Facebook lets you donate to Nepal quake relief efforts, will match every dollar

As more information emerges from the deadly earthquake which struck Nepal over the weekend, it’s becoming apparent that a massive relief effort will be required. While organisations and governments are stepping to the fore, Facebook on Monday announced that it would be making it easier for individuals to donate to the relief efforts.

As well as helping users connect with their loved ones in the area, the social network rolled out a button at the top of users’ news feeds which allows them to donate to the International Medical Corps (IMC). Facebook also says it will match every dollar contributed through the donation button, up to a value of US$2-million.

The social networking site also says it will donate its matching funds to a number of local relief organizations. Facebook is also capitalizing on its worldwide reach to help users notify one another of their whereabouts in the affected region.

Read more: Twitter goes into hashtag, promoted Tweet overdrive to aid Nepal earthquake relief

As we have already noted, Facebook is not the only tech company getting involved in relief efforts.

Google has activated its own Person Finder tool, which is already tracking more than 5 700 records from the Nepalese earthquake. It has also earmarked US$1-million to the response with a gift-matching service set to follow in the coming days.

“When disasters happen, people need to know their loved ones are safe,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote over the weekend. “It’s moments like this that being able to connect really matters.”