Facebook Gets Its First Non-Profit Gift Catalogue

Everyone loves plush animals, everyone loves doing good and pretty much everyone loves Facebook. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has combined all three into Facebook’s first ever non-profit gift center.

Timed for the (always early) start of holiday season, the conservation organization has opened a gift center on its Facebook Page that allows supporters to purchase different packages aimed to look like an “adoption.”

While WWF won’t actually ship a tiger to you, these symbolic adoptions each come with an adoption certificate, color photo and a species description card. Packages range from $25 to $250; all packages more than $50 come with a soft animal plush chosen from a list of 100 different plush animals.

If that sounds a little steep, most of that money is going toward WWF’s on-the-ground conservation work. Depending on what package is purchased, the WWF puts an average of $0.82 from each donated dollar toward the cause.

The WWF has launched gift centers in the past, but the incorporation of Facebook marks a larger turn toward establishing Facebook as a fundraising and community hub in addition to its website. “Shares” and “Likes” will function much like a virtual wish list. Users will soon be able to friend a wide range of species to receive information and updates about WWF’s conservation work related to the species.

The organization will soon be launching an interactive feature called “Find Your Inner Animal.” The app will be similar to Facebook’s omnipresent “What Kind of Disney Princess Are You?” quizzes but with a social good angle. After answering some simple questions, you’ll be presented with your true inner-animal. (I am a sea otter.) You’ll then be given the opportunity to “adopt” your specific animal through a gift center package.

The soon-to-be-launched app is a brilliant tie-in for the gift center, both encouraging users to learn more and to give more. It’s as if Mattel allowed you to purchase your specific Disney doll after the princess quizzes, but with proceeds going to an incredibly good cause.

While the Facebook Page is centered around the Gift Center, there are plans to add more community elements like updates from the field, interviews with specialists, and expanding the list of friendable species, says David Glass, WWF’s director of online marketing.

What do you think? Are gift centers like this a good way to raise money and awareness? Is there a better way to support the cause? Will you “adopt”?