We all know the incredible power of Facebook to introduce us to new products and services and keep us connected to those brands we love.

But is Facebook for nonprofits effective in acquiring new donors?

The answer can be “yes,” if you remember a few important caveats:

• Your organization will most definitely need to put money behind your efforts because Facebook’s often-changing and always mysterious algorithms make organic reach extremely limited; and
• You can’t go in for “the kill” right away. Facebook activity is less about getting donations via the platform and instead about finding new people with whom you can build relationships in an effort to eventually cultivate them into donors.

Here are just a few of the ways Facebook for nonprofits can be used well for fundraising:

• Reinforce Appeal Messaging
  Because Facebook allows you to run ads to people in your email file, you can run Facebook ads for each appeal you send, targeting people who received that appeal. This is a great way to reinforce the message they saw in their mailbox or inbox and make multiple impressions for your cause. Be sure the creative and messaging matches the creative and messaging in the appeal.
• Convert Fans To Donors
  Though asking for donations on Facebook should be done sparingly (more on that below), you do have a core group of fans and followers who Like your Page, and this creates channels/opportunities to begin communicating with them about donation opportunities. The best way to do this is by selecting one or two very compelling campaigns each year and promoting them via social media. Think easy yesses (i.e. a small donation goes a long way) and a very emotionally compelling cause.
• Find Lookalike Audiences
  Facebook’s Lookalike audience targeting allows you to find other people who share characteristics with your donors. Rather than casting a wide net, this is a great way to find others who are more likely to give. It does require you to run ads. You can test ad campaigns for efficacy and stick with which is most cost-effective for you: ones focused on soliciting donations or ones focused on name acquisition and lead generation. This post from NextAfter gives some great specific information on using Lookalike audiences with success.
• Acquire Names
  When you stop thinking of Facebook for nonprofits as a fundraising tool and instead begin to think of it as a lead generation tool for potential donors, you are likely to see greater success. People don’t typically browse Facebook looking to give money – especially not to an organization they’ve never heard of – but they do use it to find information, engage in conversation, and support causes. 

Create channels for new audiences to get involved with you before asking for a gift: offer free downloads, petitions or ways to engage with the cause; make sure these opportunities require an email address so that you collect contact information.

Promote these opportunities through ads to targeted audiences (such as Lookalike audiences). And then make sure you have strategic follow-up processes in place to begin cultivating the relationship with these audiences and eventually move them to become donors. Facebook is an excellent tool for finding new names; don’t blow the opportunity by asking for the gift too soon.