In the age of social media and crowdfunding, it’s easier than ever to support causes close to your heart! Facebook has created Facebook Birthdays, a convenient and simple platform for its users to set up fundraisers and invite friends and family to make a charitable contribution in lieu of (or in addition to!) birthday presents.

As your birthday rolls around this year, an easy way to support Genesis is by setting up a Facebook fundraiser and inviting your Facebook friends to donate… and, you might be surprised by how many donations you receive.

Last year alone, Genesis received more than $25,000 from Facebook Birthday fundraisers!

With Facebook’s simple process, raising money to fight domestic violence couldn’t be easier:

Step 1: Sign in to your Facebook account.

Step 2: Go to the Genesis Facebook fundraisers page (simply click here!).

Step 3: Set your goal for how much money you’d like to raise. (Most people choose between $200 and $500.)

Step 4: Set a fundraiser end date. (Most people pick a week or two after their birthday.)

Step 5: Write a message to let people know why you’re supporting Genesis, or use the pre-populated message.

Step 6: Publish your post by clicking “Create!”

When the fundraiser end date passes, any funds donated will go straight to Genesis. Your thoughtfulness allows us to keep our doors open and our lights on has a direct and immediate impact on the women and children who are in the fight of their lives.

At Genesis, we know that domestic violence is a preventable epidemic, and we rely on friends in our community to help us in the fight against family violence. Facebook birthday fundraisers are public, meaning anyone can donate to the cause regardless of whether or not you are friends with them. It’s an opportunity for our community to come together to support important causes and make a difference.

We hope that this year, you’ll consider standing with Genesis, and we personally extend a huge THANK YOU to every individual who created a fundraiser over the past year or donated! Because of you, we were able to deliver more than 25,000 promises to women and children experiencing domestic violence.

Written by Annie Veatch, grant writer at Genesis Women’s Shelter