September 14, 2010
A progressive US cancer charity has become the first organisation – so says Mashable – to accept Facebook Credits in place of a donation.
The Stand Up 2 Cancer National Telethon, which was aired in the States on Friday night, gave viewers the chance to donate via virtual currency – aside from all the usual donation options.
When Facebook Credits were first introduced, they were a way for the social network to generate an income outside of ads and membership fees. When a member bought credits, Facebook took a cut; when the member spent them, the app in question got paid.
For the member, the currency opened up a world of social gaming possibilities; to-date there are more than 150 apps containing countless digital goods within Facebook.
On the one hand you have to take your hat off to Stand Up 2 Cancer. The charity is moving with the times, tapping into the zeitgeist and making charitable giving even more accessible.
Using Facebook as a platform enables users to share their donations on wall posts and extend the visibility of the campaign.
Stand Up 2 Cancer has turned dowdy old charity giving into a fun little game – just like FarmVille. Am I the only one that cringes just a little bit at that thought?
I think it’s the degrees of separation that gets me; we have to spend our actual money on virtual money to then submit via PayPal through a Facebook page. I’m not sure how close to the cause I’d feel if I did that.
And are we that cold-hearted that we need to assimilate donating money to a cancer charity with online gaming before we dip into our pockets?
The bottom line is that as a result of Stand Up 2 Cancer‘s actions, more money will be reaching a highly worthy cause. The 279 ‘Likes’ Mashable has already received for this story pay lip service to this.
Scoffing aside, my hat is raised – and my gut-reaction cringe will no doubt fade with time.
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- National Telethon Accepting Facebook Credits as Donations to Cancer Research (mashable.com)
- How can brands use Facebook Credits? (econsultancy.com)
