Meta to End Fundraising Tools in Select European Countries This July

Meta recently announced its fundraising tools will no longer be accessible to charities in select European countries.

Impacted countries include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. The final day for donors to make a gift via Facebook or Instagram in these countries is June 30.

Though Meta has not commented on the reason for the change, the European Union ruled last summer that Meta must get users’ express consent to track its users across its services and third-party sites. Meta’s effort to charge subscription fees in Europe backfired when the European Data Protection Board rejected the effort on April 17 — eight days before Meta announced the end of its fundraising tools in many European Union countries.

“Online platforms should give users a real choice when employing ‘consent or pay’ models,” Anu Talus, the board chair said in a statement after the decision. “The models we have today usually require individuals to either give away all their data or to pay. As a result, most users consent to the processing in order to use a service, and they do not understand the full implications of their choices.”

Here’s a rundown of what nonprofits need to know about the changes to Facebook fundraising tools in select European countries. 

On-Facebook Donate Ads

On-Facebook Donation Ads, which directed potential donors to Facebook fundraisers, have not been available in select European countries since April 25.

Fundraisers and Donate Buttons

For nonprofits paid via PayPal Giving Fund Ireland, all fundraisers and donate buttons will automatically cease on July 1.

For those paid through Facebook Payments in the affected countries, new donors are already restricted from donating. Since April 25, only those who previously used a Facebook e-money account can donate to a fundraiser or via a donate button through the June 30 cutoff due to regulatory requirements. This includes page admins who wish to create a fundraiser. 

For those who accept donations in these countries, Meta recommends changing your donate button on Facebook and Instagram to go directly to your website. As long as this update is made before the fundraising tools are phased out, the donate button will remain active on July 1. To make the change, visit your page settings and select “Action button.” Choose “Donate” and change the link to your organization’s website. 

Fundraiser API

While nonprofits currently have access to Fundraiser API if they receive funds through Facebook Payments, this feature will no longer be supported or used to create fundraisers starting July 1.

Charity Manager

Nonprofits have access to Charity Manager at the moment, but those paid through Facebook Payments will lose access to insights, support lists, automated thanking and bulk messaging on July 1. 

For those paid through PayPal Giving Fund Ireland, Meta will supply limited transaction reports for informational purposes and PayPal Giving Fund Ireland will provide donation activity reports for enrolled charities. Both of those are for Facebook donations made through July 1. 

Donation Receipts

Meta will continue to send donation receipts through June 30, but starting on July 1 receipts will only be sent for refunds and chargeback requests.

Donation Payouts 

Facebook Payments’ accounts will close on July 1. Final payments are expected to be delivered by July 15. Contact Meta for support, if needed, for any undistributed money, which could be returned to donors if not claimed.

PayPal Giving Fund Ireland payments are expected to be delivered to enrolled charities in 15 to 45 days. Unenrolled charities should receive a check within 90 days.