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Spending a few spare minutes on social media? Before you start scrolling through the latest memes, take a moment to leverage your Facebook for good!

Creating a Facebook Fundraiser is an easy way to support your favorite nonprofits — and if you create one for Yosemite Conservancy, you can inspire friends and family to make a difference for Yosemite National Park.

Create Your Fundraiser

Ready to get started? Head to our Facebook Fundraisers page, click the “Raise Money” button, and double-check that your name and Yosemite Conservancy are selected in the pop-up box. All set? Follow these quick steps to prepare, launch and share your fundraiser:

1. Set a fundraising goal. $50, $200, $2,000 … any amount will make a difference for Yosemite! Pick a goal that you think will motivate your friends and family to give. (You can always adjust the goal later — and if you don’t meet the target, don’t sweat it. Any money raised through your fundraiser will be donated to your chosen nonprofit beneficiary, whether or not you meet the goal.)

2. Select an end date. Are you in the mood for a one-day fundraising push? Would you rather spread your fundraising out over a week or a month? Or maybe pick an end date that’s meaningful to you, such as your birthday, or the day you’re heading off on your next Yosemite visit?  If you opt for a longer time-frame, motivate your friends and family with a countdown (One week left! Two days left!).

3. Pick a name. Stick with the standard title template ([Your name]’s fundraiser for Yosemite Conservancy) or jazz it up. Tie in a specific event (Support Yosemite Conservancy for Giving Tuesday”) or add a personal twist (Help Me Give Back to My Favorite Park!).

4. Write a description. Use the default content, or customize the text. Why do you care about Yosemite? What’s your connection to the park, and why do you think it’s important to give back? Share your motivations for creating your fundraiser, and tell your friends and family that their gifts can help…

  • Fund dozens of much-needed projects in the park, including restoration, research and visitor education.
  • Keep Yosemite’s hundreds of miles of trails in top shape.
  • Restore and preserve the 704,624-acre Yosemite Wilderness.
  • Protect healthy ecosystems that support diverse plants and animals, including many threatened or endangered species.
  • Support youth programs that help thousands of kids and teens connect with Yosemite.

5. Add an eye-catching photo. Once you get to the image selection stage, Facebook will prompt you to add a photo. You’ll see a gallery of images we’ve posted on our Facebook page — choose one of those photos, or upload one of your own favorite pics from the park. If you want to give your fundraiser a throwback vibe, browse the Yosemite Historic Photo Collection for vintage public domain shots of the park.

Or, download an image from our gallery below! Click a thumbnail to open an image, and then save the photo to your device. Creating a fundraiser for Giving Tuesday? Scroll down to download versions of these images featuring Giving Tuesday logos and text.

6. Spread the word! Share your freshly created fundraiser with your family and friends. Post about your fundraiser on Facebook, send it out to your network via email, and take advantage of face time (and FaceTime) to talk it up. Use gentle reminders and updates to keep people informed and in the giving spirit as your fundraiser progresses.

Spotlight: Giving Tuesday Fundraisers

Giving Tuesday, a day dedicated to promoting philanthropy, is celebrated annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving — and is a perfect opportunity to create your first (or 15th) Facebook fundraiser.

Download one of our special Giving Tuesday photos below, or use one of your own and add some Giving Tuesday flair (click here to download and use the official Giving Tuesday logos).

 

Giving Tuesday is a wonderful opportunity to engage in philanthropy, but you can support Yosemite — and create Facebook Fundraisers — any day of the year. That said, calendar-based cues can be a great way to get people excited about your fundraiser. Here are some fun dates to keep in mind:

  • April 22: Earth Day (Junior Ranger day also takes place around this time, as part of National Park Week).
  • June 30: Yosemite Grant Act anniversary (the act, which protected Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove as public lands, was signed on June 30, 1864).
  • August 4: Yosemite Conservancy’s birthday (the Yosemite Museum Association, the ancestor of today’s Conservancy, formed on August 4, 1923).
  • August 25: Founders Day (the National Park Service was created on August 25, 1916).
  • September 3: Wilderness Act anniversary (the act, which established our National Wilderness Preservation System, was signed on September 3, 1964; the Yosemite Wilderness was designated 20 years later, on September 28, 1984, through the California Wilderness Act).
  • October 1: Yosemite National Park established (Yosemite became the third U.S. national park on October 1, 1890).

Not on Facebook? No problem! There are lots of ways to give back while you’re online: You could add a donation sticker to your Instagram Stories, shop on Amazon Smile, or check out companies that support the Conservancy. And, of course, you can donate right here on our website.

However and whenever you choose to get involved, your support will make a big difference in Yosemite. To everyone who has already given back to the park this year, we can’t thank you enough. Your support helps revitalize ecosystems, repair trails, educate and inspire visitors of all ages, and much more!