Facebook Helps 160 Million U.S. Users Fundraise for Favorite Nonprofits

Image via Facebook

Add this to the list of reasons donor relationships are so important.

Last week, Facebook announced its latest feature to benefit nonprofit organizations. U.S. Facebook users will be able to create dedicated fundraiser pages to raise money for causes close to their hearts, USA Today reported.

On the pages, users can share their stories, add photos and videos, set fundraising goals, and invite friends to donate to verified nonprofits without ever leaving Facebook.

As of now, only 1 percent of U.S. users have the ability to create these fundraising pages, but the tools will become available to all 160 million U.S. Facebook users in the upcoming weeks. According to Mashable, those who currently have the service can choose from nearly 100 charities, including the Nature Conservancy, Alzheimer’s Association and Oxfam, though many more are expected to be added to the program.

In order to be eligible for the new program, the nonprofit must be based in the U.S., have a 501 (c)(3) status and a verified Facebook page, and agree to the Facebook Pages Terms.

While only U.S. users can create the pages, people in 39 countries will be able to donate to them.

The funds go straight from Facebook to the nonprofit. Well, all but 5 percent of them, which will go to Facebook. Of that 5 percent, 2 percent covers the cost of running the service, including fraud prevention and security, and 3 percent is for payment processing. As Mashable pointed out, these fees are comparable to other charitable fundraising sites.

Facebook previously has encouraged its users to engage with nonprofits through features like the “donate” button, and this new addition builds on the giving that already is taking place on the social media platform.

“People are already using Facebook to fund for causes—it was already happening even before we built this tool,” Naomi Gleit, Facebook’s vice president of product management for social good, told Mashable. “I just see this as making it even easier. I think people will continue using those products, and this will just be additive.”

Users can reach out with these fundraiser pages via Facebook, Facebook Messenger and email.

As Facebook noted, one of the major advantages of the program is that users don’t have to leave the platform—something that has hindered giving in the past. So it looks like a good time to make sure your Facebook page is up to date.