Until recently, the Meta verified blue badge was reserved only for notable brands and personalities with a large following on Facebook and Instagram. Small and medium-sized nonprofits could apply for the verified badge, but the vast majority of applications were declined. It’s been a frustrating experience for many nonprofits since verified pages and accounts get more organic reach in the feed.
That said, Meta is currently rolling out a new paid verification program for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp that allows brands of all sizes to get verified by going through an application process that is much less stringent. After 10+ years of applying for verification, Nonprofit Tech for Good was finally approved for our Facebook Page and our Instagram Account.
Fees start at $14.99 per month per Facebook Page, Instagram Account, and WhatsApp Account, and there is currently no discount for nonprofits. Named Meta Verified, the program offers a verified badge, enhanced profiles, access to customer service, and search optimization. Unpublicized is that with paid Instagram verification, also comes free Threads verification since Threads was built using the Instagram infrastructure.
Some nonprofits will be upset that Meta Verified is not free, but social media has long passed its “free” era. As far as the benefits of the $14.99 a month blue check? Nonprofit Tech for Good has not noticed an increased organic reach of our posts and we have no use for the enhanced profile features, but early access to new Facebook Page and Instagram tools could be beneficial, as could access to Meta customer service should the need arise.
Meta Verified runs as high as $349.99 a month and for large nonprofits with an engaged reels community, the cost could be worth it. Visit Meta Verified Plans & Pricing for more information.
Our Certificate in Social Media Marketing & Fundraising program covers the fundamentals of social media marketing and fundraising for your nonprofit. Participants learn how to create a social media strategy, how to craft a content marketing plan, and current best practices for using social media for community engagement and fundraising.
The program requires the completion of three webinars and costs a total of $100 USD. You can attend the webinars live or view the recordings. Learn more & register!
