Facebook pledges $50M annual match for disaster aid donations
NEW YORK - Facebook is pledging $50 million a year to match disaster-relief donations, part of a bevy of tools and efforts concerning charitable causes the social media giant announced on Wednesday.
The pledge isn't all new money, but it represents an effort to formalize matches Facebook (FB) has already been making on an ad-hoc basis.
The company is also giving relief organizations such as the Red Cross access to data on what users need and where they are.
While Facebook users can already see individual pleas and offers for help during a crisis, relief groups will get a broader set of data similar to what Facebook sees. That includes real-time maps showing where people need help.
Facebook is also expanding its fundraising tools beyond the US.