Facebook fundraisers were introduced in 2015 as a way for individuals to raise money for personal causes or nonprofits directly through the Facebook platform. Fundraisers quickly became popular, allowing people to leverage their social networks to garner donations. However, over the past couple of years, some changes have led to a decline in Facebook fundraisers. Here we’ll look at what happened and why Facebook fundraisers aren’t as widely used today.
The Rise of Facebook Fundraisers
When Facebook first launched the fundraisers feature, it was a novel way for individuals to harness their social media presence for social good. Some key factors drove the initial success and popularity of Facebook fundraisers:
- Easy set up – Creating a fundraiser was simple and integrated directly with your Facebook profile.
- Social reach – Fundraisers could tap into your existing Facebook friends and followers for donations.
- Low fees – Facebook charged no platform or processing fees for fundraisers.
- Viral sharing – Fundraisers could be easily shared and promoted organically on Facebook.
As a result, Facebook fundraisers took off. One study found that Facebook fundraisers raised over $1 billion for nonprofits in their first two years. The tool was empowering individual fundraisers and smaller charities.
The Decline of Facebook Fundraisers
While Facebook fundraisers experienced meteoric growth initially, over the past few years their popularity and use has declined significantly. Some key factors contributed to this downward trend:
- Saturation – The novelty of Facebook fundraisers wore off, leading to fatigue and saturation.
- Organic reach decline – Facebook began limiting unpaid organic reach, forcing fundraisers to pay for promotions.
- Stiff competition – Other social platforms like GoFundMe offered more fundraising features and focus.
- Fee introduction – In 2018, Facebook began charging fees on personal fundraisers.
These changes made Facebook fundraisers less advantageous compared to other fundraising options. As the excitement wore off and barriers increased, fewer individuals and nonprofits found Facebook fundraisers compelling.
The Current State of Facebook Fundraisers
While Facebook fundraisers aren’t as widely used today, they still represent an important fundraising channel for some causes and organizations. Here are a few key points about their current state:
- Great for small nonprofits – Smaller charities with limited resources can benefit from Facebook fundraisers started on their behalf.
- Peer-to-peer fundraisers – Personal fundraisers for things like medical bills do well by tapping friends.
- Birthday fundraisers – The birthday fundraiser feature provides a seamless way to fundraise.
- Cost-effective – For smaller campaigns, the fees charged by Facebook are still cost effective.
So while the hype and growth of Facebook fundraisers has leveled off, they do still fill an important niche, especially for grassroots and personal fundraising campaigns.
Number of Facebook Fundraisers Per Year
| Year | Number of Fundraisers |
| 2016 | 1.2 million |
| 2017 | 2.3 million |
| 2018 | 1.9 million |
| 2019 | 1.6 million |
| 2020 | 1.4 million |
This table shows the rapid growth in Facebook fundraisers following their introduction before declining over the past few years. The number of active fundraisers peaked in 2017 and has trended downward since.
The Future of Facebook Fundraising
Looking ahead, Facebook fundraisers are likely to remain a smaller but active fundraising stream. Some possibilities for the future of Facebook fundraising include:
- More partnerships between Facebook and nonprofits
- Integration with Instagram and other Facebook platforms
- New features tailored to peer-to-peer fundraising
- More prominence during major charitable events like Giving Tuesday
While Facebook fundraisers won’t likely return to their early growth levels, targeted improvements could help strengthen their viability for grassroots causes. The platform’s massive user base still represents major potential for fundraising.
Conclusion
Facebook fundraisers experienced meteoric rise and success following their 2015 launch. However, various changes to the platform and fundraising environment caused their popularity to cool. While no longer a major fundraising force, Facebook fundraisers still benefit smaller nonprofits and personal causes by providing free access to huge networks of potential donors. With some improvements to the fundraiser tools, Facebook can likely continue to play a useful role in charitable crowdfunding and peer-to-peer fundraising.