Meta is bringing fundraising to Instagram Reels, allowing users to donate to more than 1.5 million charities in over 30 countries worldwide.

Fundraising in Reels was announced today as part of a series of updates focused around celebrating Earth Day.

Several influencers are currently demonstrating the new fundraising features to draw attention to environmental issues, the announcement states:

“And with Earth Day around the corner, Meta is collaborating with Dave Burd (aka Lil Dicky), Maggie Baird, Zyahna Bryant and other public figures to raise awareness about nonprofits tackling environmental issues like climate change and sustainability.”

History has shown short-form videos are an effective way to drum up support for nonprofits and charitable causes.

Some of the most successful and recognizable fundraisers have used short-form video.

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, one of the most memorable examples, went viral on Facebook and led to the creation of Meta’s Social Impact team.

Imagine how much more money could be raised in the future with the ability to donate by tapping a link on the video itself.

How To Create A Fundraiser On Instagram Reels

You can add a fundraiser to your Instagram Reels on iOS and Android by following the steps below:

• Open the Instagram app
• Tap the plus-sign at the top right, then tap Reel
• Record your Reel
• Tap Next
• Write a caption & tap Add fundraiser
• Choose the nonprofit you want to raise money for
• Enter details about the cause and amount you want to raise
• Tap Done
• Tap Share

After the fundraiser is created you can go back and edit details such as the end date and goal amount.

More About Fundraising On Instagram

People can already raise money on Instagram across feed posts, Stories, and livestreams.

While Instagram’s community has been finding creative workarounds to supporting nonprofits on Reels too, there’s now a dedicated way to do so.

As with existing fundraising options, Meta covers the donation processing fees. So all money raised using fundraisers on Instagram Reels goes directly to the nonprofit.

A PR representative for Meta tells Search Engine Journal that environmental protection is among the top three causes donated to by Facebook and Instagram users:

“Globally, more than 4M people have donated over $150M to date through Facebook & Instagram Fundraisers to combat climate change and support environmental protection.”

Every little bit adds up, as the majority of donations made on Instagram in the last year were under $20 USD.

The top three causes that people donate to on Instagram include:

• Children’s wellbeing
• Humanitarian relief
• Environmental/animal protection

The most popular nonprofits on Instagram, based on number of donors, for environmental causes are: The Ocean Cleanup, World Wildlife Fund and Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

Source: Meta

Featured Image: FGC/Shutterstock