Meta, the social media titan, has declared its decision to cease supporting charitable fundraiser activities on its platforms throughout Europe, effective at the end of June. The company’s policy shift impacts users in the European Economic Area (EEA), which encompasses 27 EU countries as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway but does not include the UK, a non-EEA member.
Meta expressed in their blog post that, from July 1st, 2024, nonprofits in the EEA will have to guide users to their individual websites for fundraising objectives, as the company will no longer provide its fundraising services.
Questions about why Meta has chosen to terminate such activities have so far gone unanswered by the company. This transformation impinges on the Facebook Donate ads, fundraisers initiated through Instagram and Facebook, the fundraiser API feature, and also the PayPal Giving Fund Ireland. Starting July 1st, charities will also be unable to access historical data concerning their fundraising operations via Meta platforms, including supporter databases.
There are additional limitations on donating money until June 30th. According to Meta, only individuals who have leveraged an e-money account for previous donations will have permission to donate up till the deadline, while others who haven’t used such an account will be barred from creating or donating to fundraisers. In their announcement, Meta conveyed it is actively investigating new methods to assist charities in guiding prospective donors to their fundraisers.