3 free tools for online fundraising – how do you use Google, Facebook and Instagram?

Google, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, WhatsApp. There are so many online platforms that you cannot see the wood for the trees. So how do you get started with online fundraising? Fortunately, the most popular channels have free tools for charitable causes.

In this blog, you can read about the 3 most useful tools and how to use them for your online fundraising.

By Samira Huibregtse, Junior Digital Marketer, Mindwize

Are you familiar with Google Ad Grants? This is Google Ads, but free and only for non-profits and charitable causes. You can use advertisements in different ways with paid Google Ads. From search campaigns that appear inbetween search results, to display advertisements that are shown on other websites.

Figure 1. An example of a Google Grants advertisement for the Eye Care Foundation

You get a 10,000 dollar advertising budget from Google with Google Ad Grants. You can use that to generate greater reach. In other words, perfect for online fundraising. There is however an important difference to the paid version. You can only use Google Ad Grants for search advertisements via Google, your advertisement does not appear on other websites.

What is your strategy?

So you get a generous budget, but you have a more limited reach than with Google Ads. That is exactly why you need a good strategy. Would you like more newsletter subscribers? Would you like your brochure to be downloaded more often? Are you looking for volunteers? Then adapt your strategy accordingly.

Account aanmaken?

You must however meet a number of requirements if you want to use Google Ad Grants. Want to know how to create an account? Then read this blog.

Facebook has also implemented measures to make online fundraising easier. Unfortunately, you do not get a budget from Facebook, but you are still assured of extra donations with the tools.

Fundraising organisations have access to:

• a donation button
• a fundraising campaigns page
• ‘donate on your birthday’

You can view the results in your www.facebook.com/nonprofit-manager/ Facebook account.

Figure 2. This person asked for a donation to Trombosestichting Nederland (the Dutch Thrombosis Foundation) for their birthday instead of gifts

Donation button

You can add the donation button to your page, posts, and live videos. It is an easy way for people to donate and they remain within Facebook, which keeps the ability to donate accessible.

Fundraising campaigns page

Has something relevant to your organisation featured in the news recently? Are you busy with a newsworthy event, or do you want to exploit a particular day? Then you can link a fundraising campaign to that via Facebook. It also remains within Facebook, which enables an accessible way of contributing in a few steps.

‘Donate on your birthday’

Someone’s birthday coming up, but they don’t want any gifts? Then they can start a donation campaign as a Facebook user. Your fans and followers can then contribute to your charitable cause.

Friends of this Facebook user receive notification of the fundraising campaign. That way, your organisation’s name also gains exposure.

Instagram also offers ways for you raise funds online easily.

Live donations

Live videos work well on Instagram when it comes to reach and exposure. If you combine this with live donations, you kill two birds with one stone.

You can add a donation button to your live video during an Instagram Live. That way, you can see how many people participated in your fundraiser in realtime. You can use this method of online fundraising effectively during a special event.

Donation sticker

Another way in which you can generate donors with Instagram is through the use of the donation sticker. You can add this to your own story, but fans and followers can also use the sticker themselves.

When Instagram users select this sticker, they are first shown a summary of the charitable causes they follow. But they can also search for other fundraising organisations. They can then set a target amount and share this in the story. That way, their followers see they can also donate, as a result of which the name of your charitable cause gains exposure.

Donation button

Another reasonably simple way of online fundraising on Instagram is to place a donation button on your page. This works more or less the same way as the donation button on Facebook. Here too, you remain within the Instagram environment, which makes it an accessible and easy way of donating.

Figure 3. The donation button on Simavi’s Instagram page

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