Facebook is keenly interested in associating its platform with good causes, and continuing its efforts, it launched a new fundraiser tool for charities on Wednesday. In late 2013, the firm introduced the donate button, its first step in the process. Then, in August, it rolled out improvements to the ‘donate’ button, allowing donations via ads and Pages.
Facebook plans minimal fees for the feature
Facebook’s new tool will allow non-profits to launch specific fundraisers on their Pages, which will have information for users regarding the number of people making contributions, the amount of money they want to raise and also provide suggestions with possible donations.
In a press release, the social networker said: “People will be able to donate in just a few taps and share their donations with friends. All shared posts will also include a Donate button, making it easy for anyone who sees it to donate.”
Suggesting the use of the fundraiser tool, the company says that charities can use it for rallying supporters, collecting donations, and for tracking progress toward a goal for year-end drives, themed campaigns and special projects.
The Verge heard from a source familiar with the matter that next year, that Facebook will also start offering these features outside the U.S. The report also noted that beta partners are allowed to test these tools for free. Going forward, it plans on introducing fees for the fundraisers, but only to cover its costs.
FB improve the donate button
Facebook’s new fundraising tool has already been put to use by three charities – Mercy Corps, the National MS Society, and the World Wildlife Fund- that launched fundraisers yesterday. According to the social networker, in the experimental phase, it will partner with 37 organizations in total.
The social media firm is also making improvements to it’s donate button, and is making it available on both individual posts and Pages. It will be possible for users to contribute money directly from the News Feed with a single-page form that will be put to use for processing payments via PayPal, credit or debit card.
Facebook also launched a new donations microsite through which registered non-profits interested in trying out the tools in the future can sign up. It seems that Facebook is genuinely interested in enabling charitable causes.
Since Facebook is an incredibly powerful, multinational company, its charitable actions deserve scrutiny. When the social network launched the ‘donate’ button for the first time, it had to face criticisms that accused it of using it as a measure to collect credit card information for any future push into e-commerce.
