Social media has made it so much easier to stay in touch with the people, places and issues that matter to you. Especially in difficult times, it also helps many people express their willingness to help and their gratitude for certain issues.
Earthquakes, floods, landslides, forest fires. Some of the world's current crises have led to a particularly large number of fundraising campaigns in recent weeks and months. The holidays and the cold season also seem to make people more willing to help and more generous.
For many companies, charities, humanitarian groups and non-profit organisations, it has never been more important - or practical - to raise awareness of their projects and causes on social media.
There are other reasons why organisations want to fundraise as well as raising money.
Here are some of the most common reasons why companies and organisations want to fundraise:
Facebook in particular has recognized the trend towards digital donations and crowdfunding. In 2015, the largest social network in the world began using a "Donate" button, which turned into a huge success. Following its launch, Facebook reported some very impressive figures:
As of the end of 2021, users of Facebook and Instagram combined have raised more than 5 billion USD for the various causes and organizations they believe in.
Likewise, the American organization NP Sources has reported that online donations have grown in quantity and frequency consistently over the years:
How can NGOs, charitable organizations, and companies benefit from their online presences?
With the help of the following tips, you can put the finishing touches to your appeal for donations via Facebook.
1.) Register for the Facebook fundraising tools.
To create your own fundraiser on Facebook, you must first register as a non-profit organisation on the platform. Only then will the fundraiser be listed in an overview and can be selected and supported by other businesses or individuals.
You will also need to register for Facebook Payments to be able to take donations directly.
2.) Collect donations using the Donate button.
For non-profit organisations, the next step is of course to use the "Donate" button in the header of your own Facebook page. You can also share your fundraising efforts with groups on Facebook.
If you are a business and would like to support the fundraising efforts of nonprofits on Facebook, you have several options. You can create a "Fundraiser" item on the left navigation bar of your Facebook Page in the Admin View.
You can also include the donation button in your Facebook posts or live streams. This should be of particular interest if you want to get involved in certain charitable causes and actions on behalf of your company and inspire your own fans to do the same. Talk about corporate responsibility!
The good news is that Facebook allows users to donate directly. Your fans don't have to leave Facebook and get a great mobile option to do good.
Alternatively, you can link the donation button in the header of your Facebook page to your website, if you already have a (non-Facebook) donation page there, and drive traffic to your own website.
3) Maximize your potential through content and transparency.
Do good and talk about it. Inform your fans and customers about your cause. If possible, give an insight into the work you are doing, e.g. through photos and videos or livestreams from the field. This will give potential donors a better idea of what your fundraising campaign is all about. To increase your reach, you should also promote your fundraising campaign on other networks.
Publicize and celebrate your fundraising milestones. Has a milestone been reached? What have the donations been used for? How and where is the money going? Transparency is important to maintain credibility. Social media management tools like Facelift can help you publish your posts and successes across multiple social channels. It also provides a single inbox for all questions and comments about your fundraising campaign.
4) Leverage partnerships
Live up to the name of social media and get in touch with strategic partners, testimonials and other companies interested in your fundraiser. You can also challenge your fans and customers directly to a private fundraiser and start a little competition with the motto: "Every contribution counts!"
As part of your birthday, you can create a fundraiser on Facebook to do good and raise support for charities. With this feature, you can ask your friends to donate to an organisation of your choice instead of buying you birthday gifts.
To create a Facebook Birthday Fundraiser, follow these steps:
If you have a Facebook account, it's easier than ever to link it to Instagram and use the services to better support your fundraising campaigns.
Now you can add an Instagram donation sticker or button to your Instagram Stories for even more reach!
There are several reasons why you may want to remove a fundraiser on Instagram:
The ability to manage fundraisers on social media platforms gives users the flexibility to tailor them to their current needs and preferences. To gain and maintain donor trust, it is important to ensure that the information about fundraisers is always accurate and up to date, so it is advisable to remove the campaign and create a new one if necessary.
To remove a fundraiser from Instagram, follow these steps
Sometimes you may want to remove a fundraiser from a specific item only:
By following these basic pillars of Facebook fundraising, you and your company can make a further contribution to corporate responsibility and, with the help of partners and the world's largest social media platform, achieve your fundraising goals and market them successfully.
And where there is activity and interaction, there is also a need for professional community management! Try Facelift for free for two weeks and find out how you can manage your followers and reach your fundraising goals with our central inbox.