Comic Relief, the nonprofit behind Red Nose Day, has announced that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will match up to $1 million in donations to Red Nose Day’s US campaign through Facebook’s range of charitable giving products.
The joint effort enables people across the country to double the impact of their donation to Red Nose Day in the US, which supports programs that keep children safe, healthy and educated here in the United States and abroad.
Red Nose Day is all about coming together to have fun and make a difference for children in need. Red Nose Day supporters can take advantage of the match in a number of ways using new and existing Facebook products:
• Set up a Facebook fundraiser for Red Nose Day USA and encourage friends to donate.
• Use #RedNoseDay or #NosesOn in posts to prompt the option to add a donate button (text posts only).
• Go live on Facebook from a smartphone and add a donate button for Red Nose Day.
• Donate directly to the campaign from the Red Nose Day USA page.
• Support friends’ Facebook fundraising efforts for Red Nose Day USA by making a donation.
People on Facebook can make it more fun by doing a challenge or activity if their fundraising goal is met, or challenging their friends and family to do the same.
Facebook users launch their own personal fundraisers here, or make a donation at facebook.com/rednosedayusa.
Richard Curtis, founder of Red Nose Day, said, “The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been a completely key partner of Red Nose Day and it’s so wonderful to have their continued involvement this year. With the Foundation’s match and Facebook’s innovative fundraising tools, it’s now easier than ever for people across the country to get involved and help raise money that will truly save and change children’s lives.”
Rob Rosen, Director of Philanthropic Partnerships at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said, “Donating money should be meaningful and fun. Red Nose Day is both. We’re excited to partner with Comic Relief and Facebook to reach as many people as possible to inspire them to join us in ending child poverty.”
Janet Scardino, CEO of Comic Relief, said, “Facebook’s latest donation and fundraising tools are the ultimate way to let our fans be our fundraisers. We see Red Noses all across social, and now Facebook has made it easy to turn that into a new and personal way to give.”
The 2017 Red Nose Day campaign runs from now through Red Nose Day (Thursday, May 25) and everyone can get involved. Buy and wear a Red Nose, available exclusively at Walgreens and Duane Reade stores nationwide, take on a fundraising challenge and share personal stories of involvement on social media to encourage others to make a difference for children in need using #RedNoseDay and #NosesOn.
On Thursday May 25, tune into NBC for a special night of Red Nose Day programming in support of the charity featuring: “Celebrity Ninja Warrior for Red Nose Day” (8 p.m. ET); "Running Wild with Bear Grylls for Red Nose Day" (9 p.m. ET), featuring Julia Roberts in Kenya; and the third annual “Red Nose Day Special” (10 p.m. ET). The three-hour primetime block will both entertain viewers and give them an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children in need here at home and around the world.
Follow Red Nose Day on social media @RedNoseDayUSA.
