Facebook Removes "Donate" Button for External Fundraising

Updated September 23, 2020 to include information about additional “Donate” button features and uses.

Facebook is a great tool to help nonprofits reach key audiences and raise funds. Organizations can use a Facebook Page to share strategic messages, relay information about upcoming events and encourage donations both directly through their Page and through fundraisers. 

Facebook offers a “Donate” button that previously enabled nonprofits to link externally to their own website or giving platform. This feature has changed, and organizations must now collect payment directly through Facebook. Last year, the social media platform distributed the following email explaining the change:

We wanted to let you know that the call-to-action button for your Facebook Page [Organization Name] will be changed from "Donate" to "Learn More" soon. The updated "Learn More" call-to-action button for your Page will link to the same destination as your current "Donate" call-to-action button. We are removing the ability for Pages to use "Donate" call-to-action buttons that link to external websites.

If you live in a country where Facebook's on-platform donation tools are available and your organization has charitable tax exemption status, you can apply to accept donations directly on Facebook. Once accepted, you will have the option to add the Donate Through Facebook call-to-action button to your Page. Learn more about eligibility for Facebook's on-platform donation tools.

You can find more information call-to-action buttons, including how to select a different call-to-action button for your Page, in the Help Center.

Thank You,

The Facebook Pages team

What This Means for Nonprofits

In short, nonprofits wanting to display a “Donate” call-to-action (CTA) button on their Facebook Page will have to accept donations through Facebook’s donation platform. Nonprofits who accept donations through their own website or another external platform will have to use a “Learn More” button. 

This change raises some challenges for nonprofits that already have established fundraising platforms, making it difficult to centralize information about their donors. Clean, usable donor databases are the foundation of fund development, and adding another source of information and formatting it to work with the existing structure has the potential to get messy very quickly.

However, there are some potential benefits to the new donating structure. Removing the extra step to giving may encourage higher volumes of gifts from donors who prefer a streamlined “one-click” style of contributing. Facebook’s donation system also offers nonprofits an easy-to-use and 100% free way to accept funds, which may be especially useful for smaller organizations on tight margins. The new functioning of the “Donate” button also allows other people to use the button and raise money on your behalf through their own posts. This feature extends the reach of your organization’s cause and call-to-action. 

How Nonprofits Have Responded to the Change

Organizations have adapted to this change in various ways. Some have continued their practice of raising money externally by using the “Learn More” button to link to their own giving platform, while others have embraced the new feature and have begun to collect money directly through Facebook’s donating platform.

• If your organization plans to collect donations directly through Facebook, apply to accept donations and add the button to your Page if you haven’t done so already.

• If your organization plans to simply use Facebook’s “Learn More” button, make sure your website is set up with clear, simple paths for users to give, including on your “About” or “Mission” pages.

• If your organization plans to use Facebook’s “Donate” button in addition to an integrated fundraising system, have a plan for how to centralize data about your donations. This could involve scheduled “data cleaning” time for your development team or training on donor stewardship for your social media coordinator.

• Make the Most of Your Facebook Presence - While the “Donate” button allows you to collect funds directly through your Page, there are other ways to raise money on Facebook. Being present on the platform and sharing your message allows you to reach new audiences and encourage people to not only donate to your organization but to fundraise on your behalf. Nonprofits that utilize Facebook’s donating platform unlock additional features, including Facebook Live video buttons and fundraising stickers on Facebook Stories to encourage giving. 
  

• Participate in Facebook fundraising – Make sure your Page’s settings allow people to fundraise on behalf of your organization. This will enable Facebook users to start a fundraiser for your nonprofit, add a “Donate” button to their posts in support of your organization and use fundraising stickers in their Facebook Stories. This increases awareness of your cause and maximizes the reach of giving activities.

• Go Live – Eligible pages can use the “Donate” button on Facebook Live. If you are hosting an event, share live coverage on Facebook so those who could not attend are still able to participate and donate. 

• Keep an Eye Out for Giving Funds – Facebook Giving Funds group together nonprofits with similar missions. This allows a Facebook user to donate to a general cause, and all nonprofits included in the fund will receive an equal share of the donation. Facebook works with community leaders to identify eligible nonprofits, so staying active on the platform and promoting your mission can help to increase your organization’s visibility. 

For Resilia subscribers, our customer success team and dedicated content library is always available for advice and support about how to make the most of this change. Learn more about our subscription services here.