Do you have Facebook fundraising turned on?

Fundraising on social media has had something of a renaissance since 2020. With traditional methods of fundraising put on hold during the pandemic, online donations shot through the roof, rising by 115% in volume between 2019 and 2020.  

The Giving Report tells us that 29% of people consider social media to be the communication tool that most inspires giving, while one in seven people who donate to a charity via a website or app do so on social media.  

Facebook, in particular, continues to be the social media platform with the largest follower base for charities and non-profits, giving them plenty of opportunities to communicate with exactly the people who want to support them.  

More than 7 million people in the UK have donated to a good cause via Facebook, through birthday fundraisers, virtual challenge events, tribute fundraisers, and use of the trusty donate button. Worldwide, more than 85 million organisers and donors have made a difference to charities since Fundraisers launched on Facebook and Instagram (owned by Facebook) in 2016, raising a total in excess of $5 billion.  

And the numbers just keep coming. According to fundraising tool GivePanel, the average value of a birthday fundraiser on Facebook grew by 21% between 2019 and 2020, from approximately £60 to £72 in 2020. Yet, more incredibly, the average value of non-birthday or event fundraisers rose by a whopping 120% from more than £80 in 2019 to £180 in 2020.  

But, considering the vast benefits of working with Facebook Fundraising, are charities actually making the most of what the platform has to offer?  

In order to fundraise on Facebook, charities need to have Facebook Fundraising turned on. This means signing up to accept donations on the platform and giving users permission to fundraise for your cause. They can scroll to find your charity or type your organisation’s name in the search bar in order to create a fundraiser for you, that they can share with their friends directly or on their newsfeed.

Enabling Facebook’s fundraising features also means all campaigns for your cause will appear in one special Fundraisers tab for you to follow and enjoy the success of. 

But people cannot fundraise for you if you cannot be found. Charities have long since known that the best way to recruit and retain supporters is to meet them where they want to be met, adopting the right platforms for certain audiences and listening to their preferences. 

Facebook Fundraising is no different. If charities are not listed as a possibility for fundraisers on Facebook, they are missing out on not only donations, but a chance to engage with supporters who want to help your cause.  

Currently, it is a chance that many charities are missing. Facebook may be the biggest site for your audience, but each organic post may only reach 7% of supporters. Likewise, a post’s engagement rate on Facebook is lower than on Twitter, despite having nearly double the amount of followers. 

By properly engaging with fundraisers, charities can not only increase the amount raised, but also build a bond with them that will see them return to fundraise for you in the future.  

GivePanel, whichs works with Facebook to help charities build lasting relationships with their fundraisers and donors, found that when a charity engages with a fundraiser, it raises a higher average amount, regardless of how they are raises money. In some cases, the average amount raised increased by 149%.  

GivePanel’s research also found that the 157 charities who responded to their survey were supported by more than 850,000 people between 2019 and 2020, receiving nearly 4.5 million donations and raising over $100 million (£73 million) for charitable causes. That’s one big untapped resource if charities are not using Facebook to fundraise and not supporting their fundraisers. 

Facebook as a fundraising tool can no longer be overlooked. But it is not simply about allowing people to fundraise for your organisation and letting go. As with any tool, it’s not necessarily what you use – it’s the way that you use it.