Social media has transformed the way nonprofits connect with donors, making it easier than ever to inspire giving. With millions of people scrolling and engaging daily, these platforms offer a powerful, low-budget opportunity to expand your reach.
By integrating social media into your fundraising strategy, you’ll create connections that drive stronger engagement, more donations, and greater awareness for your cause. Social platforms empower supporters to give and advocate on your behalf, turning everyday interactions into lasting impact.
Now’s the time to embrace social media fundraising and harness its potential to take your mission further. Let’s discuss a few ways you can leverage it.
1. Use Built-In Social Media Fundraising Features
Social media offers unmatched convenience for donors and nonprofits. According to the OneCause 2024 Giving Experience Study, social media ranked as the second most popular way donors discovered giving opportunities, coming in just after in-person communications.
When you use built-in features on platforms like Facebook or Instagram, the process is simple. With one click, donors are taken directly to your donation page for a seamless giving experience.
Different social media sites offer different tools for nonprofits. The most robust is Facebook, which provides features like:
- Challenges: Organizations create a challenge and promote it through ads that show up in users’ feeds. When someone joins, they’re prompted to start their own fundraiser tied to the challenge. Participants can share updates, post videos, and celebrate milestones, creating an interactive giving experience that fosters a sense of community around your cause.
- Nonprofit Manager: From this dashboard, you can create and track campaigns, communicate directly with supporters, and receive real-time performance insights. It also lets you automate thank-you messages to donors, making sure they feel seen and valued for their contributions.
- Built-in payment security: Through Facebook’s partner, PayPal Giving Fund, your nonprofit can receive funds via credit/debit card or virtual wallets, with transparent processing fees that donors can choose to cover.
Besides Facebook, Instagram allows users to create fundraisers directly from posts, stories, reels, or livestreams, with a link to the campaign added to the user’s bio for easy sharing. Similarly, TikTok lets users add donation stickers to videos and livestreams that send viewers to donation pages.
Social media is a powerful tool for driving quick donations, but keep in mind that it’s most effective for campaigns with lower administrative needs. For larger, more complex campaigns that require advanced reporting or customization, a paid online or peer-to-peer fundraising solution may be a better option. These tools offer the additional functionality and flexibility needed to maximize results and streamline operations.
2. Recruit Fundraising Ambassadors
Ambassador fundraising can help your social media campaigns gain momentum and reach more supporters. Ambassadors—influential individuals such as nonprofit influencers, board members, leaders, or dedicated volunteers—can lead their own peer-to-peer campaigns and share your nonprofit’s posts to expand your donor base.
To host an ambassador fundraiser, follow these basic steps:
- Identify supporters with especially large networks: Look for board members, donors, volunteers, and sponsor contacts who have numerous connections within the community and a large following on social media.
- Reach out to prospective ambassadors: Direct message prospects on social media and invite them to champion your cause.
- Explain the campaign: Let them know how much additional impact they can make by becoming ambassadors, and share your campaign timeline, fundraising targets, and expectations upfront.
- Share branded resources: Equip your ambassadors with everything they need to succeed, from social media fundraising tutorials to outreach templates.
- Regularly check in: Touch base with your ambassadors throughout the campaign and provide support where needed.
Don’t forget to show your appreciation for these ambassadors. Send personalized volunteer thank-you letters that highlight how their efforts made a difference, along with information about upcoming campaigns or events, so ambassadors can stay engaged and continue supporting your mission.
3. Encourage DIY Fundraising
DIY, or do-it-yourself, fundraising empowers supporters to take the lead in advocating for your cause. This type of peer-to-peer fundraiser allows donors to start their own events or campaigns on social media at any time, for any reason.
Using direct messages (DMs) is a powerful way to support your DIY fundraisers. Reach out to potential participants to invite them to set up their personal fundraiser, answer any questions, and offer guidance as they create events or social media campaigns. To empower successful DIY fundraisers, regularly check in through DMs to provide support and strengthen their connection to your nonprofit.
If supporters don’t know where to start, here are some ideas you can suggest for their DIY fundraising campaigns:
- Birthday fundraisers
- Anniversary celebrations
- Memorials for loved ones
- Walking challenge
- Photography challenge
- Time-based campaigns
- GivingTuesday fundraiser
To show your appreciation for fundraisers’ help, offer ongoing support and appreciation throughout their DIY campaigns. You might share their campaigns on your social media channels, feature them in your email newsletter, or send small gifts of appreciation after the fundraiser concludes.
4. Promote Accessible Events
Virtual and hybrid auctions, galas, and other fundraising events have quickly gained popularity over the years, making it easier than ever for supporters to participate. By removing geographical and physical barriers, these events open the door to supporters who might not be able to attend in-person gatherings. They also provide a low-pressure environment for first-time participants, increasing the likelihood that curious supporters will engage with your cause.
The key to making these events as successful as possible is promoting them strategically on social media. A well-executed digital marketing plan increases awareness, drives engagement, builds excitement, and amplifies your nonprofit’s mission. Try these strategies to effectively market your virtual events on social media:
- High-value auction item teaser videos: Short, attention-grabbing videos showcasing top auction items can generate excitement and motivate participation.
- How-to infographics: Step-by-step visuals explaining how to register, use your mobile bidding app, or participate give supporters the confidence to get involved.
- Behind-the-scenes content: Share sneak peeks of event preparations or featured speakers to build anticipation.
- Countdown posts: Regular posts leading up to the event keep your audience engaged and create excitement.
- Social sharing prompts: Encourage guests to share event details with their network to expand your reach organically.
These strategies help create buzz and ensure your virtual or hybrid event reaches its full potential.
And remember, promotion doesn’t stop once the event begins! Continue posting on socials during and after the event to celebrate fundraising milestones, share live updates, and highlight the impact your supporters are making. This ongoing engagement keeps your audience connected and motivates future participation.
Improving Your Social Media Fundraisers
Once you start a social media fundraiser, promote the campaign widely using hashtags and compelling, high-quality content. Track engagement metrics to discover what strategies best drive awareness and inspire donors to give. With the right tactics, these channels will help you widen your reach and transform your supporters into a powerful force for change.