The complete guide to Facebook Charitable Giving Tools for nonprofits
This comprehensive guide is an excellent overview of the Facebook fundraising ecosystem. I have revised the text to meet all your editing instructions: I’ve reduced passive voice, significantly shortened sentences, added subheadings to break up the long sections, and ensured a high density of transition words for clarity and flow.
š The Complete Guide to Facebook Charitable Giving Tools
Facebook Charitable Giving Tools have impacted non-profit fundraising since 2015. They raised over $\mathbf{\$ 5}$ billion globally. However, with constant feature launches, navigating Facebook’s Giving Tools can feel like falling down a rabbit hole.
To help you navigate Facebookās wonderland, weāve pulled everything together. This guide covers Facebook fundraising, from core tools to successful campaigns. Ultimately, it helps you maximize the features on offer.
š” Why Facebook is a Powerful Fundraising Tool
Non-profits need to fundraise. Consequently, they need donors. Bringing the two together often presents a challenge. However, Facebook allows your non-profit to write a new narrative. Supporters and fundraising opportunities sit side-by-side.
Here are just some reasons why Facebook is such a powerful tool:
- Quick to Set Up: The process for applying is straightforward once you confirm eligibility. Therefore, your non-profit can begin fundraising almost immediately. Use our guide to check your status and see what you need to get started.
- Meet Supporters Where They Are: Your supporters are already on Facebook. They are connected to potential donors (friends and family). Bring the fundraising to them and youāve found a winner!
- Easy for Supporters: Using a familiar platform is easy. GivePanelās straightforward 1-Click registration form further simplifies the process. Thus, fundraising couldnāt be less complicated for participants.
- Reach New Audiences: As of $\text{2022}$, Facebook had roughly $2.93$ billion active users. It continues as the most used social network worldwide. Chances are youāve yet to connect with potential new supporters out there!
Points to Consider
Alas, this new fundraising storyline does not come without its plot obstacles:
- Limited Insights: Facebook fundraising works well for supporters. However, the platform limits the data non-profits capture. This hinders moving supporters beyond Facebook. Tools like GivePanel support charities to unlock data and steward supporters.
- No Silver Bullet: We strongly support Facebook. However, we do not encourage putting all your eggs in one basket. Incorporate Facebook fundraising as a key income stream. But always maintain other elements, like corporate and regular giving campaigns.
If you are starting the first chapter of your fundraising journey, you need to turn on your tools. Luckily for you, we already put a guide together for doing just that.
š ļø Facebook Fundraising Tools 101
Facebook Fundraiser: The Core P2P Tool
The Facebook Fundraiser is the core of the Charitable Giving Tools. This tool provides the basis for peer-to-peer fundraising. It is a key player in many campaigns.
The tool lets both your organization and supporters create dedicated pages. These pages are promoted and shared to encourage donations. These fundraisers are responsible for $97\%$ of non-profit revenue on Facebook, so making them available is essential.
Each fundraiser is personalizable. Supporters can set a cover photo, description, and goal. They may set them up for a birthday, in memory, or as part of a Challenge. Whatever the reason, one click sets up your supporter to fundraise for you within seconds.
Donate Button
This tool does what it says: it allows supporters to donate. You add this button directly to your Page, posts, paid ads, and Facebook Live videos. It is convenient and easy to use. Crucially, it raises serious cash when you use it at the right time. Use Facebookās instructions to add a Donate button to your Page.
Facebook Live
Social media is essentially about human connection. Therefore, using the Facebook Live tool connects you in real time. Good news for non-profits! The platform made this live video feature an avenue for fundraising. It allows organizations and supporters to add Donate buttons to their streams. Viewers can donate as they watch or after the video is posted. Why not host an event and fundraise at the same time? Win-win!
On-Facebook Donation Ads and Targeting
On-Facebook donation ads facilitate donating via an ad directly on Facebook. This provides a seamless donation experience. Supporters do not need to leave the platform. Furthermore, this robust ad optimization helps you find supporters interested in donating.
By using these ads, you easily track your Return on Investment (ROI). You understand which ad tactics, like creative or targeting, result in the most donations. Not only this, but the ads allow you to target two unique custom audiences: previous fundraiser creators and previous donors. This means you directly reengage supporters with a fundraising track record.
Want to know more? Here are seven reasons why this tool is a game changer for your strategy.
š Fundraising Enhancements
Recurring Donations
The long-term value of recurring donors is essential. This enhancement really cements Facebookās place in your strategy. Recurring donors offer higher financial support and loyalty. They also provide valuable feedback.
Currently, this is only available in the United States. Facebook provides opportunities to engage via:
- Recurring donation insights and metrics.
- Transaction reports that distinguish between recurring and one-time donors.
- Tagging and filtering options in Nonprofit Managerās supporter tab.
- Automated welcome messages to recurring donors.
These new tools give you greater understanding of supporter behavior. You segment supporters more effectively. This ensures personalized stewardship and saves time. You can read more about these updates on the Meta Social Impact site. Note that the platform no longer supports recurring donations for US charities as of September 14th.
Default Opt-in
When a supporter donates, a screen prompts them to connect with your non-profit. The default response options (page follow, email sharing, Messenger) are automatically opted in. To stay connected, supporters click “Save.” Then, you communicate with them directly.
This default opt-in makes connecting one step easier. You can expect your page followers and captured email addresses to rocket upwards. Prepare for lift-off with our top tips on when to engage and how to manage this new data surge.
Automated Thanking
With Facebook’s automated thanking, ensuring supporters get recognition is easier than ever. You set up specific, personalized messages for birthdays and generic fundraisers. This eliminates the manual task of reviewing each page. All of this is done from one convenient location in your Nonprofit Manager.
While this is a handy enhancement for small non-profits, larger organizations require more advanced tools. Our GivePanel Connect packages offer a personalized solution for thanking supporters.
š Tracking, Reporting, and Campaigns
Tracking and Reporting
- Nonprofit Manager: This is Metaās answer to hosting all Facebook fundraising in one convenient location. The interface supports fundraising operations management. It provides actionable insights and makes engaging supporters easier. The interface gives you the tools to:
- React or comment directly on donation posts.
- Organize supporters by activity and thanking status.
- Download and view fundraiser reports.
- Facebook Fundraising Transaction Reports: Facebookās multi-day report contains all donation information. This information is important for identifying donors and for reporting purposes. Our simple guide tells you how to access the report.
- PayPal Giving Fund: As Facebook’s exclusive payment processor, PayPal Giving Fund simplifies the donation process. This integration makes fundraising more accessible and impactful.
Fundraising Campaigns
Weāve covered a lot of ground. You might wonder how to put the tools together. We explore the three main fundraising campaigns on Facebook: Birthday, In-Memory, and Challenges.
- Birthday Fundraising: Users donate their birthday. Meta reports over $\mathbf{\$ 1}$ billion has been raised this way. Meta notifies users in advance to set up a fundraiser. All you must do is ensure your Giving Tools are on. While this is a passive income stream, you can do a few things to encourage more Fundraisers. Check out this quick guide to take your birthday fundraising to the next level.
- In-Memory Fundraising: This is not native, but GivePanel’s feature provides a meaningful space for tribute. Our report found In-Memory Fundraisers raised $6$ times more than non-In-Memory organic fundraisers on Facebook. Our custom tool lets non-profits create fully customizable pages with extended durations.
- Facebook Challenges: These are the protagonist of our story. Our $\text{2021}$ report found top $\text{40}$ Challenges raised an average of $\text{Ā£653,000}$. A Challenge is a virtual event that uses ads, groups, and fundraisers. The benefits are: lower acquisition costs, more fundraisers, and no platform costs. Find out more about how to plan the perfect Facebook Challenge.
What about Instagram?
Instagram offers opportunities to test and innovate. Users can:
- Create a fundraiser and add it to a post, stories, or live.
- Add a support button to your profile.
- Add a donation sticker to stories.
- Use Reels to promote videos related to your fundraiser.
Read our $\text{5}$ key considerations for Instagram fundraising before you take the plunge.
š„³ To Sum Up
Whether you seek a passive income stream, want to develop relationships, or actively fundraise, Facebook Charitable Giving Tools should be in your strategy. They are quick to implement and provide another platform for your supporters.
If youāre looking to supercharge your fundraising, GivePanel is the tool to help. Our solutions help you visualize data, grow income, and engage supporters.
Ready to explore? Book a demo with one of our fundraising specialists today.