Facebook Live lets nonprofits broadcast from a smartphone or tablet right to their feed on Facebook. Since Facebook rolled out the technology in 2016, nonprofits and fundraisers have been using these live broadcasts to increase donations and impact.

If your nonprofit has a verified Facebook page, live videos should be part of your overall strategy. Videos see 3x the engagement of static photos, and 80% of people would rather watch a live video than read a blog post.

To start a live video, open your nonprofit's Facebook page and start a new post. Allow Facebook to access your camera and microphone, type a compelling description, set the post to Public, and click Start Live Video.

Just like a regular Facebook post, you can tag people and choose your location. You can also add a Donate button. You can broadcast live for up to 90 minutes, and the longer your broadcast the higher chances of more people seeing it as they scroll through their feed.

As you broadcast, your audience can post comments or questions. Using Facebook Live to interact with your base, and with potential new donors and volunteers, is an excellent way to broaden your reach (Don't worry, you can easily block people).

Before you go live with your first video, do a test by setting the privacy settings to "Only me." That way you can check your lighting and camera angle. But - don't fuss too much. Facebook videos should be casual and spontaneous, that's why people tune in.

Broadcast for at least 10 minutes, then before you close, address any questions viewers have posted (you can engage a helper at a desktop computer), draw attention to your Donate button, re-introduce yourself, ask people to share and Like the video, and sign off with a goodbye.  

You can broadcast live from behind-the-scenes to build excitement for an event, broadcast from an event, set up a Q&A with an executive director or volunteer, or use video to show supporters field shots of their donations in action.