Facebook has become an integral part of many people’s lives. With over 2 billion monthly active users, it’s no surprise that people often turn to Facebook as a platform to raise money for causes they care about. However, Facebook does have rules around fundraising and donations that users should be aware of.
Can you ask for donations on Facebook?
Yes, you are allowed to ask for donations on Facebook, but there are specific guidelines you need to follow. Facebook allows fundraising that is:
- For a registered and verified nonprofit organization
- For a personal cause or charity
- For disaster relief
Fundraising for nonprofits and charities is straightforward. You can create a Facebook Page and use features like Donate buttons and Facebook Fundraisers to raise money. Fundraising for personal causes requires following some additional rules.
Rules for personal fundraising on Facebook
If you want to fundraise as an individual on Facebook, you must:
- Make it clear you are raising money for a personal cause, not a registered nonprofit or charity.
- State exactly who the funds will go to and how they will be used.
- Not fundraise for more than one month at a time.
- Not fundraise for cash donations or use another payment provider outside of Facebook.
These rules are intended to increase transparency and prevent misuse of fundraising features. As long as you follow them, you can create a Facebook Fundraiser or use a Donate button to collect donations.
Can you fundraise for business expenses or profit?
No, Facebook does not allow fundraising for business activities, commercial entities, or generating personal profit or income. You cannot use Facebook fundraising tools to:
- Raise money for your business
- Fund a startup or other commercial venture
- Pay for personal expenses like bills, tuition, vacations, etc.
- Generate income for yourself
Facebook only permits fundraising for nonprofit causes that benefit others in need. Using Facebook’s tools to collect donations for profit-generating or commercial purposes violates their terms.
Can Pages ask for donations?
Yes, Facebook Pages can fundraise if they represent a:
- Registered nonprofit or charity
- Government entity
- Person collecting donations for an eligible cause
Pages must comply with Facebook’s commerce policies around fundraising and cannot collect donations for ineligible reasons. Facebook may require Pages to be authorized and verified in order to use certain fundraising tools.
Can Groups ask for donations?
No, Facebook Groups are not permitted to fundraise directly on their Group pages or in the Group description. However, individual group members can create personal fundraisers and share the fundraiser links in the Group as long as they follow the personal fundraising rules.
Can businesses ask for donations on Facebook?
Businesses are not allowed to fundraise directly on their Facebook Pages. However, if a business wants to support fundraising for a nonprofit or cause, they can:
- Promote a nonprofit’s fundraiser
- Match employee donations
- Cover nonprofit fundraising fees
- Post about their nonprofit support and partnerships
While businesses cannot use Facebook fundraising tools directly, they have options to amplify nonprofit and charitable causes.
Can you ask for donations in Facebook Live videos?
Yes, you can fundraise during a Facebook Live broadcast if:
- You are an individual broadcasting for an eligible personal fundraiser
- You represent an authorized nonprofit, charity, or government organization
The same Facebook fundraising policies apply. Disclose who the funds are for and how they will be used. Do not fundraise for commercial purposes.
Can you ask for donations in Facebook ads?
It depends. Facebook has specific advertising policies around fundraising:
- Nonprofits can run donation ads
- Personal fundraisers cannot run donation ads
- Ads cannot be used to fundraise for ineligible reasons
Review Facebook’s ad policies closely if you want to run fundraising ads. Nonprofit and charity ads may require authorization.
Can you ask friends to donate through Stories?
Yes, you can use Facebook Stories to promote an eligible personal fundraiser or nonprofit cause. You can direct people to donate through:
- Swipe up links
- Donation stickers
- Text or captions mentioning your fundraiser
The same transparency rules apply when asking for donations through Facebook Stories. Do not use Stories to fundraise for prohibited reasons.
Do fundraisers need approval on Facebook?
It depends on the type of fundraiser:
- Personal fundraisers – Do not require approval if following Facebook’s rules
- Nonprofit fundraisers – May require authorization and approval for certain features
- Advertising fundraisers – Must be authorized through Facebook’s ads approval process
Review Facebook’s Page verification and ad authorization requirements if you are fundraising for a nonprofit. Individual personal fundraisers just need to comply with Facebook’s policies.
What happens if you violate Facebook’s fundraising policies?
If you ask for donations on Facebook in ways that violate their rules, Facebook may:
- Reject or disable your fundraiser
- Disable your Facebook account abilities to create fundraisers
- Remove your fundraising content
- Stop you from using fundraising tools, like Donate buttons
In serious violations, such as fraud or misuse of funds, Facebook may suspend your account entirely. Make sure to follow all eligibility standards, disclosure rules, and limitations when fundraising.
Can you create a GoFundMe on Facebook?
Yes, you can share a GoFundMe fundraiser on Facebook as long as it adheres to Facebook’s policies. GoFundMe campaigns for personal causes, nonprofits, charities, and disaster relief can be posted and shared on Facebook.
You can share your GoFundMe fundraiser link directly in posts, comments, or Stories. You can also embed a GoFundMe widget directly into a Facebook Page or Group if permitted by their rules.
Should you create a Facebook Fundraiser or GoFundMe?
Facebook Fundraisers and GoFundMe campaigns are both popular online fundraising platforms. Here is a comparison:
| Facebook Fundraisers | GoFundMe |
|---|---|
| – Integrated directly with Facebook platform | – Must share links to external site |
| – Only raise money through Facebook Pay | – Multiple payment options like credit card |
| – Lower platform fees (3% + $0.30 per donation) | – Higher platform fees (2.9% + $0.30 per donation) |
| – Limited fundraising duration of 30 days | – Set your own duration and goal |
| – Mainly reach Facebook friends and existing community | – Can build campaigns to reach broader audience |
Consider your audience, nonprofit status, and reason for fundraising. Facebook Fundraisers integrate smoothly on Facebook’s platform, while GoFundMe offers more flexibility and features.
Key Takeaways
- You can fundraise for nonprofits, personal causes, disaster relief, and certain community projects on Facebook.
- Follow Facebook’s rules and restrictions around transparent disclosure and eligible reasons when fundraising as an individual.
- Businesses and commercial entities cannot collect directly donations through Facebook tools.
- Pages must comply with Facebook’s authorization requirements to access certain fundraising features.
- Violating Facebook’s fundraising policies can lead to content removal or account suspension.
Conclusion
Facebook provides tools that make fundraising for nonprofit and personal causes easier. While businesses cannot use these tools directly, they can still support charitable initiatives on Facebook. Understanding the platform’s policies is key to successfully raising money while staying compliant with Facebook’s rules.
With the wide audience on Facebook, fundraisers can gain significant exposure and harness the power of social connections. As long as you approach Facebook fundraising ethically and transparently, it can be an incredibly effective way to collect donations online.