Facebook Charity Donations?

Have you noticed social media is great at reminding you about your friends’ and family’s birthdays and that sure enough…you are getting older too.

Facebook is great about sending these notifications and adding the option to contribute to Facebook Charity Donations requests.

For one to two weeks prior to my birthday, Facebook leaves a post saying they will donate $1.00 to the charity I support for my birthday, and then ask if I want to set up a charity donation for that specific organization. From a social media standpoint, it looks like a great idea…but I have a few thoughts about this.

The History of Facebook Charity DonationsFacebook Charity Donations?

I first joined the Facebook Community back in 2009 around the time I was pregnant with my first baby. Facebook gave me the opportunity to reconnect with family and friends I hadn’t talked to in years. It was awesome!

Now, I had the opportunity to share pictures of my new baby, ask questions about motherhood, and…get reminded about my family and friends’ birthdays.

Beginnings of Charity Donations

It wasn’t until 2017 when Facebook added a new feature that allows their members to solicit funds for their favorite charity. Instead of getting gifts or cards, Facebook members can request a donation be made in honor of their birthday. The fundraiser can set a goal amount, post a personal message, and bam! A fundraiser has been born.

The Outward Appearance of Facebook Charity Donations

From the outside, setting up a donation for your birthday looks to be a great opportunity to help out a non-profit organization. You have the ability to choose the organization, put it on your Facebook feed, and let Facebook continually remind your friends, family, acquaintances, random people you don’t even remember adding as a friend, that you are having a fundraiser. The system keeps track of how much has been donated, and what your total goal is for the organization.

This is a great idea to be able to help an organization without really doing anything. You can donate as little or as much as you want, and at the end of the day, you feel good about yourself.

Do I Feel Compelled to Give to Facebook Charity Donations Request?

My sister started a Facebook fundraiser for her birthday, and she shared her two cents.

“It makes it easier for some to be able to show a little birthday support for people they don’t normally buy gifts for. This has happened to me; I got donations from people who never give gifts but they appreciated the opportunity to support a cause they believe in and get points with me for my birthday.”

I understand this perspective. It makes sense to give $5.00 as a small token, and then move on with your day. The birthday girl or guy gets a pat on the back, and the charity receives a small donation.

Now, most of us on Facebook have over 100 friends. But… have you noticed that these fundraisers tend to raise $200 or less? Why is that? Could it be compassion fatigue? Are we worn out with all of our friends asking for donations for their birthdays?

For example, I currently have 413 friends on Facebook. Chances are, if all 413 friends started a fundraiser for their birthdays, my news feed would only have room for their requests. That is extremely overwhelming for me.

It also makes me ask myself, “Do I feel compelled to give?” The overarching answer is yes, but… I have to dig deeper into the why. Why do I feel compelled? Is it only to make me feel better about myself for doing a nice thing? Do I feel guilted into it because my friend is requesting a donation? Do I really support the cause of the fundraiser, or am I just trying to get the request off of my news feed?

My goal is to be able to donate money to a charity to help them; not to make myself feel good or get myself noticed by others. Don’t get me wrong…these fundraisers are helping non-profit agencies, and are bringing awareness of the needs out there. I may donate to a friend’s cause, but maybe not for a Facebook birthday fundraiser.

Why Only Donate on My Birthday?

My thoughts boil down to this question…Why only donate on my birthday? To make a real impact to the community, donations should be on a regular basis. A one time offering of $5 will help a bit, but why not make it $5 a week or $5 a month?

There are so many organizations that are in need of monetary donations. These donations sustain their businesses so they can impact communities…OUR communities. Consider making a monthly donation to your favorite charity, but don’t base it on a Facebook birthday. Base your donations on how you can help non-profits stay afloat.

Conclusion

I understand many people appreciate the ability to use Facebook birthday fundraisers. It makes sense…and keep using it. In this, you are still able to impact the lives of others, but I challenge you to ask yourself why you are making a donation. Don’t do it because you can be seen. Don’t do it because you feel guilted into it. Do it to help others.

For those who are a little more skeptical of these types fundraisers, I encourage you to set up a monthly donation to your favorite charity, and if you are unable to give monetarily, go and volunteer. They can use your hands and feet, too! You can also set up a community fundraiser that can benefit the organization. Even though I was unable to give monetarily, I have been able to use my skills to facilitate fundraisers such as a Reverse Karaoke Night and a Shopping Boutique. These were so much fun, but they also helped the organization they were set up for.

Do You Have a Favorite Organization?

Are you looking to find an organization to give to? There are plenty to choose from. For example, each community has a number of animal shelters that need your assistance.

There are so many animals that have lost their homes or been abused. These shelters are doing everything in their power to help reduce the number of animals on the street, while finding deserving pets a loving home.

My favorite organization is Lost Our Home Pet Rescue in Tempe, AZ. Check them out when you get a chance!

So, do you feel compelled to give? If you do, what charity is important to you? Let me know your thoughts!

 

16 thoughts on “Facebook Charity Donations?”

  1. Hi Kelly!

    Such a kind gesture and feature of the Facebook platform. I never knew I can actually set up a fundraiser via Facebook. I haven’t come across this any day before.

    Maybe I’ll get the notification about it on my next birthday come April next year. Great stuff

    Thanks for sharing this beautiful information.

  2. You have some interesting thoughts on birthday charity requests related to your Facebook page. Many of us feel like the guilt of not giving is a bit much but what I see is a greater good. If people only cover like my last birthday $20 of a $250 goal for Wounded Warrior project I know that hundreds of others are at least raising $20 to help my cause and someone may get a new wheelchair or bathroom rails etc.. they need. Do you feel that a little discomfort in times you can’t help out is worth the end result of millions of people pooling the yes answers can do for the world?

    1. Andy, you have brought up a good point. Knowing millions of people are on Facebook, it makes sense that 1 birthday fundraiser is not the only one going on at that particular time. Even a $20 donation to Wounded Warrior will make a difference…especially if other birthday celebrations are raising funds for the same organization.

      The only discomfort for me is that I want to donate to so many organizations and donate through my friend’s Facebook fundraisers, but I do not have a lot of disposable income. It is definitely something I strive for though!

  3. Yes, I am no fan of the Facebook charity birthday thing, but it is for charity so I won’t bad mouth anyone for using it. One thing I do is I use Amazon Smile to donate to a cancer charity a little bit every time I buy something and on eBay I have the same thing but for the Wounded Warriors charity. I have a tight budget so it makes it so much easier for me to donate when it’s in smaller increments. Anyways, nice post on a good topic(charity in general) that does a lot of good.

    1. Hi Riverdogg,  I had not heard of Amazon Smile. As my family and I are avid Amazon purchasers (with 3 kids, it’s a necessity!), I will look into that as well. Thanks for the info. I learned something new today!

  4. I have a facebook account I don’t normally go there. I am more active on instagram and twitter, I never knew Facebook has added that section . I mean the birthday fundraising section. It is a great article I have learn someting new. I hope I can use it on my next birthday. I hope friends will also participate.  Thank you for your great article 

    1. Thanks Randy! I appreciate your feedback. The Facebook event is definitely worth doing, but I would also look into what you can do for your community. 🙂

  5. This is actually the first time I’ve ever heard about Facebook charity donation. I don’t think I get any notification from Facebook about the ability to set donation (or maybe this isn’t available in every region?). Your story has reminded me to giving care to others, even with just smallest effort. I personally would like to help or donate minority communities around my place. Maybe I will check them after this.

    1. Allblue, thank you for the comment! Every little bit helps, and I am sure there are many organizations that would appreciate your donation. 🙂

  6. Having a real reason beyond the clout chasing and the stardom light is better than anything else in this work now where we have people that will even kill for fame. This is really true and I appreciate your honesty with this post. Saddening as it is, we have people who only donate just so because others are doing it and this is very bad. Thank your or sharing this here with us all

    1. Hi Sherry, I agree…A lot of people want to be in the spotlight or recognized for their charitable donations….and it shouldn’t be that way. We should give because others are in need…not just because we are guilted/forced into it OR because we want to be noticed. 

  7. hello awesome article you have this really dragged my attention i just could not ignore it Such a kind gesture and feature of the Facebook platform. I never knew I can actually set up a fundraiser via Facebook. I haven’t come across this any day before.

    Maybe I’ll get the notification about it on my next birthday come April next year. Great stuff

    Thanks for sharing this beautiful information.

    1. You are welcome Joy! I hope FB presents the opportunity to you for your next birthday. Don’t forget though, you can start a fundraiser for any reason at any time too. 

  8. This is interesting and I would like to continue on this topic. It’s a bit of a social experiment. People that would not buy a gift would give a donation in the form of a token. The birthday boy/gal receives something and also the cause that’s being supported. I think that it’s a win for all three parties because even the sender wins points with the birthday boy/gal.

    1. Hi Paolo, I agree to a certain extent; however, the only drawback is the sender is almost guilted into giving a monetary gift. It can be difficult for some to even give a small amount. With that said, you are right in that it can be a win(x3) for all parties involved. It is just being able to keep a positive spin on it. 🙂

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