Perhaps in a nod to the recent festive season, Facebook has unveiled a new Donate button for non-profit organisations.

Give a little

Facebook announced the update in a blog post, explaining the feature was developed after the spike in donations that followed Typhoon Haiyan.

“When people click “Donate Now” they can choose the amount, enter their payment information, and immediately donate to that cause.

“They also have the option to share the nonprofit’s post with their friends. We hope this will help increase donations as people encourage their friends to donate to the causes that are important to them,” Facebook wrote.

Sharing is caring

So far 19 non-profits, including Oxfam, WWF and Unicef are accepting payments through the “Donate Now” button, with more organisations expected to follow.

The update seems a timely one for Facebook, who largely tends to relegate actions to Likes and Follows. By allowing users to complete their donation without leaving the social network, Facebook may encourage more if its 1 billion audience to give. 

However it's not entirely altruistic, the “Donate Now” button will collect billing information and credit card numbers, which may help Facebook with advertising initiatives down the track.

Non-profits wanted to register for the Donate Now feature can visit facebook.com.  

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