What you need to know
- Facebook is testing a new Instagram feature.
- It will let users fundraise for personal causes.
- It is currently being tested in the U.S., UK, and Ireland.
Facebook has announced that it is rolling out a new personal fundraising feature to Instagram, beginning with a small test in the U.S., UK, and Ireland.
In a blog post Tuesday Facebook stated:
Starting today, we're rolling out a new way to raise money on Instagram for a personal cause, like yourself, your small business, a friend or a cause that's important to you. You can already raise money for personal causes on Facebook and we're excited to bring this tool to Instagram. We'll begin with a small test to create a Personal Fundraiser in the US, UK and Ireland. If you live in a country where you can donate to a fundraiser through our donation sticker, you are also eligible to donate to a Personal Fundraiser.
Facebook says that users have raised more than $65 million for COVID-19 and racial justice causes on Instagram and Facebook and that donations on Instagram, in particular, have doubled in the past 30 days. Setting up a Personal Fundraiser is simple:
To create a Personal Fundraiser tap Edit Profile, Add Fundraiser and then Raise Money. Choose a photo, select a fundraiser category, and add details to help tell your story and encourage others to donate. Then you'll enter your information for Stripe, our payment processor for donations. And when you're finished, you'll tap Send to submit your fundraiser for review. All fundraisers go through a review process to make sure they are for eligible causes. Once approved, you can start raising money. Each fundraiser lasts 30 days, but can be extended as many times as you want. You must be at least 18 years old to create a fundraiser.
People can choose to hide their information from the public when donating, but fundraisers will see usernames, the name on the profile, and the amount donated.
Facebook says it will expand the feature on Instagram within the U.S, UK, and Ireland "in the coming months."
