The death of Facebook fundrasing

Is your charity based in the European Economic Area (EEA)?

Do you rely on Facebook and Instagram for online donations?

If the answer to both is yes, it’s time to rethink your social media fundraising strategy.

From the end of June, Meta is discontinuing all charity fundraising tools across Europe.

In a statement, Meta announced that starting July 1st, charities will need to redirect users to their own websites for donations. Features like Facebook Donate ads, fundraiser APIs, and PayPal Giving Fund Ireland will no longer be available.

Not only that, but charities will lose access to all past fundraising data from Meta platforms, including supporter lists.

And there’s another immediate change to be aware of: between now and June 30th, only donors with a history of using e-money accounts will be able to contribute via Meta’s platforms. First-time donors won’t be able to create or support fundraisers at all.

Why is this happening?

Meta cites ‘regulatory requirements’ for the changes but hasn’t gone into specifics. What we do know is that they’re promising a new approach to charity support.

According to their Social Impact team, this includes encouraging nonprofits to use the ‘donate’ button to drive users directly to their own websites. While Meta claims this will help charities reach more donors, it’s clear that the convenience of on-platform fundraising is coming to an end.

What does this mean for your charity?

If your organisation relies on Facebook and Instagram for donations, you need to act now. While UK charities aren’t affected yet, the chances of similar changes being rolled out here are high.

Here’s how you can future-proof your fundraising strategy:

1. Invest in your website
   Your donation page needs to be robust, easy to use, and ready to handle increased traffic. A clunky experience could cost you valuable supporters.

2. Broaden your fundraising efforts
   Relying on one channel is risky. Explore email marketing, crowdfunding platforms, and community events to diversify your approach.

3. Look into alternative platforms
   Platforms like JustGiving and Enthuse can help fill the gap. Make sure it’s as seamless as possible for potential donors to move from a Facebook ad to your chosen donation platform.

4. Test new campaigns
   Encourage fundraisers to use third-party platforms for their campaigns and track how it affects donor retention and the volume of donations.

The end of Meta’s fundraising tools doesn’t mean the end of digital fundraising—it just means adapting to a new landscape.

Need help navigating the changes?

Give us a call on 020 3880 6655 or email contactus@ferntalent.com to get the ball rolling.