One of the easiest ways to help the Gift of Life Foundation is with a Facebook Fundraiser for your birthday, or in honor or memory of a friend or family member.
It’s simple to set up and, once it’s active, people who care about you and the mission can give as little as $1 to help you reach whatever goal you set. The average Facebook Fundraiser gift to the foundation is $50.
“Every single person who takes a few minutes to set up a Facebook Fundraiser for us is making a tangible difference,” said Susan Rink, chief of philanthropy and foundation programs for the Gift of Life Foundation. “I’m continuously wowed by how eager people are to pitch in $25 or $50 for our mission. Those gifts combine to help us pay for important projects and drugs for organ recipients in need.”
More than $105,000 has been raised this way since Gift of Life Foundation was added to Facebook’s dropdown list of nonprofit charities in 2019. Facebook Fundraisers for the Foundation have generated anywhere from about $200 to – in two instances – more than $6,000.
Birthdays, transplant anniversaries, in memory or in honor of someone, Donate Life Month or just because you support the cause are the most common reasons Facebook Fundraisers are set up.
Digital payment is secure, and 100% of the money goes directly into the Foundation’s account.
“When I see deposits coming in from Facebook, I’m reminded about the power of social media and how passionate people are about the important work we’re doing for donor families and transplant recipients,” Susan said.
Last year, the Foundation awarded $96,900 in community grants and supported Gift of Life initiatives totaling $100,460.
Those projects included providing memorial Donate Life flags for families at hospitals around the state, the design and installation of a beautiful memorial for organ donors at Ascension Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo, and more.
The Foundation also pays for crucial anti-rejection and other costly medications for transplant recipients who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford them.
If you have a story to tell or a fundraising idea for the Gift of Life Foundation, please contact Editor and Senior Advisor Betsy Miner-Swartz at bminerswartz@golm.org.
Setting up a Facebook Fundraiser takes just a couple of minutes. Use this link to get started: Facebook.com/fund/GiftOfLifeMichigan
Or follow these simple instructions:
1. In the Facebook phone app, tap on your photo in the upper right corner to open the menu.
2. Scroll down to Community resources and select Fundraisers
3. Tap on Create Fundraiser
4. Choose Nonprofit, then type Gift of Life Michigan into the search window.
5. Personalize for greater impact, including the occasion or reason, a photo, your goal, and the length of your campaign.
– OR –
1. On a desktop computer, go to your Facebook page.
2. In the upper right corner, click on the box made up of 9 dots.
3. Under Create, select Fundraiser. It’s last on the list.
4. Choose Non-profit, then type Gift of Life Michigan into the search window.
5. Personalize for greater impact, including the occasion or reason, a photo, your goal, and the length of your campaign.
