Instagram Tests Personal Fundraising Feature

Instagram is debuting a new way to raise money, the company announced in a blog post.

The photo- and video-sharing social networking service owned by Facebook said the new service will allow Instagram users to raise cash for a cause, small business or friend.

Instagram is launching a test of Personal Fundraiser in the U.S., the U.K. and Ireland, according to the post. The tool is already available on Facebook.

Users who live in countries where they can donate to a fundraiser through Instagram’s donation sticker are also eligible to donate to a Personal Fundraiser, the post stated.

Users have raised more than $65 million for pandemic and racial justice causes globally via Instagram and Facebook this year, according to the post. In the last 30 days alone, donations on Instagram have doubled in the U.S.

“From people raising money to buy medical equipment for Black Lives Matter protesters, rebuilding Black-owned small businesses affected by COVID-19 and funding educational resources related to racial justice, people are eager to mobilize around causes they care about,” the blog said.

This is just the latest move by Facebook to expand Instagram’s fundraising use.

Last fall, the company added three new features on its platforms to help with fundraising efforts. The most visible is a donate button that nonprofits have on their Instagram profiles. In addition, Facebook added a fundraising sticker to Facebook stories, and fundraising on live game streams. Before the feature was added, users could use the donation sticker in Instagram stories, but the stories disappeared after 24 hours.

Fundraising is not the only avenue Facebook is pursuing.

Last week, Facebook announced the launch of Instagram Shop, what it calls an “in-app shopping destination where people can discover products and brands they love from across Instagram.” The feature will start with “public testing” in the U.S, and then expand globally.