Many charities and non-profit organisations have long relied on Meta’s advertising tools — particularly on Facebook and Instagram — to support their charity fundraising by driving traffic to their websites, promoting fundraising events, and collecting online donations.
Did you know that over 60% of European nonprofits invest in social media advertising, with Facebook and Instagram being the most popular platforms?*
However, a recent update from Meta will change this landscape significantly: starting in October, Meta will block advertising related to social or political causes in several European countries.
This means that many charities will no longer be able to use Facebook and Instagram ads to generate traffic, promote online giving campaigns, or boost visibility for their digital fundraising platforms.
In this article, we’ll break down what’s changing, what it means for your charity, and most importantly: how to adapt your fundraising strategy to continue growing your impact.
What this change means for charity fundraising
What this means for your online fundraising
Alternative strategies to drive traffic and boost donations
Why owning your fundraising channels is more important than ever
Turning this challenge into an opportunity
What this change means for charity fundraising
Meta has confirmed that starting early October 2025, it will stop accepting political, electoral, and social issue ads across its platforms—including Facebook, Instagram, and Threads—in the European Union.
For charities, this matters because many online fundraising campaigns—such as those promoting fundraising events, awareness drives, crowdfunding projects, or peer-to-peer fundraising—can be classified as “social issue” ads. As a result, in affected EU countries, these ads may be blocked or disapproved.
Important note for UK charities: As of August 2025, there’s no confirmed impact on UK-based organisations since this policy is tied to EU legislation—but this has not yet been fully clarified, so we suggest keeping an eye on any future announcements.
What counts as a “social issue” ad?
Meta defines social issue ads as those that aim to influence opinion, debate, or action on important topics, even if they’re not overtly political. Examples include:
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Promoting diversity or inclusion
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Campaigning for climate action
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Discussing healthcare issues
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Raising awareness of poverty or homelessness
For many charities, this change could present new challenges. Even if your goal is simply to raise funds or awareness for a worthy cause, your campaign might still be classified as a “social issue” under Meta’s definition.
How will this affect your online charity fundraising campaigns?
If your organisation currently uses Meta Ads to:
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Direct traffic to an online donation page
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Promote a crowdfunding initiative
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Recruit participants for a fundraising event
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Boost a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign
…these ads may no longer be approved or visible in the affected countries, limiting your ability to collect donations and raise money through these channels.
Can charities still advertise on Meta platforms?
While many ads will be restricted, some promotional activities remain possible. You can still run ads for neutral, non-issue-based content, such as:
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Upcoming events (if they don’t touch on sensitive topics)
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Volunteering opportunities
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General brand awareness
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Fundraising for specific projects that don’t focus on a recognised social issue
The key will be ensuring that your ad content cannot be interpreted as “influencing opinion on a matter of public importance.”
What this means for your online fundraising
For charities that have relied heavily on Facebook and Instagram ads, this change could reduce the visibility of your campaigns and limit traffic to your online fundraising platforms.
However, while it’s a significant shift, it’s also an opportunity to diversify your fundraising strategy and explore alternative digital channels that often provide better targeting, richer data, and more control over your campaigns.
Alternative strategies to drive traffic and boost donations
To maintain (and even grow) your online giving, it’s important to spread your efforts across different channels. Here are proven alternatives to consider:
1. Explore other paid advertising channels
Platforms like Google Ads, YouTube Ads, or Spotify Ads offer powerful targeting tools and can help you reach audiences interested in your cause.
You may also consider TikTok Ads, which are particularly effective for engaging younger audiences, or Twitch, a streaming platform where charities and organisations can purchase advertising space (through video or display formats).
These channels are not affected by Meta’s restrictions and can be integrated with your online donation platform to track conversions in real time.
2. Strengthen your email marketing
Email remains one of the most effective tools for digital fundraising. Build and nurture your mailing list, segment your audiences, and share compelling stories, impact reports, and direct calls-to-action to support your campaigns.
3. Partner with influencers or community channels
Collaborations with relevant influencers, local ambassadors, or community networks can help spread your message organically on various social media platforms. Peer to peer fundraising represents an effective approach — enabling your supporters to engage their friends and family by creating their own fundraising pages for your cause.
4. Invest in SEO and content marketing
Publishing regular, valuable content can help your charity rank higher on search engines and attract long-term, organic traffic. Blog posts, impact stories, guides, and videos all contribute to better visibility for your online fundraising campaigns.
Do you want to know more about how to optimise your charity’s SEO? Read our article: 14 SEO Best Practices and Strategies for Online Fundraising.
5. Leverage charity fundraising events
Whether in-person or virtual, fundraising events can create a strong sense of community. Promote them through your existing channels and encourage participants to donate through your online giving platform before, during, and after the event.
Why owning your fundraising channels is more important than ever
Meta’s ad policy changes show the risk of relying on a single advertising channel. When paid ads are restricted, your ability to reach your fundraising goals can suffer.
Owning your digital fundraising means having full control—using a white-label donation platform on your own website keeps donor data, payment flows, and campaign pages in your hands.
This gives you the freedom to run peer-to-peer campaigns, crowdfunding, and event ticketing all under your domain. No matter how ad rules change, you have a stable foundation to engage donors and convert visits into donations.
It also makes it easier to diversify across channels like email, SEO, or other ad platforms—while keeping full control over the donor experience.
Turning this challenge into an opportunity
While Meta’s new advertising restrictions may feel like a setback, they are also a powerful reminder to future-proof your fundraising strategy. By diversifying your traffic sources, investing in content and relationships, and leveraging digital fundraising tools, you can continue to grow your donor base and maximise your charity fundraising potential.
You will find more detailed information about this new advertising policy on Meta’s official website.
Need tailored advice? Our fundraising experts can help you build a digital fundraising strategy that thrives beyond Facebook and Instagram Ads. Get in touch with us today.
*Source : European Fundraising Association survey