How to fundraise on Facebook & Instagram

Facebook needs little introduction. The Meta-owned site is the world’s most popular social media platform, with a whopping 2.96 billion monthly active users. To put it in perspective, that’s roughly 37% of people on the planet.

This alone is reason enough to add Facebook to your digital fundraising arsenal, but over and above that, it appeals to a broad demographic. 25 -34-year-olds make up the lion’s share of its audience, followed by 18- to 24-year-olds.

But it’s also the social media platform of choice for the 50+ market.

It’s also worth noting that over 7 million people in the UK have donated to a good cause via Facebook, through birthday fundraisers, virtual challenge events, tribute fundraisers, and the trusty donate button (more about that later).

Instagram in numbers

The third most popular social media site after Facebook and YouTube, Instagram boasts 2 billion monthly active users.   

As with Facebook, the largest share of users is the 25-34 age group, followed by 18–24-year-olds.  

How can Facebook & Instagram be used for fundraising?

You can generate income in various ways on both platforms, but to do so you need to apply to use Meta’s fundraising tools. Once approved, you’ll be able to use the tools, enable supporters to fundraise on your behalf, and access detailed fundraising analytics.

Bear in mind, applications take 2-3 weeks to be reviewed.

Here’s a step by step guide to applying.

Tip: To use the fundraising tools on Instagram, you need to have an Instagram business account and link it to your Facebook account.

What are the various fundraising tools?

Charity page fundraisers

The ‘fundraiser’ tool enables you to create dedicated fundraising pages which can be promoted and shared to encourage donations.

You can personalise your page with a cover photo, description, and fundraising goal.

The beauty of fundraisers is, every time someone donates, they are prompted to share the page with friends. These shares contain a donate button, making it easy for recipients to donate straight from their news feed.

Once you’re approved to use Meta’s fundraising tools, your supporters can set up fundraisers on your behalf. Birthday fundraisers can be particularly lucrative. Just ask UK based charity, Sands. The stillbirth and neo natal death charity raised £68,000 in one month from Facebook birthday fundraisers alone!

Tip: To enable people to raise money on your behalf, you need to have Facebook Fundraising turned on. Find out how to do this here.

On Instagram, you can add fundraisers to posts and reels (60-second videos), but bear in mind, you can only do the latter on a mobile phone or Ipad. 

Tip: If your Instagram profile is set to public, your fundraiser will be visible to anyone. If it’s private, only people who follow you will be able to see it and donate.

Donate button

This tool does what it says on the tin – it provides a quick and easy way for supporters to contribute to your cause.

On Facebook, you can add a donate button to your profile, posts, paid ads, and Live videos. On Instagram, you can add a button to your profile, but for stories (15-second videos) and reels, you’ll need to create a donation sticker.

Tip: Before you can add a donate button to either app, you'll need to sign up for Meta Pay.

Facebook and Instagram Live

Live video is a powerful way to reach, engage with, and inspire people to donate.

You can use it to (for example), tell stories that explain your mission, raise awareness of your cause, or explain how donors’ money is being spent.

You can even stream live fundraising events, as Facebook Live content can be streamed for up to 8 hours, and Instagram Live up to 4 hours.

Viewers can react, comment, and ask questions during live streams on both platforms, giving you a prime opportunity to engage with them. 

Tip: On Facebook, a recording of the stream will be published to your page automatically once the live stream ends, but you’ll need to share your Instagram streams manually.

Fundraising insights dashboard

Another handy tool in Meta’s fundraising arsenal is the Fundraiser Insights Dashboard. You can use it to measure the progress of your fundraising campaigns and donations made to your organisation. The information is updated in real time.

To access your dashboard, click ‘Fundraisers’, then select ‘Insights.’

You can learn how to use your dashboard here.

Final Word

Facebook and Instagram are behemoths in the social media world. If you’re not taking advantage of their immense influence and reach, use this guide to get started!

If you’re looking for a digital savvy fundraiser to help, give us a call on 020 3750 3111 or info@bamboofundraising.co.uk.

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Why you need a fundraiser on your board

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The benefits of cross-charity collaboration