Five Fabulous Facebook Fundraising Tips

Fundraising with Facebook

In today's digital age, Facebook has evolved from a simple platform for college graduates to stay connected into a dynamic social networking site where individuals boast 'hundreds' of friends and engage in daily conversations. This free, yet powerful tool, presents an untapped opportunity for promoting your fundraising initiatives online.

Here’s how to spread the word – and bank the results.

1. Create a Dedicated Facebook Page or Group for Your Organisation: As an ‘official representative’ (read executive committee member), you have authority to click on ‘Create a page for a celebrity, band or business’ and follow the prompts. Alternatively, create a ‘group’ and you have what’s called an ‘unofficial fan page’.

• Either way, upload your logo, photos that show your group’s activities in a positive way; even a short video clip.
• Use your database of group members to tell everyone that there’s a FB presence they need to check out.

     2. Engage Your Members via Facebook: Use your group's database to inform members about your Facebook presence. Encourage them to visit and interact with your page or group.

      3. Promote Your Group on Your Personal Facebook Profile: On your personal Facebook page, you can ‘like’ your group. By 'liking' your organisation's page, you leverage Facebook's News Feed algorithm to notify your friends about your engagement with the group, potentially attracting their interest and following.

      4. Use Status Updates for Progress Reports and Announcements: The 'What's on your mind?' feature on Facebook is an excellent tool for sharing updates about your fundraising efforts. Whether it's a countdown to an event, a call for donations or volunteers, or promoting a sale, your updates will automatically reach your friends and followers through the News Feed.

     5. Simplify Event Invitations: Inviting friends to a fundraising event has never been easier. In just minutes, you can create an event and send out all the essentials – what, when, where, why, what cost. Facebook records the responses: who’s coming, who’s declined and who needs to be chased up. Super-easy guest list-making and keeping. 

Extra Tip! Expand Your Reach Once your group has a fan base, let the world know! It's crucial to publicise this achievement to attract even more support for your cause.

Important Privacy Considerations:

1. Maintain Separate Professional and Personal Profiles: Keep your private FB and your group FB separate. The group one stays professional, focused on purpose yet friendly.

2. Prioritise Privacy: Ensure the privacy of all participants by avoiding the use of personal information in posts or videos. Opt for generic email addresses (e.g., secretary@yourclub.org) for official communication.
 

Incorporating these Facebook strategies can significantly enhance the visibility and success of your fundraising campaigns, connecting it with a wider audience and fostering community support.