The world of social fundraising is changing fast. For nonprofits, that means staying ahead of trends and understanding what really works in campaigns.
This month, we partnered with the awesome Bluestep Solutions and Social AF to gather insights, testing strategies, and learnings from supporting nonprofits that run social fundraising campaigns in 2024 and presented them in a jam-packed webinar.
In this blog, we’re sharing seven key lessons to help you navigate this ever-evolving space. Whether you’re planning your next big Challenge or reviewing your approach for the year ahead, these insights can help you engage more supporters and raise more for your cause. And stick around for our bonus lesson—an important takeaway for anyone looking beyond a single platform!
Between Bluestep Solutions, Social AF, and GivePanel, we’ve helped hundreds of nonprofits achieve their fundraising goals through social fundraising campaigns over the past year. To say we’ve learned a thing or two would be an understatement! In an evolving market, where trends shift quickly, algorithms update constantly, and new tech emerges all the time, it can be overwhelming for individual nonprofits to keep up. That’s where we come in—to help you navigate these changes, stay ahead of the curve, and make the most of every opportunity.
Drawing on our combined experience, we’ve identified seven key lessons from the past year that can help you run even more successful campaigns in 2025. These insights cover everything from building stronger supporter engagement to maximizing results across platforms. Let’s dive in!
When it comes to ad performance, creativity matters, but data should always lead the way. Bluestep Solutions emphasizes the importance of analyzing results and focusing on what works, rather than relying on gut feelings or emotional responses.
Take a measured approach by testing different types of creative and "backing the winners." For example, data from Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity reveals the value of testing and refining ad formats:
By letting data guide your creative decisions, you can focus your budget on the formats, visuals, and messages that truly resonate with your audience—and ensure your campaign delivers the strongest possible results.
Timing is key when it comes to launching a successful Facebook campaign. Based on insights from the Bluestep Solutions team, starting your ads strategically—not just early—can make all the difference in building momentum for your fundraiser.
Here’s what we’ve learned:
By starting slightly earlier and leveraging weekends for maximum exposure, you set your campaign up for success. This approach ensures a solid foundation for the recruitment month, giving you ample time to optimize and encourage strong participation.
This lesson from Bluestep Solutions and Social AF highlights how tiered incentives are transforming social fundraising, driving behavior change, and boosting campaign results.
The Three-Tiered Incentive Model
By implementing tiered incentives, Diabetes UK increased active fundraisers from 14% to 40% across three challenges. This dramatic uplift significantly boosted total funds raised and demonstrated the power of this model. Meanwhile, Tommy’s adopted a four-tiered incentive model by including a hoodie for a £300 super stretch target and achieved a record £353 per fundraiser.
But why does it work? Breaking down targets into manageable steps makes fundraising less intimidating, appealing to participants who may not see themselves as natural fundraisers. Incentives also drive group engagement and inspire further participation, proving to be one of the most impactful strategies in Facebook Challenges this year.
By adopting these lessons, charities can unlock significant income potential while fostering stronger participant engagement.
Imagine seeing a compelling charity ad on Facebook, clicking "sign up," only to be met with a frustrating, multi-step form. Frustrated, you abandon the process entirely. Mistakes like these at the top of the funnel can drastically impact your campaign's success.
Many charities focus heavily on optimizing the bottom of the funnel—moments where supporters are already engaged and donating—while neglecting the start of the journey. However, the biggest opportunity lies in early engagement: attracting and nurturing the right audience from the beginning.
So why focus on the top of the funnel?
To maximize the potential of your top-of-funnel efforts, start by simplifying lead capture. Tools like Meta Instant Leads allow supporters to express interest with just two clicks, using pre-populated details for a seamless sign-up experience. Next, leverage data insights to refine your strategy. With GivePanel, you can match lead data with fundraising platforms like JustGiving or Facebook fundraising, identify which leads convert to fundraisers, and determine their average contributions. This enables you to focus on optimizing ad sets that attract active fundraisers rather than just generating leads. Finally, prioritize early nurturing. Begin stewardship immediately by creating email or SMS journeys that encourage leads to take the next step, fostering engagement before fundraising even begins.
By focusing as much on top-of-the-funnel activities as you do on later stages, you can transform casual interest into active participation and maximize the impact of your campaigns. Remember: Fundraising starts long before a page is created.
The disappearance of the ‘featured’ section on Facebook groups earlier this year was a stark reminder that Facebook can change its features unexpectedly. In the past, the featured section was a go-to spot to highlight key events or fundraising registration posts, but without it, the approach to guiding supporters through the registration process has shifted. With Facebook’s changes, fundraisers can no longer rely on this section to be visible on mobile devices. To adapt, nonprofits have focused on other ways to convert new members into active fundraisers.
To ensure a smooth registration process even without the featured section, consider these strategies:
While Facebook may change its features again, these strategies—shared by Social AF—along with reacting quickly and having a plan in place, can ensure that your registration process remains smooth and that your supporters remain engaged, even if the ‘featured’ section does not return.
The @everyone tag is a powerful tool that can significantly boost engagement in your Facebook group, especially when used strategically. Introduced at the end of 2023, it replaced the "announcement" feature, offering a more effective way to notify all group members. When you tag everyone, the notification appears in their feed, ensuring maximum exposure for important posts.
Here are some tips from the Social AF team for using @everyone effectively:
In Social AF’s experience, the timing and content of your @everyone posts matter. For instance, for a fundraising challenge post, they added @everyone as a comment below the main post to encourage participation without disrupting the flow. This approach helped SocialAF get responses and engagement without overusing the tag.
A great example of @everyone’s effectiveness comes from a dog-walking Challenge for Samaritans. After using @everyone for a post about dog breeds, they saw a £2000 spike in income, demonstrating that fostering conversation in the group can directly lead to increased fundraising.
By using @everyone thoughtfully, you can create more engaging content, increase participation, and ultimately drive more donations.
Since March 2024, income from third-party platforms like JustGiving has surpassed Facebook fundraising. This shift marks the beginning of a more diversified approach to social fundraising, where supporters have more choices about where they fundraise, resulting in greater income and flexibility.
We know that social fundraising is evolving. Supporters now have options like JustGiving, GoFundMe, and Instagram, giving them the power to fundraise where they feel most comfortable. Expanding to multiple platforms helps nonprofits increase funds and engage supporters in new ways.
In the Brain Tumour Research case study, fundraisers using JustGiving raised 84% more than those using Facebook alone, thanks to optimized fundraising pages and email journeys. Although JustGiving had a 12% lower activation rate compared to Facebook, the significantly higher amount raised more than offset this difference, highlighting the value of offering supporters the choice to fundraise on a platform that maximizes their potential for success.
By integrating platforms like JustGiving, Instagram, and others, nonprofits can:
Relying solely on Facebook for fundraising is no longer enough. Diversifying to other platforms like JustGiving ensures greater reach, higher funds, and reduced risk. Tools like nudge emails and activation incentives are helping close the activation gap between platforms, making it easier to encourage off-Facebook fundraising.
As you plan your 2025 strategy, include multiple platforms to tap into more consumer choice and raise more per participant. This approach ensures a safer, more sustainable fundraising model.
In short, the days of Facebook-only fundraising are over. By embracing a multi-platform strategy, you can raise more, reach more people, and secure your nonprofit’s future.
We like to under-promise and over-deliver, so we couldn't resist adding a bonus lesson—this one’s hot off the press, straight from Social AF's latest insights.
As fundraising moves to a mix of platforms, it’s critical to track and benchmark your income across them to ensure your strategy is data-driven. From 2023 onwards, platforms like JustGiving have started to raise more income than Facebook, with Challenges seeing a split of 60-40 or even 70-30 in favor of JustGiving.
But how does that income differ across the Challenge timeline?
Social AF found that during the recruitment phase, Facebook fundraisers tend to generate income earlier, as they immediately share on participants' timelines, encouraging faster donations. In contrast, JustGiving fundraisers typically start raising income on the first day of the Challenge, meaning benchmarks based on Facebook-only performance can lead to inaccurate expectations. For example, if a Challenge raises £400,000, a Facebook-only benchmark might predict £120,000 by the recruitment phase, while JustGiving may only bring in £30,000. However, by week five of the Challenge, income across platforms tends to align, with a slight spike in the final week for Facebook-based campaigns.
Key Takeaways:
These lessons reflect the shifting landscape of social fundraising. From letting data guide your creative decisions to embracing multi-platform strategies, there’s plenty to learn from this year’s trends.
As we look ahead to 2025, the nonprofits that adapt quickly, test thoughtfully, and focus on supporter experience will stand out. Which of these lessons will you take forward in your next campaign?
Did you miss the live webinar? Email marketing@givepanel.com and we'll send you the link to watch!
If you’re interested in exploring social fundraising, now might be the perfect time to start. Find out how GivePanel can support you by booking a 30 minute, personalized demo with one of our team. We’ll show you the ropes, provide tailored advice, and answer any questions you may have.