Doing birthday donations on Facebook has become a popular way to raise money for charities and causes. With over 2 billion active users, Facebook offers a huge platform to tap into your network of friends and family for donations. Whether you want donations for your own birthday or to honor someone else’s special day, setting up a Facebook birthday fundraiser is easy and effective.
What are birthday donations on Facebook?
Birthday donations allow you to create a fundraiser that is connected to your birthday on Facebook. Friends can donate directly through Facebook, and the funds go straight to the nonprofit organization you select.
When you set up a birthday fundraiser, a notification goes out leading up to your birthday encouraging people to donate instead of buying you a gift. The fundraiser and donation prompts are built right into the Facebook platform, so it’s simple for your friends to participate.
Facebook doesn’t charge any fees for birthday donations. 100% of the money raised goes to your chosen nonprofit. Facebook also provides the payment processing at no cost.
Why do birthday donations on Facebook?
Doing a birthday fundraiser on Facebook has several advantages:
- It’s easy – everything is handled through Facebook so you don’t have to build your own donation website or handle money transfers.
- It reaches a wide audience – all of your Facebook friends will see prompts to donate, allowing you to tap into your broad network.
- It benefits charity – the money goes straight to the nonprofit you select, helping further their mission.
- It focuses on giving rather than receiving – instead of material gifts, you’re requesting gifts that make a difference.
- It’s social – when friends donate, it posts on your newsfeed adding to the social engagement.
- It’s repeatable every year – you can create a new fundraiser for each birthday allowing it to become an annual tradition.
Overall, Facebook birthday fundraisers provide an easy and effective way to do some good on your special day. The built-in platform makes it seamless for your friends to participate from anywhere.
How to set up a birthday fundraiser on Facebook
Setting up a birthday fundraiser takes just a few minutes by following these steps:
- Click “Fundraisers” from the left menu of your Facebook page.
- Choose the option to “Raise Money for a Nonprofit.”
- Select “Birthday Fundraiser” as the reason you are raising money.
- Fill in your birthday and choose which nonprofit you want donations to go to. You can search for the specific name.
- Customize your fundraiser title and text. Include a sentence about why you’re passionate about this cause.
- Set a fundraising goal amount.
- Upload a cover photo and select inviting friends.
- Press “Create” and your fundraiser will be active leading up to your birthday.
The process is very quick and intuitive right through Facebook. You provide the key details and they handle the rest – even sending automatic reminders as your birthday gets closer.
How do friends donate to a Facebook birthday fundraiser?
For your friends, donating to your birthday fundraiser is simple. Here is what they experience:
- They will receive a notification about your fundraiser as your birthday approaches.
- On your birthday, they will get another notification prompting them to donate instead of buying a gift.
- Clicking the notification will take them directly to your fundraiser page.
- They enter the amount they wish to donate and complete the transaction through Facebook.
- They have the option to hide their name when donating or to post the donation to your timeline.
- After donating they will receive a receipt and thank you message.
Again, the entire process happens seamlessly within Facebook. Friends don’t have to deal with external sites or payment forms. Facebook uses their existing payment information to make donating incredibly simple.
Fundraising tips for Facebook birthday donations
Here are some tips to boost fundraising results with your Facebook birthday campaign:
- Post consistently leading up to your birthday to keep it top of mind.
- Send personalized messages to your closest friends and relatives to encourage them.
- Add updates about how much you have raised so far to create momentum.
- Use lots of photos and videos to make your posts more engaging.
- Tell a compelling story about why you chose your cause and what it means to you.
- Highlight any offline fundraising efforts you are doing in addition to Facebook.
- Send thank you messages to everyone who donates.
- Keep fundraising open for a few days after your birthday to capture late donations.
The more you communicate through your personal connections on Facebook, the more successful your fundraiser will be. Show donors the impact they are making!
Can you donate your own money to your birthday fundraiser?
Yes, you can donate to your own birthday fundraiser on Facebook. This is a great way to get things started and show others how committed you are to the cause.
When you make a self-donation, you can choose whether to display your name publicly or donate anonymously. Donating your own money when you first activate the fundraiser indicates what level of contribution you are hoping to achieve from your network.
Some things to keep in mind when donating to your own campaign:
- Be transparent that you are donating your own money rather than masking it as a donation from someone else.
- Make your self-donation within reason based on what you can afford.
- Your own donation will contribute to your fundraising total displayed.
- You can make multiple self-donations as you get close to your goal.
Giving some of your own money early on is great for setting an example of generosity for your friends. Just be authentic about your contributions when doing so.
Do you get notified when someone donates?
Yes, you will receive notifications when friends donate to your birthday fundraiser on Facebook. You have the option to get notifications about all donations or only from friends tagging you.
To set up donation notifications:
- Go to the “Notifications” section under Settings.
- Click “Fundraisers” to adjust these specific notifications.
- Turn on notifications for “When someone donates to your fundraiser and tags you.”
- You can also be notified for all donations if you prefer.
Getting notifications is a great way to see your fundraiser progressing. It also allows you to send quick thank you messages to recognize donors.
Who can see your birthday fundraiser on Facebook?
The visibility settings for your birthday fundraiser include:
- Public – Anyone on or off Facebook can see your fundraiser.
- Friends – All of your Facebook friends can see and donate.
- Only Me – Only you can see the fundraiser (not recommended).
In most cases, you will want to leave the visibility as “Friends” when setting up your fundraiser. This allows your whole network to be notified while limiting it from wider public view.
Your list of donors will always remain private and not displayed publicly. However, donors can opt to also share the news of their donation to their own timelines.
Can you promote a Facebook birthday fundraiser?
Yes, you can boost Facebook birthday fundraisers using Facebook ads. This offers a way to spend a little money to increase your fundraising impact even more.
When creating ads, you first select the fundraiser you want to promote. You can then target your ad by location, age, interests, connections, and more.
Facebook provides the ability to set a daily or lifetime ad budget. Your ad will be displayed to users that meet your targeting until your budget is reached.
Promoted fundraisers must follow Facebook’s fundraising policies. Your ad text should focus on your cause rather than promoting donations to your personal fundraiser.
Are there fees associated with Facebook birthday donations?
No, Facebook does not charge any platform, processing, or transaction fees on birthday fundraisers. 100% of the donations go to your selected charity.
The one exception is that you have the option to boost your fundraiser as a Facebook ad. In that case, you would pay the normal advertising fees to promote the post.
Without paid promotion, there are no costs involved for donations made directly through the fundraiser page. Facebook even absorbs the credit card processing charges.
Can you edit your birthday fundraiser after creating it?
Yes, you can make edits to your Facebook birthday fundraiser at any time. Here are some things you can update:
- Fundraiser title and text
- Cover photo
- Fundraising goal amount
- End date of the fundraiser
- Visibility setting
- Invite list of who can see your fundraiser post
To make changes, go to your fundraiser and click “Edit Fundraiser” at the bottom. This will open the original setup screen where you can adjust any of the details.
One setting that cannot be changed is the nonprofit organization. Make sure to carefully select the correct charity when first creating your birthday fundraiser.
What happens to donations if you don’t reach your fundraising goal?
With Facebook birthday fundraisers, all donations that are made go to your selected charity regardless of whether or not you hit your set fundraising goal amount.
The goal you set is just for motivating people to donate. If you come up short of that total, the money is still sent to the nonprofit following your birthday.
So there is no need to worry if you don’t quite make your initial goal. Facebook will transfer all funds raised to the intended charity.
Can you extend a Facebook birthday fundraiser past your birthday?
Yes, you have the ability to extend your birthday fundraiser on Facebook past your actual birthday. This gives more time to collect additional donations.
To extend the end date:
- Go to your fundraiser page
- Click “Edit Fundraiser” at the bottom
- Update the end date from your birthday to a later date
You can prolong the fundraiser as long as you want. Some things to keep in mind when extending:
- Update the text to mention the new end date.
- Inform donors who have already given that you are keeping it open longer.
- Post regular reminders about the ongoing fundraiser.
Giving your birthday fundraiser a longer life can help you exceed your initial goals. The key is letting supporters know it is still active.
Can you turn a birthday fundraiser into a regular fundraiser?
Once your birthday passes, Facebook automatically converts your birthday fundraiser into a regular fundraiser. This gives you the flexibility to keep raising money over time.
When this happens, the word “Birthday” will be dropped from the fundraiser title. But everything else remains the same.
Even though it is no longer a birthday fundraiser, you can still continue promoting and getting donations. The fundraiser will act just like any other regular Facebook fundraiser.
You also have the option at any point to end the fundraiser altogether. Simply click “End Fundraiser” on the page.
So while you can’t directly convert a birthday fundraiser before your birthday, it does transition seemlessly into an ongoing fundraiser after your special day passes.
Can you create a Facebook birthday fundraiser for someone else?
Unfortunately, Facebook birthday fundraisers can only be created directly by the person with the birthday. Anyone else trying to set up a fundraiser connected to someone’s birthday will find the option is disabled.
While you can’t make a fundraiser for someone else’s birthday, you can still support their efforts in a few ways:
- Donate generously when you get the notification about their fundraiser.
- Like and share their fundraiser page and posts to promote awareness.
- Offer to help craft their fundraiser text and communications.
- Send a personalized message encouraging friends to contribute.
So while you are limited in directly creating a fundraiser for someone else, you can play an active supporting role in helping them maximize donations.
What are some creative ideas to maximize birthday donations?
Here are some creative tactics to boost donations for your birthday fundraiser:
- Match Challenge – Pledge to match all donations up to a certain amount to incentivize giving.
- Themed Gifts – Suggest $10 for sports gifts, $20 for toy gifts, $50 for electronics gifts.
- Milestone Prizes – Offer small prizes to donors at mile markers like 50th or 100th contribution.
- Corporate Matching – Ask donors if their company provides donation matching programs.
- Offline Events – Host a small event and charge admission for the charity.
- Partner With Local Business – See if a business will donate proceeds from a product sold.
Taking your Facebook birthday fundraiser “offline” with real world activations and partnerships is a great way to bring in more donations. Get creative in how you leverage your network both online and off.
Conclusion
Birthday fundraisers on Facebook provide a seamless and effective way to transform your special day into a force for good. With Facebook handling all of the processing and transaction details, it makes raising money simple and efficient.
Be sure to communicate your passion for the cause through social posts and personal outreach for best results. Let your friends know that contributing to something meaningful is the greatest gift you could receive.
With some planning and creativity, your Facebook birthday fundraiser can become an annual tradition of spreading joy on your birthday and supporting your favorite cause.