Facebook is attempting to increase its efforts at being a Good Samaritan as it is looking to dabble in a new crowdsourcing fundraising tool to enable charitable efforts.
Facebook created the Social Good Team in September to aid organizations and people who were working for humanitarian causes. Earlier in 2015, the social networking site also introduced the "Donate Now" button to help NGOs.
On Wednesday, Nov. 18, Facebook revealed that it was improving its Donate button and introducing a new fundraiser tool for nonprofits. The tools and new features were crafted to enable nonprofits to spread awareness and to raise funds easily as well.
"Today we're testing fundraisers - a new tool - and improving our Donate button, to allow people to donate to charities without leaving Facebook. We hope these features help nonprofits reach new supporters, engage their community and get the valuable funding they need to continue their good work," noted Naomi Gleit, Facebook's VP of Product Management.
Facebook already has 37 organizations on board and three of these i.e. Mercy Corps, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and World Wildlife Fund have started using the fundraiser feature.
The new fundraising tool will enable nonprofits to not only start a virtual campaign and rally support, but also raise funds and collect donations directly on Facebook itself. The donations information site also reveals that nonprofits will be able to share their goal progress, run themed campaigns etc.
How to Use the Fundraising Tools
The fundraising pages will operate similarly to the "create an event" feature and will be available to all Facebook users. Nonprofits will be able to start conversations and invite people. They will also be able to update the page, add videos and photos. Like other crowdfunding sites, the Facebook fundraising page will also have a progress bar that will reflect the funds raised since the start of the campaign.
One will be able to donate directly to the page, as well as share the fundraising page with their friends on Facebook. Any shared fundraiser post will automatically reflect the Donate button.
While Facebook is not charging its partners for the new tools as of now, it will be instituting a fee in the long term to cover operational costs.
