There has been an explosion of peer-to-peer fundraising in the last few years. From Kickstarter to GoFundMe, there are many options now to raise money for your favorite cause. Previously, the issue with fundraising platforms was its ability to integrate into your already existing network of friends and family. That usually required the platform to sync directly with your email database or your Facebook page. Facebook has now removed the last barrier making it possible to raise funds directly from your personal page.
Here’s how it works:
This morning, I had this option pop up for me, but you can go directly to www.facebook.com/fundraisers to begin.
This is what the main page looks like. You can start your own fundraiser or select one profiled. There currently is no way to search for current fundraisers – something I highly suggest, Zuckerberg!
The fundraiser is provided with an image selection, including the official header of the charity. You have the ability to select a predetermined amount or set your own.
- Invite your friends, family and coworkers from Facebook to ask them to donate. This will show up as a notification on your friend’s page.
- The individual donates with his or her credit card through Facebook’s platform and Facebook takes care of the rest.
Potential problems:
I think this is a great next step for Facebook’s charity outreach, but I do see some potential headaches from a fundraising coordinator perspective.
- If you are raising money for a charity as part of a fundraising program that offers give-a-ways by fundriasing tier, you need to understand the back end will not sync with your fundraising account directly.
- You will need to make sure you send a copy of your receipt to the charity’s donations team with an explanation of your efforts. The charity will have to then apply the appropriate amount to your fundraising account. This takes time, so be patient with your charity. They are figuring it out too.
- As I stated before, there’s no way to search for fundraisers at this time. It is possible that the page will not know what is being said about their charity. In the case of LIVESTRONG, someone might set up a page to “Increase awareness of bicycles” when their mission is to “empower and inspire people affected by cancer”.
Potential awesome:
- Reporting seems easy enough. Just go into the tool and select the option for your Daily Transaction Report. The data is 48 hours behind, but this feature is a great way to keep tabs on your efforts.
- You will be able to publicly thank your donors directly from the tool that you used to solicit their support.
Overall I think the ability to crowdfund on Facebook is a beautiful thing. Want to encourage your supporters to start working it on the platform? Just send this blog their way to plant the seed.
