Webwatch: Instagram introduces in-app charity donations with new sticker

By Martyn Landi, Technology Correspondent31st July 2019WebwatchApps, Charities, Social Media, Webwatch

Instagram users can now raise awareness of and donate directly to charities following the introduction of a donation sticker to the Stories section of the social media app.

The sticker is placed over a photo or video uploaded to a user’s Instagram Story and enables those who view and then tap it to donate to the associated cause.

The Facebook-owned social media platform will allow anyone who taps on the sticker to make a donation directly to the charity without leaving Instagram, with the social networks confirming 100% of all donations will go to the non-profit.

Aibhinn Kelleher, strategic partnerships manager on the social impact team at Facebook in Europe said: “All over the world people are using Instagram to raise awareness of the causes that matter to them. Now with donation stickers for Instagram Stories, people have a really easy way to support these causes, while also directly raising money.

“As well as helping organisations reach new audiences, with 100% of all money raised going straight to the organisation, the Instagram donation sticker should be a valuable tool for the charity sector. We can’t wait to see the creative ways that people use Instagram to support the causes they care about.”

Selecting the donation sticker inside the Instagram Story section of the app displays a list of the charities which can be linked to the new feature.

The feature builds on existing technology used on Facebook, which enables users to add donate buttons to pages on the social network.

A number of celebrities, including Fearne Cotton, Zoe Sugg and Olympic diver Tom Daley are among the first UK Instagram users of the new feature to mark its launch, each raising awareness for a different cause.

Cotton is promoting breast cancer awareness charity CoppaFeel!, Daley is backing The Brain Tumour Charity and Sugg is raising awareness for mental health charity Mind.

Instagram said that in order for charities and non-profits to be eligible to raise funds in this way on the platform, they must sign up for Facebook’s Charitable Giving Tools, link their Instagram profile to their organisation’s Facebook page and convert their Instagram profile to a business profile.