The Ultimate Guide to Running Facebook Fundraisers
In 2016 Facebook (FB) released a tool that has changed the way money is raised through social media. Facebook fundraisers have been a huge success. So huge that it can be hard to break through. But there is still money to be raised within your network. Need evidence? I raised $12,000 in 45 days on Facebook on my first try. I can’t guarantee you will do the same, but I will show you how I did it.
First, the nitty-gritty:
A Facebook fundraiser is an online fundraiser with a dedicated FB page where individuals or organizations raise money for a person or a cause. Normally FB fundraisers are run by individuals but organizations - including nonprofits - can run them too.
A Facebook fundraiser campaign is when you run multiple FB fundraisers as a coordinated effort over a specific period of time. “Campaign” is my term, not Facebook’s.
Keep in mind, there are challenges with Facebook fundraisers. Getting actual contact information from your donors is next to impossible. This means you can generate reports of donation details and names but you may not add many emails to your database. Despite this and other challenges, running a Facebook fundraiser is totally worth it. For nonprofits, Facebook fundraisers can be a valuable tool for meeting your organization's fundraising goals.
To give you an edge, this article provides an overview of how to run a successful Facebook fundraiser and fundraising campaign. If you’re looking for tips to make your fundraiser even more successful, check out my free FB fundraiser guide.
How to Create and Run a Single Facebook Fundraiser
FB fundraising steps for those receiving the money
Recipients of the funding (organizations or individuals) should first follow these steps:
If you don’t have a Facebook page yet, go here. Then, make sure you can receive donations on FB here. You’ll need a PDF copy of a bank statement from the last 3 months, the name and date of birth of your organization’s CEO or Executive Director, and your organization’s tax ID number (EIN or VAT number), which verifies your charitable tax exemption status.
Then, add a donate button to your FB page. FB will prompt you to verify the page. This can take days. Pro tip: The donate button allows anyone who tags your page in a Facebook post to make the post a fundraising post, regardless of whether they run a formal “FB fundraiser.” To run a fundraiser for a non-charity, go here.
Then, follow FB’s process. You may need to follow these steps. You may need to get confirmation from Facebook that you are set up.
Once you’ve completed these steps, you’re ready to fundraise! To go deeper and really become a master at raising money on Facebook, check out my Facebook fundraising course.
“Sean’s expertise in leveraging Facebook fundraisers for successful results is unparalleled. His invaluable insights and expert tips have empowered me to prepare to raise donations for our organization, allowing us to make a much larger meaningful impact in our community. I highly recommend following his guidance to achieve outstanding fundraising goals through this powerful platform.”
FB fundraiser steps for those raising the money
There are many ways to start a Facebook fundraiser, but some are better than others. The ideal way is to go to the Facebook page of the organization you are raising money for. On the organization’s page, look for the “Fundraisers” option on the left or somewhere on the app. Click on it and jump to step 4.
Another option, though less desirable (just trust me), is to go here.
You can search by category or, if you already have an organization in mind, enter it in the search box. Be careful though, many organizations have similar names or there may be many chapters of the same organization. You don’t want to accidentally raise funds for an unintended recipient. Check with the organization to be sure. Click “Raise Money for a Nonprofit Organization” or “Create Fundraiser.”
In setting a fundraising goal amount, be ambitious but practical. If you hit your goal too soon, it may deter donors. If your goal is too ambitious, that’s okay! Whether or not you raise your full goal, the charity still gets the money. You can keep raising money after you’ve hit your goal, but I think it’s less effective. In this step, you’ll also pick your currency (likely USD for the US).
Next, pick a campaign end date. Don’t end it too soon. Consider an end date 14-30 days after your start date. You can extend your end date when your fundraiser is still running, but not after it’s over. Don’t make this mistake. Set the end date at least 14 days out.
Then, name your fundraiser and explain why you are raising money. Think of something short but memorable that gets right to the point. For your explanation, you have a few sentences to make a personal appeal to your friends about why this means so much to you. A brief anecdote or story (in a few sentences) will be especially effective. It should have impact and urgency! Then add a picture, or it will default to the organization’s standard branding.
Go live. Once you activate your Facebook fundraiser, it is live on the organization’s FB page and, depending on your settings, it should appear in your feed.
Once your campaign goes live, you should invite all your Facebook friends to your fundraiser. Inviting all friends is vital to success. I recommend trying to invite everyone immediately. TRUST ME! This is the most time-consuming (and frustrating) part of the process. But you only have to do it once, and it radically changes who sees your campaign. If you only post to your wall, few people will see it. But when you “invite” people to the Facebook fundraiser, they all should see every post.
Your campaign is now launched! Save the link to your Facebook fundraiser page and share it across your social media and in your electronic signature!
How to Run a Facebook Fundraiser Campaign
A Facebook fundraising campaign involves running multiple coordinated fundraisers at once.
Consider inviting all board members and current and potential volunteers to participate. Consider asking your staff (though make clear it is not required as a term of their employment).
Engage anyone who has actively engaged with your campaigns or social media accounts. If you have someone monitoring your online community, consider asking anyone who takes three or more actions (signs a petition, shares their personal story, donates). Find influencers (your most involved people that have 1,000 friends or more on FB or other platforms).
Engage your MVPs, VIPs, or people who are your organizational “evangelists.”
Create a list of all your Facebook fundraisers, and send regular updates and encouragement during the campaign.
Consider creating a leaderboard or friendly competition dashboard or list to show who is raising the most or getting the highest number of donors. Consider setting a collective goal in addition to each individual fundraiser’s goal. Goals can be for the number of donors or the number of dollars raised.
Consider doing this when your workload is lighter so you can be strategic with your time. For example, DON’T do this the month before your gala, but DO consider doing it around #GivingTuesday or another important date so it is timely.
To help your Facebook fundraiser campaign really take off, check out my Facebook fundraising course.
Pro Tips to Raise Even More Money Through Facebook Fundraisers
Be the CEO of your campaign (Chief of Enthusiasm and Optimism). Your messages should be upbeat, mostly positive, and aspirational. Even if you share news of a tragedy (gun violence or suicide), pivot back to what solution you are working toward with your campaign.
Invite EVERY Facebook friend you have. I mentioned this up above, and it blows my mind when people take a shortcut. Don’t just invite the people you think will donate. Don’t skip the crazy uncle who disagrees with you on politics. Don’t limit your reach to your own state. When I say invite everyone to your Facebook fundraiser, I MEAN IT!!!
The main asset you have in your campaign is your personal relationships. They know you. They like you. People are far more willing to give to someone they know than anyone else. Instead of asking others to “share” your campaign, have them start their own, even if they only do it for a few days and only ask for $500. Remember, people give to people they know, not to people’s friends. This means a charity should not run one Facebook fundraising campaign and have everyone share it. It won’t work. If Sally shares Bob’s Fundraiser with her friends, they won’t feel invested because they don’t know Bob. People give to people they know. It is more important to most people to help a friend than to actually help the charity.
Post something to your Facebook fundraiser every single day during your campaign. Part of the power of a FB fundraiser is that people get notifications, which is less annoying than email updates. If people don’t want to see the updates, they can ignore or mute the campaign. People are busy, so you need to remind them that your campaign is still there. Don’t worry. It isn’t annoying. You are doing it to change the world. Think about time zones, but make sure people see updates (if possible) between 8-9 AM, around noon, and again from 5-7 PM. The number one reason that people don’t give to charity is that they weren’t asked. Believe me, your donations will happen within hours of people seeing your posts. That means you must ask, ask again, and keep asking during your Facebook fundraising campaign.
Keep it visual (pics and video). Find great stats, content, videos, and images from your charities’ site or Facebook page and share them with each update/ask.
Make it feel like a campaign with posts like: “Hey folks, we are halfway there. Thanks! Just $2K more to go in 2 weeks. Can you help me get to the finish line?” Or: “Just an update…we have 25 folks pitching in. Let’s hit 30 by tonight!”
Tons of people are running Facebook campaigns for their birthdays. Consider doing the same. In order to break through the noise, make yours unique. Organizations should ping their supporters one week before their birthday and say, “Hey, Facebook is going to prompt you to run a fundraiser on your birthday. Please choose us!”
Regardless of your campaign, whenever you share something relevant to your charity (news article or post), tag the charity, and it will ask you to add a donate button. These are NOT counted toward your campaign, but they will still raise money.
Don’t forget to thank everyone. Every Facebook user will get an email receipt for their gift, but many will not see it and will think they weren’t thanked. You should send a personal thank you, at least on Facebook, for every gift.
Be creative and innovative in your fundraiser — and you can stand out and raise more.
As of July 2018, Facebook added the functionality to accept monthly gifts. You should definitely push this option!!!!
I strongly recommend that every nonprofit make Facebook fundraisers an ongoing, year-round revenue stream effort. If you only do Facebook fundraisers around #GivingTuesday, you’re leaving money on the table.
If you want to turbocharge your fundraisers grab my course that goes deeper on how to consistently raise thousands of dollars through Facebook fundraisers. You’ll get:
Done-for-you template for tracking your Facebook fundraiser campaign participants
Infographic for your website showing volunteers how to fundraiser FOR YOU!
Text instructions on how to do the same thing in the infographic
Infographic laying out additional ways to raise money using Facebook
Full webinar of me explaining my 8 Pro Tips for Raising $10k+ with Facebook Fundraisers
Full resource guide with the information in this blog post
Grab the full Facebook fundraising course today!
For more information on running Facebook fundraisers and fundraising campaigns with your entire organization on #GivingTuesday or other key dates, contact us at Sean@MindTheGapConsulting.org.
