Remember when everyone said Facebook Fundraisers were going to change everything? Donors would rally their friends, campaigns would go viral, and nonprofits would watch the money roll in without lifting a finger. It felt like the future of fundraising was going to happen on someone else's platform, not yours.
The what
The numbers tell a sobering story. Revenue from Facebook Fundraisers fell by 42% in recent years, and these once-promising campaigns now account for just 0.2% of all online revenue.
Meanwhile, your campaign page is where the real work happens. It's where donors go when they're ready to give, where you control the experience, and where you can build relationships that last beyond a single viral moment.
The why
Facebook Fundraisers promised to meet donors where they already spend their time. The theory made sense: if someone's scrolling Facebook anyway, why make them leave to give? But what looked like convenience turned out to be a distraction. Giving on social platforms often feels transactional, a quick impulse driven by an algorithm rather than genuine connection to your mission.
Your website is different. When someone visits your donation page, they've made an intentional choice. They're not distracted by notifications, friend updates, or algorithm-driven content. They're there for you, ready to engage with your story, your impact, and your ask.
Should you care?
Not as much as you once might have thought.
Your presence on social platforms still matters for visibility, storytelling, and community building. But when it comes to fundraising infrastructure, alternative platforms haven't earned the extent of investment many nonprofits are making in them.
With your website, you control the narrative, the experience, and the relationship. In a digital landscape where algorithms change without warning and platform traffic ebbs and flows, that control is more important than ever.