Preparing for changes to Facebook fundraising tools

As Meta’s fundraising tools end on July 1st, 2024 for charities in Ireland and the European Economic Area, it’s essential that charities in the UK look to the future and prepare for potential changes in the way they raise funds, too.

Many charities have relied on Meta’s social media platforms to reach new donors and collect donations online, using features like "birthday fundraisers" or "donate" buttons. It has even been a lifeline for many charities in the past, particularly during the pandemic when lockdown restrictions meant they had to adapt how they fundraised. But for organisations across Europe, including Ireland, France, and Germany, the last day they’ll be able to receive a donation via Facebook or Instagram will be June 30th 2024. 

Meta has yet to announce similar changes to its offering in the UK, but needless to say, charities that rely on these fundraising tools may need to get ready to alter their fundraising strategy, including identifying new fundraising streams and bringing on new platforms. 

In this article, we explore how charities can prepare for a new digital landscape and explore the benefits of transitioning to alternative fundraising methods, with insight from digital fundraising experts iRaiser.

Charities can also find out more in iRaiser’s bonus guide on building an effective annual fundraising strategy for your charity!

Download here

Opportunities to innovate

The potential change in Facebook fundraising might actually benefit charities. While it means rethinking some strategies, it also has the potential to open new opportunities and free charities from Meta’s constraints. 

Here are the main benefits:

Greater availability of funds raised

With Meta’s payment methods (Meta Pay and PayPal Giving Fund), it could take up to 90 days for your charity to access the collected funds. However, by using an online fundraising solution, you can decide how frequently you receive the funds. This flexibility allows for more efficient financial management and quicker access to your cash flow.

Complete donor data on all your donors

With Meta’s fundraising tools, charities have access to limited donor information. Only the surnames, first names, and email addresses of donors who have consented to receive emails are available, leaving out postal addresses and data on other donors.

This limitation hampers the generation of tax receipts in some markets and restricts loyalty-building and multi-channel fundraising strategies. By switching to an online donation platform, you can quickly access comprehensive donor information, allowing for more effective communication and fundraising strategies!

Quick generation of detailed reports

While Meta fundraising tools allow daily payment and transaction reports, they lack the depth of those available through a dedicated fundraising platform or CRM tool. Using a robust CRM solution for charities, you can access comprehensive reports and detailed data on your campaigns, filter donations by campaign or project, and more.

Consider the end of Meta’s fundraising tools as an opportunity to simplify and accelerate your online fundraising activities. By adopting other digital tools, you can optimise your fundraising campaigns and ultimately increase donations. Let’s explore the next steps you can take.

Diversify fundraising strategies

For many small and medium-sized not-for-profits, Facebook has been a popular and cost-effective way to reach potential donors. The end of Meta’s donation features presents challenges but also opportunities to innovate and diversify strategies. 

While smaller organisations may fear not having the resources to compete on more expensive platforms, it’s essential to know that alternatives are available. Charities can take proactive steps now to adapt their strategies, explore new platforms, and continue achieving their fundraising goals.

Redirect donations to your website

In its announcement, Facebook advises: "send people directly to your website to donate." This is an excellent way to begin. Directing supporters to your website for direct donations through an online donation form is crucial.

Start by updating the "Donate" button on your Facebook Page to redirect to your website. On your website, it’s essential to convert and retain more donors through quick, secure, and simple donation processes. Integrating an online donation solution that offers a smooth and secure user experience can help achieve this.

iRaiser’s tip: Redirect your supporters to dedicated donation forms tailored to each situation, channels, donor profile, and donor path. For example, for social media donors, use a simple form with minimal fields and offer only the one-time donation option to increase the chances of securing that first donation.

Ensure the form is mobile-friendly and supports advanced payment methods like Apple Pay or PayPal for one-click payments. Show donors the concrete impact of their donation through equivalences.

Lastly, include opt-in and opt-out options for communications to demonstrate respect for donors’ privacy. By creating specific forms for each donor profile, you can maximise engagement and conversion.

With many options available, finding the right one to fit your charity’s needs and goals is important. When searching for the right online fundraising solution for your charity, consider factors such as:

• Ease of use

• Security features, 

• Integration capabilities

• Strong reports and analytics
  
  

Launch a peer-to-peer campaign dedicated to birthday fundraisers

Use this opportunity to plan a campaign for birthday fundraisers. The end of Facebook fundraising tools is a chance to launch a peer-to-peer campaign on a platform like iRaiser’s Community Fundraising Platform.

Throughout this campaign, your supporters will experience the ease of raising funds for their birthdays with an intuitive interface in your charity’s branding.

It’s the perfect occasion to introduce them to a seamless, personalised experience that strengthens their dedication and emotional connection to your cause! Highlight benefits such as rapid receipt of funds, which makes operations easier and speeds up the implementation of donations.

Consider new fundraising channels

A successful fundraising strategy should have diverse revenue streams. This potential change is an opportunity to seek additional funding and invest in other channels. Here are some ideas:

Adopt a white-label fundraising platform

This goes beyond a simple donation form integrated into your website. It offers an easy-to-use user interface that aligns with your brand identity. With this digital platform, donors enjoy a seamless and enjoyable donation experience, enhancing their journey and ultimately increasing conversion rates, thereby boosting your fundraising efforts.

Explore other platforms for your peer-to-peer campaign

If your supporters have previously organised online fundraising campaigns on Meta platforms for your cause, you’re familiar with the concept of peer-to-peer fundraising. Here’s how it works: you allow your supporters to create their own personal fundraising campaigns among their friends and family, in your name. They spread the word, and reach new donors you may not usually be able to.

Luckily, there are alternative digital platforms for launching peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns. Get inspired by examples like UNICEF’s appeal, to see what your own peer to peer fundraising platform could look like.

Take part in or organise charity fundraising events 

From charity concerts to auctions or sporting challenges, there’s no shortage of creative ideas for fundraising events. Yet, if resources are limited for organising your own event, consider partnering with existing ones like sports tournaments or festivals. Collaboration can amplify your impact without the need for significant investment in event logistics.

Launch a crowdfunding initiative to support one of your charitable projects

You’re certainly familiar with crowdfunding campaigns. Crowdfunding for charities is a method where a large audience financially supports a particular project. On a dedicated digital platform, you can express gratitude to donors through rewards, personalised emails, and even track progress with dynamic progress bars!

How to build your fundraising strategy 

For smaller charities and other not-for-profit organisations, it is easy to get caught up in day-to-day activities and lose sight of your long-term goal. That’s why it’s important to set targeted objectives and a solid strategy to achieve them.

Proactive measures, like redirecting donations to your website and exploring new fundraising opportunities, can enable your charity to transition smoothly. Charities can find more guidance on choosing the right fundraising platform in this article from iRaiser.

To learn all the tools, tips and practical exercises to help you, download iRaiser’s fundraising guide below.

Download the guide