Personal fundraisers allow users to donate directly to good causes

Instagram has announced a new tool for people to help fundraisers raise money for good causes.

The Facebook-owned social media platform launched its first fundraising tool last year with donation stickers, allowing users to donate directly to charities promoted in posts.

Since January, more than $65 million (£51m) has been donated to Covid-19 fundraisers globally through Instagram and Facebook.

Now, a pilot programme is being launched in the US, UK and Ireland giving people the ability to create and donate to personal fundraisers using their Instagram accounts.

A spokesperson for the company said: “We have seen great results from personal fundraisers on Facebook, and we can’t wait to see how the Instagram community uses these to raise money for volunteering trips, educational resources and more, whilst continuing to raise awareness for a diverse range of important causes.

“Small business owners can also use the tool to fundraise for business costs, creating a useful resource for those impacted by the global pandemic. We’ve seen communities on Instagram rally round to support their favourite small businesses, through things like Gift Cards and our Support Small Business stickers, so we hope Personal Fundraisers to be a helpful tool for business recovery in the coming months.”