YouTube is giving the gift of new tools to collect charitable donations.

The new suite of charity-minded features has been branded ‘YouTube Giving’. As unveiled, it is set to include four tools—one of which is already in full swing for US charities, with the other three in beta release.

Super Chat for Good

YouTube launched Super Chat as a way for channels to monetise live chat and streaming Q&A sessions. Typically, creators only get part of the revenue from Super Chat sessions, with tax and fees subtracted automatically.

Super Chat for Good sidesteps the subtractions. Instead, it automatically routes funds ‘to a nonprofit chosen by the channel’.

At the moment, ‘eligible charities’ are exclusively US-based ones.

Three beta fundraiser tools

Other tools in the suite include ‘Fundraisers’, ‘Community fundraisers’, and ‘Campaign matching (beta)’. These are all currently in beta, only available to a select few.

‘Fundraiser’ let’s YouTube creators embed a fundraising campaign in line with their videos, including a campaign ticker and a ‘donate’ button. ‘Community Fundraisers’ will be similar, but allow multiple creators to get in on a single campaign.

‘Campaign Matching’ will let brands automate their donations, set up to match individual donor contributions.

Here’s hoping YouTube lets Australasian not-for-profits benefit from these features, ASAP.

Could YouTube Giving revolutionise modern concepts of charity? If so, is it a revolution for the better?

Copy Transmission is a Melbourne-based agency :: Better Brands. Loud & Clear.