Facebook Enables User-Generated Crowdfunding Campaigns Related to Medical, Education, and More

[MacRumors]

Facebook today announced that it will begin allowing its users to generate their own crowdfunding campaigns directly within the social network's mobile app, meant as a way "to raise money for themselves, a friend, or someone or something not on Facebook, for example a pet." Any user 18 or older will be able to set up a personal fundraiser, which Facebook hopes will be a way for people to more easily reach potential project backers like close friends and family members.

The catch is that fundraisers will be locked into six specific categories: education, medical, pet medical, crisis relief, personal emergency, and funeral and loss. Every fundraiser will also face a 24-hour review process by Facebook to ensure that the project's creator and its goals are legitimate. The company broke down the six categories in today's press release:

[*]Education: such as tuition, books or classroom supplies

[*]Medical: such as medical procedures, treatments or injuries

[*]Pet Medical: such as veterinary procedures, treatments or injuries

[*]Crisis Relief: such as public crises or natural disasters

[*]Personal Emergency: such as a house fire, theft or car accident

[*]Funeral and Loss: such as burial expenses or living costs after losing a loved one
On the donator side of things, friends and family will be able to support a user's fundraiser in a few taps and without leaving the Facebook app. The company said that all payments are secure and that donators will have more peace of mind thanks to Facebook's use of real profile information for the person raising the funds, and the person or cause the money will go to.

Personal fundraisers allow people to reach friends where they already are to quickly build momentum for their cause. Friends can donate in a few taps with secure payments, without leaving Facebook. Since you can see real profiles on Facebook, donors will see how they are connected to the person who created the fundraiser, the person benefiting and others who are supporting the fundraiser.

The update is also bringing donate buttons to Facebook Live streams of verified pages, which the company said will give "public figures, brands, businesses and organizations new ways to fundraise on Facebook for the nonprofits they support." With a simple tap, watchers of live streams can donate to a specified cause that the page is supporting.

Facebook said that personal fundraisers will be entering a beta over the next few weeks, and should face a wider launch sometime after that.

Article Link: Facebook Enables User-Generated Crowdfunding Campaigns Related to Medical, Education, and More

 

[NexusUser]

Pretty sad that this is how we have to pay for college and medical bills in the US...

 

[Avieshek]

Woah, this is gonna be huge, game changing actually.
I see, Change.Org is the next target after Snapchat.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

Pretty sad that this is how we have to pay for college and medical bills in the US...

The average American doesn't even have the ability to pay an unplanned $500 expense. It's sad. Sadly, most do this to themselves which is even sadder. Yes there are those in significantly bad financial states but for a large percentage, they simply don't manage their money well enough. They buy iPhones, new cars, and all kinds of other things but don't have even a basic savings.

 

[danvw]

Pretty sad that this is how we have to pay for college and medical bills in the US...

I know. If only people spent as much time learning personal finance as they did setting up campaigns and modern day panhandling...

 

[BeefCake 15]

Feels like cyber begging at this point sadly...

 

[Urban Joe]

Will be interesting to see how well this goes over....
Would like to see ability to do digital gift cards for B-days and special occasions. Maybe this exists already but I'm not aware of it. I'm not a
hard core FB type of guy anyways but digital gifting would be very convenient.

 

[Fzang]

Kony 2017!

 

[69Mustang]

The average American doesn't even have the ability to pay an unplanned $500 expense. It's sad. Sadly, most do this to themselves which is even sadder. Yes there are those in significantly bad financial states but for a large percentage, they simply don't manage their money well enough. They buy iPhones, new cars, and all kinds of other things but don't have even a basic savings.

You don't know me!! You don't know my life!! If I don't buy the latest phone every year or the top trim car how is everyone going to know that I got it going on? How OldSchoolMacGuy? How?!?! I can't post the same generic Google images that everyone else uses and my Photoshop skills aren't good enough to credibly insert myself into images without looking like a poser. I mean, I guess I could use Bing images since no one uses Bing. But screw that. I'd rather burn through my paycheck, savings, and borrowed money that I have no intention of paying back (sorry Uncle John). How we look to others, especially anonymous internet strangers, is the most important thing isn't it?

Now, don't you feel bad for judging me and my kind?

/dramatization of an actual conversation I had with a former friend