Instagram has begun testing a new option for personal fundraisers to help people and businesses raise money for selected causes. The social media platform will begin with a small test to create a personal fundraiser in the US, UK, and Ireland on Android, followed by iOS.
While users can choose to support an existing cause or start a new one, all fundraisers will be first betted to ensure they meet the existing rules and guidelines. Once approved, you can then start raising money.
To create a personal fundraiser, users with the feature can tap ‘edit profile,’ ‘add fundraiser’ and then ‘raise money.’ You’ll then be able to choose a photo, select the fundraiser category and add further information to tell the story and encourage donations. Each fundraiser lasts about 30 days and can be extended more than once for 30 more days. You must be at least 18 years old to create a fundraiser.
You’ll also need to enter your information for Stripe as donations to the fundraiser will be via Facebook Pay, which also powers Instagram’s latest shopping features. After your fundraiser concludes, the funds go to your designated bank account.
According to the platform, since January, people have raised more than $100 million for COVID-19 fundraisers globally across Instagram and Facebook. In the last 30 days, donations on Instagram have doubled in the US. With the rise in digital activism and fundraising, Instagram has been looking to further support people and businesses impacted by COVID-19 with a range of fundraising tools.
