As we enter 2020, people around the world are talking about the fires raging across Australia. It has been a time of devastation and sadness, however, it has also been one of inspiration as the world has come together to support Australia, even to the extent that it was a recurring topic at the Golden Globes.
In particular, there is one person who has used her influence and social media presence to help those affected by creating a Facebook Fundraiser. Celeste Barber, the comedian who took to Instagram a few years ago to mimic models and other influencers of the world that make their lives look picture perfect. She then ended up becoming a cover girl of Vogue and a model herself for Tom Ford. Celeste’s legendary effort has seen donations surpass $40 million in less than a week and it has become the largest fundraiser ever created on the platform globally.
While social media can often be on the receiving end of negative criticism, the above generosity shows that it can in fact have substantial positive impacts.This is a prime example of how social media can influence, impact and connect people around the world for the better.
Why You Should Consider A Facebook Fundraiser
There are a number of success stories when it comes to Facebook Fundraisers. Movember raised $9.9 Million for Men’s Health, even Gordon Ramsey used a birthday fundraiser to raise money for sick children and received over $33,000. It’s evident that Facebook Fundraisers have power, and can deliver results. Read more success stories here.
If you still need convincing, here are the top reasons you should consider implementing a Facebook Fundraiser for your next cause.
Ease
- The Fundraiser is easy to set up and manage.
- Used alongside an effective social strategy, it can be a great way to amplify a charity’s campaign and cause.
- Less manpower required than traditional fundraising drives or physical donation stations.
- People can donate whenever and wherever they want.
Timing
- If you are a charity and have a certain day or month throughout the year that you run a campaign, you can set up a Facebook Fundraiser to coincide with this as an additional way to receive donations.
- Likewise, if your company has a yearly lunch or charitable event a fundraiser can be created to time with this.
- Facebook Fundraisers can be created and commence almost immediately.
Build Your Company’s Humanitarian Side
- If you have a verified company and create a fundraiser, your company will be recognised by the Facebook community as supporting various causes. This is a great way to not only build a good reputation for your business, but also promote positivity internally with your company helping others.
- If you support a variety of causes as a business, Facebook Fundraisers give you the opportunity to fundraise for a variety throughout the year, without limit.
It Can Reach More People
- Facebook has the ability to reach more people through amplification strategies, and organic sharing.
- People often avoid eye contact and walk past fundraisers stationed in shopping centres etc, however, online they have the power to read and consider donating in their own time, without the feeling of pressure to contribute.
- You can also see when your friends have donated to a Facebook Fundraiser (if their settings are public), meaning that your cause can be amplified this way as well.
The Ins and Outs of Facebook Fundraising
There are two levels to a Facebook Fundraiser; Charity Fundraising or Personal Fundraising.
1. Fundraisers for Charities
You can nominate a charity as the recipient of your fundraising campaign by simply searching for your nominated charity and selecting them. For these fundraisers, Facebook provide the donations to the charity directly. If the charity is not listed they may not be eligible for a fundraiser at that time.
2. Fundraisers for Personal Causes
Personal fundraisers can be created for yourself, your friend on Facebook or someone/something not on Facebook. When creating a personal fundraiser you will be required to select a category, i.e family, medical, personal emergency, travel, pets/animals or more. Personal fundraisers receive donations directly to the creator’s personal account.
At this stage only individual profiles, verified public figures, pages for verified brands and pages for verified charities are able to make a fundraising campaign. So this means an unverified business/general page cannot make a fundraiser, but would instead have to create it through an individual/personal profile.
In terms of fees, fundraisers for charities will receive no charges/fees. Personal Fundraisers on the other hand incur a fee which varies depending on your country. You can see a full rundown of fees here.
Unfortunately, payments are not made immediately. For a full rundown on when you can expect payments if you are a charity check out this link. As for Personal Fundraisers, you will receive payment six days after the donation is received.
Partnering With Ambassadors To Amplify Your Cause
Celeste Barber’s strong presence on social media and as a public figure has certainly amplified her cause far and wide. If your business or charity is considering running a Facebook Fundraiser it might be worthwhile to partner with an ambassador or patron of the cause to amplify it to more people. They can run a fundraiser on their verified account to reach their ample followers and use their influence to help your cause.
So if you are considering spreading some kindness, and raising money for a cause close to your heart, make sure you consider Facebook Fundraising. Whether it’s as an additional element to your larger campaign, or as a stand alone fundraiser, it is a great tool to have up your sleeve for collecting donations.