Facebook’s Covid-19 community hub gets tools to support local businesses, raise funds

Facebook is adding more ways for users to help local businesses, raise funds for nonprofits through its Covid-19 community hub.

Facebook will start rolling out these new tools in its Covid-19 community hub starting today. (Facebook)

Facebook's Covid-19 community help hub is getting new features for people to help local businesses, blood banks and nonprofits. Facebook will start rolling out these features today.

Facebook's Covid-19 community hub can be accessed from this link. This is however not available in India. Here, Facebook has launched a Covid-19 information centre which is visible on top of the news feed. It sources Covid-19 information from reliable sources like the World Health Organisation and Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The updated Covid-19 community hub will let users purchase gift cards to support local businesses, donate to local nonprofits and fundraisers. Facebook users can also sign up to be a donor through this hub. There's also an option to find local job opportunities. Facebook already has these features enabled on the platform but it's now more accessible on the Covid-19 hub.

In India and other markets, Facebook also has this option of users supporting causes for their birthdays. Interested users can start a fundraising campaign for a nonprofit they wish to support and encourage people to donate to it. Users whose birthdays are nearby will be prompted to start a fundraiser.

Facebook launched a similar feature on Instagram as well where users can add a donate sticker to their live broadcasts. Viewers can tap on the donate sticker and it will direct them to the nonprofit page for donation. And those who donate can use an "I Donated" that they can use for a limited time on their Instagram Stories.