Facebook isn't adding a sympathize button, or anything to compete with the "like" button anytime soon. (It did add a "like and share" button about a month ago, but that will probably only increase the amount of likes, which product manager Ling Bao once called Facebook's "most valuable brand asset"). The social media giant, however, has decided to add a "donate now" tab, the Los Angeles Times reported.
It's not quite a button on par with "like," "comment," and "share," but it will appear directly in the news feed next to a non-profit's post. Interested parties can simply click the white tab, enter a dollar amount, and proceed to a new screen where they can insert their credit card information. (The whole process is similar to the donation pleas on Wikipedia).
For now, only a small group of non-profits have access to the donate button, including water.org, the American Red Cross, and the American Cancer Society, the LA Times reported. Interested organizations not on the original list can apply through Facebook via this link. (The form looks pretty straightforward).
Over the last few years, Facebook has made an effort to extend its reach into more philanthropic efforts. Just recently, it participated in the national campaign, "Hour of Code," and founder Mark Zuckerberg helped organize the second annual Breakthrough Prize in Life Science last week.
The new feature was partly inspired by Facebook's collobration with the American Red Cross to help raise money for Typhoon Haiyan, according to the LA Times.
"After seeing the generosity of people around the world toward this effort, we've been inspired to help everyone donate, at any time, to the organizations they care about most," the company said in a blog post.
