Facebook released new tools last Nov 18, Wednesday, which would allow users to donate to organizations they truly care about, like the Syrian refugee crisis.
Since 2013, Facebook users have been able to donate to charities. NBC News reported that charitable organizations can now create pages that tackle specific issues. The new feature is packed with visual tools so that people can monitor how close the campaign is in reaching its goal.
The CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, made a statement via a Facebook post, saying, "Today we're taking the next step on that journey as we begin testing fundraisers for nonprofits. We hope this makes it easy for you to support the cause you care about."
The "Donate" button was improved by the company to make it more convenient for people to donate money from their NewsFeed and the new fundraiser pages. Part of the new tools' goals is to help nonprofits reach supporters, engage the community and raise valuable funds for their good purposes.
There were 37 charitable organizations being tested with the tools, including "Syrian Refugee Crisis Response" from Mercy Corps and the "NOW MS research campaign" from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Similarly, Twitter is letting its users donate by using hashtags, while Google sometimes adds a "Donate" button over its search results.
The action Facebook is doing seemed genuine and deep-seated. However, there are still concerns raised. Even if the company stated its good intentions for launching the fundraising tool, critics say that it is an easy way for the social media app to extract credit card information, as reported by The Verge.
Another feature that's been criticized was the recent Safety Check feature Facebook launched after the Paris attacks. Zuckerberg's social network came under fire when its Safety Check feature was not made available during the terrorist attacks in Beirut and Baghdad.
Meanwhile, the product is currently being tested in 20 countries but the company is looking forward to spreading it more widely next year.
"I'm excited to see how our community uses these new tools to do even more good in the world," Zuckerberg said.
