This year has been difficult for everyone — but one silver lining has been the immense compassion and generosity that so many people have shown. On Facebook and Instagram, people have raised more than $100 million for Covid-19 causes and $65 million for those supporting racial justice this year, and more than 3.9 million people have visited our Community Help page to find ways to give and receive help.
The holiday season is a time when many of us think about how we can give something back. Today, we’re kicking off our Season of Giving campaign to encourage people to give however they can. Next week on GivingTuesday – a day when people all over the world come together to support great causes – we will match up to $7 million in eligible donations to US nonprofits made on Facebook.
You can get involved by starting a fundraiser of your own on Facebook, or sharing or donating to an existing one. We’re also making new fundraising tools available on Instagram. Donation stickers have long been a popular way to share important causes, and we recently rolled out Instagram Live fundraisers and personal fundraisers too. Soon, we’ll begin testing a new way for people to create and share nonprofit fundraisers directly within their feed, and we’ll share more on this shortly. 100% of what’s raised for nonprofits on Facebook and Instagram goes directly to the organizations, and all donations are securely processed by Facebook Pay, making it seamless to donate in just a few taps.
Fundraising is only one way to give back this holiday season. Today in the US we’re launching Drives, a new Community Help feature that makes it easier to collect food, clothes and other necessities for people in need. We’re starting to roll it out now, and it will be available more widely in the coming weeks.
You can also support Black-owned businesses when you shop with The Facebook #BuyBlack Friday Gift Guide. You can donate blood by connecting with your local blood bank on Facebook. And, at a time when many are feeling lonely, you can invite friends to a virtual holiday party in Messenger Rooms or to watch a movie using Watch Together.
On GivingTuesday, you can tune in to Peace Through Music: A Global Event For Social Justice exclusively on Facebook Live. The star-studded fundraising event, in honor of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, features performances and appearances by Aloe Blacc, Billie Eilish, Becky G, Carlos Santana & Cindy Blackman Santana, Killer Mike, Ringo Starr, Skip Markey and many more. It will be live on the Facebook App Page on December 1 at 12PM PST / 3PM EST. You can also check out Mike Rowe’s “Returning The Favor” on GivingTuesday for a special episode featuring Dawod Thomas, founder of My Father’s Plan, a Baltimore-based non-profit that helps inner city youth through community activism, financial literacy and community outreach. Viewers who tune in will be able to donate to support their incredible work.
Throughout the Season of Giving we will be celebrating people who are giving in inspiring ways and show how everyone has something to give – whether it’s time, talent or a simple act of kindness. A little goes a long way and anything you can give will make a difference to someone. No matter how you choose to give this holiday season, we thank you.
Visit about.fb.com/seasonofgiving for more information.
