Adapting to Changes in Facebook Fundraising Tools: A Guide for Nonprofits
When you run a nonprofit, you’ve likely leaned on social media platforms for fundraising. It’s easy, widely accessible, and taps into an immense audience. With its billions of users, Facebook has been a beacon for nonprofits—especially small ones—looking to spread the word about their cause and raise funds. However, the recent announcement about changes to Facebook’s fundraising tools may have you rethinking your strategy. Let’s delve into these changes and discuss how you can not only adapt but also leverage them to strengthen your fundraising initiatives.
Understanding the upcoming changes
- Direct Donation Handling: Facebook is moving away from directly processing donations. This change means you’ll need to explore other avenues for processing donations.
- Processing Fees: Previously, Facebook covered the processing fees, meaning every penny of the donation went to the nonprofits. Now, with this burden shifted, small nonprofits may end up receiving less than the donated amount after deductions, which can be significant, especially for those that operate on tight budgets.
- Recurring Donations: The end of support for recurring donations is perhaps the most significant blow. Recurring donations are crucial for nonprofits because they provide a steady and predictable income stream. Without this option, it might become harder for organizations to budget and plan for the future.
Here’s How Your Org Can Adapt – and Flourish
Educate and Engage Your Donors
Communicate openly with your donors about any changes and what they might mean. A well-informed donor might be more inclined to cover additional fees or adjust their donation habits. Moreover, foster a relationship with them through updates, newsletters, and acknowledgment, ensuring they remain connected and loyal to your cause.
Establish Your Own Donation System
The upcoming changes remind us of something important: It’s about time you had your own sandbox to play in. If you’re part of a small nonprofit team, consider giving your website an upgrade so it can handle donations directly. While social media is amazing for widening your reach, nonprofits need robust independent systems for fundraising, systems that can neatly integrate with or complement social media tools. Why, you ask?
Having your own fundraising system brings an array of benefits:
- Full Control & Flexibility: You can manage donations, campaigns, and recurring gifts by your own rules.
- Consistent Support for Recurring Donations & Campaigns: An independent system means you can provide uninterrupted support for the recurring gifts and campaigns that fuel your nonprofit operations.
- Integrated Constituent Management: With your own system, you have a clearer and more comprehensive overview of your donors, volunteers, and supporters all in one place.
- A Personalized Approach: Your own system permits you to develop and maintain your unique branding and voice, building genuine connections with your audience.
Now, you might be thinking: “This all sounds well and good, but how can we implement our own system, especially with budget constraints?” – That’s where Flipcause steps in!
Flipcause: Your Solution to Social Media Fundraising Changes
Designed with small nonprofits in mind, Flipcause offers cost-effective tools that facilitate easy integration with your existing social media tools, providing a seamless fundraising experience.
Recurring Donations
Flipcause makes it easy for nonprofits to implement recurring donations, streamlining the donation process and ensuring that the donation and payment information is securely tracked. Donors will appreciate the convenience of automated donations, while your organization enjoys the steady stream of funds that support your vital work.
Industry-low Processing Cost
Flipcause’s Guaranteed Effective Rate helps you retain more of your donations.
Supporters have the option to cover transaction fees when checking out, and over 85% of donors do. But for those times when supporters don’t cover the fee, Flipcause guarantees your effective transaction rate never exceeds 1.5% in a calendar quarter. That means your organization will keep at least $98.50 of every $100 you raise. Since such a high percentage of supporters choose to cover these fees, nonprofits are keeping an average of $99.00 of every $100 raised. That’s the lowest pricing amongst all payment processors.
Look Beyond Individual Donations
While individual contributions are invaluable, broaden your horizons by exploring opportunities in grants or corporate sponsorships. Collaborative ventures can bring mutual benefits and provide an additional revenue stream.
With Flipcause Donation and Payment tools, it’s a breeze for corporate sponsors to contribute financially. Nonprofits can easily create tailored sponsorship packages and display them on their campaign pages or website. And with social media shares driving traffic, you’ll make it simple for companies to lend a helping hand.
Showcase Impact with Flipcause Campaigns: When you reach out to potential corporate sponsors, it’s essential to showcase the positive impact of your cause. Flipcause’s built-in campaign tools empower you to create captivating and inspiring stories, unveiling the true heart of your nonprofit. By sharing these campaigns on social media, you increase visibility and attract the attention of businesses eager to partner with you.
Wrapping Up
While leveraging social media for nonprofit fundraising is imperative in today’s digital age, it’s equally crucial to have robust, independent systems in place. By diversifying your strategies and taking control of your donation systems, you can ensure that your nonprofit remains resilient and thrives, no matter the digital landscape’s changes.
Remember, the key to effective fundraising is not about jumping on every trend—it’s about finding the right tools that cater to your unique needs. Although social media can help with exposure, think of Flipcause as the heart of your fundraising operations—a tool that truly integrates with your mission.
