Some of the larger recipients include St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which has received over $100 million to keep its no-charge health care running, March of Dimes ($6 million) and the ALS Association ($5 million).

The update comes alongside the expansion of Instagram donation stickers to Europe.

The surge isn't completely surprising in an era when it's common to see people launch campaigns on GoFundMe or other services for a wide variety of causes. However, it does suggest that Facebook's particular approach is effective in spurring more donations (though not necessarily more money per donation). When you don't have to leave your social feed to start the donation process, you're that much more likely to contribute to a good cause than when you have to go out of your way.