Facebook today announced a new feature for the Facebook Gifts platform which enables users to make a charitable contribution in honor of friends or a family member.

Facebook Gifts, launched in September, enables users to buy physical goods that can be sent to friends. The new feature allows users to send a gift in the form of a charitable donation to a partner nonprofit organization. If the gifter is not sure which organization to donate to, the recipient can choose the organization themselves. Currently, Facebook is partnering with 11 nonprofit organizations:

• American Red Cross
• Blue Star Families
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America
• DonorsChoose.org
• Girls Inc.
• Kiva
• LIVESTRONG
• Oxfam America
• RAINN
• St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital
• Water.org

Facebook hopes the new feature will raise awareness and money for important causes. It will give friends the ability to connect with nonprofits that are looking to improve different aspects of the world.

In the past, Facebook has shown a willingness to work directly with nonprofits for social change such as allowing users to publish a life event for when they become an organ donor or registered to vote.

Facebook Gifts are still being rolled out to users in the U.S. If a user receives a gift, they will automatically gain access to the new feature.