Facebook’s New Instagram Fundraising Tool

GoodUnited
|
November 9, 2021

What We Know So Far

As part of their push to broaden the user experience, Facebook announced it will be rolling out a new fundraising tool for Instagram. The tool will be part of the Stories section in the App that allows users to share dynamic media such as video, photos, or text.

When nonprofits create a new story, they can embed a donate button that will take users directly to their donation form. Facebook announced they’re covering the credit card fees, so there won’t be any deductions from donations.

Just like on Facebook, nonprofits will have to go through an approval process to be listed in the drop-down of pre-approved organizations.

Of course, the burning question is whether or not Facebook will be sharing more donor data with nonprofits than it does with Facebook fundraising tools. As of now, there’s no word on how alike or different Instagram fundraisers will be from Facebook fundraisers. However, Facebook is focused on the user experience, not the organization’s experience, so if there’s much of a change, it will be a pleasant surprise.

Instagram Fast Facts

Instagram was developed to allow users to edit and share photos and videos. It’s far more ephemeral than Facebook, and its functionality is purposefully limited so that it feels real-time. The ability to easily edit photos and apply artistic filters has helped the platform’s mass appeal with a younger demographic. More than half of the platform's users are between 18 and 29 years old.

Instagram allows anyone to create a highly visual and engaging digital scrapbook of their life. Organizations can use Instagram in the same way. Brands have been highly successful using Instagram to capture the attention of new followers since the platform’s inception.

As of 2019, Instagram had 1 billion active users, and that number is likely to grow exponentially as Facebook adds more functionality.

Timing

Facebook hasn’t set a release date for the new fundraising tools on Instagram, but the time to polish your Instagram skills and build your audience is now.

  • Instagram is highly visual so you’ll want to create a strategy that allows you to showcase what you do in pictures or short videos.
  • Get used to posting Stories and experimenting with creative filters and features.
  • Up your hashtag game to include more followers in your posts.
  • Create a budget for running ads on stories and boosting posts.
  • Assign a staff member to post on a daily or weekly basis and respond to comments.

With 1 billion users in an age group different than Facebook’s, Instagram’s new fundraising tools will allow nonprofits to reach a whole new demographic in a more creative and engaging way.