🚨 Warning: Nonprofits are losing Meta account access

Nonprofits spend countless hours and often significant resources cultivating a presence on Facebook and Instagram.

These social platforms are integral to building community, fundraising, and spreading awareness.

Yet, an alarming number of nonprofits face a hidden risk that could dismantle their efforts overnight: losing control of their Meta accounts.

I've recently encountered a shocking trend. In the last two weeks alone, four nonprofits have reached out to me for help because they lost access to their Meta Business Manager accounts.

This loss is start to pinch, as more and more tools and features for Pages are ONLY available through Business Manager.

But I've discovered there is an even bigger risk, from talking to the MetaPros (advanced support staff at Meta). 

What is alarming, is Meta is taking the position that the admin of the Business Manager account is considered the intellectual property (IP) and copyright owner of the Page's content. This means nonprofits risk losing years of posts, photos, and videos - and complete loss of the audience you've invested time and money to build. 

This loss generally seems to come from either a disgruntled former employees or incomplete procedures when staff members leave the organisation and their access isn't removed and updated to someone new. 

The fallout is serious: you lose administrative control over your Pages, ad campaigns, and valuable audience data.

Meta Management Missteps to Avoid

Many nonprofits make these critical mistakes that leave them dangerously exposed:

Adding/Removing Admins Directly on the Page: Instead of making changes at the Page level, always manage permissions within the Business Manager. This creates a centralized, auditable record.

One Sole Admin: A single admin leaves your account vulnerable if that person leaves or their account experiences issues.

Too Many Cooks: Having too many admins creates confusion and increases the risk of unauthorized changes.

No Exit Strategy: When employees depart, it's vital to have a checklist to immediately revoke their Meta access.

Security Must-Haves: Protect Your Organisation

Here's how to safeguard your nonprofit's social media presence:

Business Manager Mandate: If you haven't already, embrace Meta Business Manager as the central hub for managing Pages, ad accounts, and permissions.

Business Manager will 'own' one Page to set up the account and then everything will be controlled through this tool. 

The Magic Number: Two Admins: Appoint two trusted individuals as admins, providing redundancy without excessive access.

Regular Audits: Frequently review who has access within Business Manager. Remove inactive users promptly.

Exit Procedure Essentials: Include revoking Meta permissions in your employee offboarding process. It's as crucial as disabling email.

Don't Become A Statistic

Meta account loss is not a hypothetical threat; it's happening to nonprofits right now. The consequences are potentially devastating: loss of brand voice, wasted resources, and even the possibility of losing your entire community you've spent years building.

There is nothing to stop the Page admin from renaming your account and simply taking control. 

Investing a small amount of time in proper Meta security practices is the best insurance to protect your social accounts future. 

If you have more questions, don't hesitate to reach out.