Facebook birthday fundraisers

In the last five years, people have raised over US $2 billion to support the people and causes they care about on Facebook, with $1 billion of that coming from birthday fundraisers alone. By dedicating their special day to a nonprofit organization, people rally their friends and family to support important causes. Over 45 million people have donated to or created a fundraiser on Facebook — which has more than doubled since last November.

Earlier this year, I used this fundraising function for my birthday celebration and raised CDN $250 for the Ottawa Snowsuit Fund. It was easy to use, and I was pleased to be able to help an important cause, all while relieving my friends and family of needless shopping for gifts. At this age, I’m not inclined to celebrate birthdays so it was win/win.