(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Those who donate to charities through Facebook or Instagram will have to pay a fee starting Nov. 1. The head of Aaron’s Coffee Corner — a small, north suburban nonprofit — said she’s disappointed by the change.
Caroyln Koppel started Aaron’s Coffee Corner as a way to help family and caregivers who spend a lot of time waiting outside the ICU at Lurie Children’s Hospital, like she’s done for her son, Aaron, who doctors said would only live to be 3 due to a rare genetic disorder.
“It’s just a really good way to create community and to show other parents that we know what they’ve been through, what they can use as a little daily dose of comfort,” Koppel said.
The Deerfield mom said Aaron's Coffee Corner is a good place for parents and family to gather, lay out the facts and “understand what's happening.”
Meta announced last week it will no longer cover payment processing fees for donations to charities on its platforms.
Koppel acknowledged it may only amount to small change, depending on the size of the donation, but she said it was a nice perk to be able to tell donors the fees were covered.
“It was just a little disappointing to hear that they, along with all of these other organizations that already charge fees, had chosen to do that,” she said.
She still likes the security and convenience of fundraising through Facebook and Instagram, but Koppel said she’ll wait and see if she needs to modify things.
Aaron, whose diagnosis has left him in a wheelchair and has kept him from speaking, turned 18 this summer. Koppel said they’re hosting an in-person fundraiser on Sept. 10 at Evanston’s Double Clutch Brewing to celebrate five years of giving out free coffee.
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