Posting on Instagram is a great way to share your fundraiser link along with a photo. We recommend choosing personal images that are eye catching, but not too graphic or shocking to viewers. You can include multiple photos in a post and in a story, so don’t feel pressured to choose just one! We’ve also found that fundraisers with pictures of happy, smiling people tend to be more successful.

Sharing to Instagram through GoFundMe:

With GoFundMe sharing options you can share to most social media platforms and through personal means like text and email. To share to Instagram:

• Go to the Manage dashboard of your fundraiser
• Use the "Share fundraiser" button
• Select the way you'd like to share, in this case, Instagram
• You'll be provided with a sharing poster with your main image, goal amount, and a place to put your link
• Share this on Stories or in a Post

Important: Instagram is a mobile-first platform, so you'll need to be logged into the GoFundMe app or on a mobile browser for the Instagram option to be available. 

Sharing a post through Instagram:

For a post, make sure your caption includes a call to action asking people to donate and share. To complement your post, you'll also want to include your link in your Instagram bio! It’ll be clickable there, so it’s super easy for people to access, and they’ll know it’s important to you since it’s at the very top of your profile. You can then reference that link in any posts you make as well with a quick "Link in bio!" callout.

Follow these steps to make an Instagram post:

1. Sign in to your Instagram account
2. Click the + icon at the top of the screen
3. Select the photo you’d like to use for your post, then click "Next"
4. Add a filter to your photo, if you want to; click "Next"
5. Write the message you’d like to use as your caption; make sure you include your fundraiser link
6. Click "Share"

Sharing a Story through Instagram:

As for stories, they disappear after 24 hours, and are a great way to continue to remind your followers that you have a fundraiser you’d love to share with them. Don’t feel like you’re oversharing – the more views the better! You can mix up stories with different images and calls to action, while also utilizing different features provided by Instagram like stickers, GIFs, etc.

Posting a story is also beneficial because you can include the direct link to your fundraiser by clicking the "sticker" button (on the top of the story creation page, which is after you select your photo) and then choosing "link". This will make it much easier for people to visit your fundraiser!

Follow these steps to post a story: 

1. Open your Instagram app.
2. Click the + icon at the top of the screen and select Story.
3. Select a photo or take a new one to share with your GoFundMe link.
4. Click the sticker tool in the navigation bar at the top of the screen. 
5. Tap the Link sticker.
6. Add your GoFundMe fundraiser link.
7. Place the Link sticker on your story content. 
8. Click the arrow icon in the bottom right-hand corner when you are ready to post.
9. Click Share next to the Your Story option.
10. Tap Done to share your story.

If you want to put a little extra effort into creating your post or story, you can find beautiful free templates on Canva.

How can my charity benefit from the Meta enhanced social sharing tools?

Charities that have opted into Meta's fundraising tools will have additional sharing capabilities on GoFundMe. If your charity isn't already enrolled in Facebook fundraising tools, just follow these steps to take advantage of these sharing features:

1. Create a Facebook Page for your organisation, if you don’t have one
2. Apply for Facebook’s Fundraising Tools through Meta
3. Set up a professional Instagram account and link it to your Facebook page

These qualified charities and their supporters will be able to share in two different ways on Instagram.

1. Sharing to Stories

When sharing through Instagram, whether you’re managing or supporting a charity fundraiser, you’ll be able to share directly to Instagram Stories with a poster that includes the main image, goal progress, and a clickable donate button. Clicking “Donate” will bring up an Instagram preview of the fundraiser, and then donors can click “Continue” to visit the GoFundMe fundraising page to complete their donation. 

2. Sharing to Profile

When sharing through Instagram, whether you’re managing or supporting a charity fundraiser, you’ll be able to add your fundraiser link and goal progress directly to your profile, underneath your bio. 

Clicking the link in your profile will bring up a fundraiser preview where donors can then click through to the fundraiser page to donate.

Stay safe while sharing

GoFundMe and any social media platforms on which you share are public, which means bad actors can view both your fundraiser and any posts you make about it. Occasionally, bad actors may try to contact you through social media to advertise crowdfunding help. GoFundMe will never offer fundraiser promotion for a fee, and we don’t condone or suggest using any services that do.

Keep the following tips in mind when sharing on social media:

• Never share your GoFundMe account or personal and bank details over social media.
• Don't engage with individuals offering to promote your fundraiser for a fee.
• Don't click on any links sent in DMs unless you trust the sender.

Sharing your fundraiser on social media is incredibly important to reach your goal, and we want you to feel confident and safe while sharing. Following our tips will help you to avoid bad actors, but if you do come across something suspicious, please let our team know at accountsecurity@gofundme.com.

Looking for additional tips for success? Check out the videos below.