Facebook will match up to $500,000 in user donations for fire relief.
Company pledges up to $500,000 to encourage giving on top of other funds given to relief effort
Facebook said Tuesday that it is matching up to $500,000 of its users’ donations to the American Red Cross for victims of the California wildfires.
That’s on top of the $250,000 the Menlo Park company said it donated to the Red Cross for wildfire relief and recovery efforts. Facebook announced that donation over the weekend, after massive wildfires started late last week in both Northern and
Southern California.
As of Tuesday morning, Facebook said more than $170,000 had been raised via the social network’s
Donate Button in the
Crisis Response pages.
Donations made on the crisis page or through the Donate Button at the top of the news feed are eligible for
Facebook’s match.
The Camp, Woolsey and Hill Fires have burned a combined 225,845 acres as of Tuesday morning. The Camp Fire in Butte County, with a death toll of 42, has become the deadliest fire in California history. It is 30 percent contained. The Woolsey Fire in Los Angeles and Ventura counties is 35 percent contained, and the Hill Fire in Ventura County is 90 percent contained.
Facebook users have used the company’s Fundraisers offering to solicit donations for their friends and families, raising thousands of dollars each to help people who have lost their homes
Donations made on the crisis page or through the Donate Button at the top of the news feed are eligible for Facebook’s match.
and belongings, deliver new toys to children displaced by the fires, and more.
A Facebook spokeswoman said the company proactively reviews all fundraisers
to ensure they are legitimate and comply with its policies.
Other tech companies are matching their employees’ donations or giving directly to the Red Cross and other organizations.