Currently only nonprofits in the United States can take advantage of Facebook Fundraisers. This is frustrating to many NGOs, charities, and nonprofits located outside of the United States, but it’s due to the fact that the United States has a database of nonprofits called GuideStar USA that Facebook can sync with theirs to easily verify a nonprofit’s legal status. Facebook is likely working on expanding their fundraising tools to the United Kingdom and Canada where other such databases exist and eventually (hopefully, finally) a similar database will exist on a global scale (perhaps the BRIDGE Registry or the OnGood Global NGO Directory).

All that said, any Facebook user can now create Facebook Fundraisers for nonprofit’s listed in the GuideStar/Facebook database which currently numbers around 750,000. For details about Facebook Fundraising Tools and for information about how donations are distributed to your nonprofit, please see: nonprofits.fb.com/topic/fundraising-tools.

Facebook currently has 1.94 billion monthly users. Empowering your supporters to fundraise for your nonprofit inside an online community where they already connected to their friends and family is smart strategy. At the very least, the tools are worth experimenting with.

1. Verify your nonprofit is in the Facebook Fundraiser database.

Go to facebook.com/fundraisers and search for your nonprofit. If listed, your supporters can create Facebook Fundraisers for your nonprofit. Sign up for Facebook’s Fundraising Tools if you want access to daily fundraising reports.

2. Update your Facebook Page Cover Photo.

Your cover photo will be the default photo for the Facebook Fundraisers created by your supporters.

3. Create a “Day of Giving” Facebook Event.

Give your nonprofit four to six weeks to promote your Facebook “Day of Giving” campaign. In the Facebook Event, list the ways that your Facebook Followers can give to you on this day and how they can create a Facebook Fundraiser for your campaign. Then, post your event to Facebook and pin it to the top of your page.

4. Promote your Facebook Event on your website, in your email campaigns, and on social media.

The Humane Society of the United States is an organization regularly in the habit of early adoption of new social media tools and trends. They created a landing page on their website for their “Day of Giving” campaign that is easy to promote online. Study and learn from HSUS: humanesociety.org/dayofgiving

5. Thank your Facebook Fundraisers and donors.

You can’t post a “Thank you” comment as your page on Facebook Fundraisers. If you have a staff person willing to use their personal profile, then your fundraisers would appreciate the acknowledgement. You could also post a link in your Facebook Event where they could sign up for an email list so you can thank and engage them via email. Also, if your nonprofit has signed up for Facebook Fundraising Tools, in daily transaction reports you will receive the email addresses of your donors if they have opt-ed in. Create a system to email and thank them immediately! Finally, to see those who have created Facebook Fundraisers for the Humane Society of the United States, visit facebook.com/pg/humanesociety/fundraisers.

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