Since the creation of Facebook fundraising tools in 2015, over $5 billion has been raised in nonprofit support. Facebook fundraising has really taken off in the past 3 years, but has it been helping your organization?
We’ve outlined what we like and dislike (because hate is a strong word) about Facebook fundraising campaigns below for you to carefully analyze, so you can decide how to best use this digital fundraising tool.
Facebook continues to be an effective channel to connect with Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers. Paired with a strategic Facebook advertising campaign, you reach various donor types at every stage of the conversion funnel. 55% of those who engage with nonprofits via social media have been inspired to take further action, so a solid social media strategy is a must.
Currently, Facebook’s “on-site” donation experience only allows for credit card and Pay Pal donations. Additional payment options are continuing to become more critical to the conversion process. Donors want (and expect) to give via Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, etc. This limitation can reduce your conversion rates.
Not being able to use your own modernized donation forms where these options can exist is one of the biggest downsides to Facebook fundraising, but the lack of data capture is the greatest concern. We’ll get that to in a moment.
People can give quickly and easily when they are in Facebook without having to leave that environment. Here are a few examples:
Did I mention this is all free? Facebook no longer has associated fees, and every dollar goes straight to your organization.
We left the hardest hit for last. If you utilize Facebook’s fundraising tools, your donors have a seamless user experience, but you may never know who they are.
Let’s break down the process: Users donate on the fundraising campaign page, then fill out a form that gives them the option to input their name, donation amount and their email address. The key word here is “option.” Facebook does not require donors to provide you any contact information.
The result for your organization is:
Facebook donations will not be reflected in your CRM. On your end, these donations are almost anonymous. If an existing donor sends a donation via Facebook, it will not be reflected in your CRM. There are some tools and services that can help you focus on collecting some of this data, but it can be challenging and limiting.
We would never give you bad news without providing a little bit of help. An alternative method to Facebook fundraising is adding a call to action (CTA) to your page header.
A button can be added to your Facebook page and linked to a donation page of your choice. The downside is that taking users to an external link can lower conversion rates. If you decide to go this route, it’s essential that your landing page designs are optimized to convert.
When considering whether to use Facebook’s fundraising feature, think about your priorities and organizational goals, then make the best decision based on a clear understanding of impact.
Just like other channels, use of Facebook fundraising tools needs a strategy, including a data strategy. Determine this strategy built upon the strength of the relationship you plan to build with donors.
Critical thinking on what you’re going to say and do—including the data you can capture and leverage—is a must before testing this channel.