about a nonprofit’s mission, and rally around a fundraising goal,” the post announcing the feature reads. “We can’t wait to see how people support the causes they care about most.”
The rollout of the fundraising tools will see them made available to all U.S. users over the coming weeks. Globally, Facebook users from 39 countries will be able to donate to personal campaigns. A featured Facebook fundraiser for Girls Prep Charter School in South Bronx, New York, is already up and running.
Facebook stepped up its focus on charitable donations last year by introducing new features specifically aimed at nonprofits on its platform. The tools allowed organizations to add a donate button to their Facebook pages — in order for users to easily contribute funds using a credit card or PayPal account — and to track engagement for a particular campaign using analytics.
