Aussies Donating Less - New Research

Australians are giving less to charity but they are increasingly using digital technology to make their donations, according to two new studies.

In 2012, 66% of Australians aged 14+ donated to charity — down from 70% in the year to December 2008, according to the latest findings from Roy Morgan Research.

The online payment portal, PayPal Australia has also released new data revealing Australians are increasingly turning to their mobiles to donate to charities, as the Not for Profit sector taps into the huge uptake of smartphones and mobile devices.

The study found that the ease of giving to charity via mobile has seen a trend towards a higher frequency of smaller donations also emerging from the data.

According to the study, the total value of mobile donations in Australia using PayPal has increased by a massive 293 per cent over the past year compared to only 26 per cent growth online.

It says Australians gave more than $6 million via a mobile in 2012, accounting for over half of overall donations to charities via PayPal. 

“The ease and convenience of mobile devices and Australia’s high smartphone penetration has enabled charities to become an unexpected beneficiary of the changing spending patterns of Australians,” Adrian Christie, PayPal spokesperson said.

“Now, we’re seeing savvy, connected consumers using mobile to support the vital work being carried out by the not-for-profit sector.”

“The results show that there has been a 46 per cent increase in online donations but the most significant growth is occurring on mobile. With one in four PayPal Australia transactions now taking place on a mobile device, the number of donations given to charities via mobile has almost quadrupled.

The Roy Morgan Research survey found that some 80% of Australians earning $100,000+ donated in the year to December 2012 (down from 85% in December 2008), compared to 69% of those earning between $30,000 and $40,000 (down from 73%).

Traditionally, women outnumber men when it comes to charitable donations. In the year to December 2012, 69% of women and 63% of men donated to charity.

The survey found that on reflecting the broader downward trend, however, the incidence of donations by both genders has fallen, most noticeably in men (down from 68%).

Norman Morris, Industry Communications Director, for Roy Morgan Research, says it’s not all bad news for the Not for Profit sector.

“Although our overall donation rate has decreased, the proportion of Australians making large donations ($200+) has increased slightly, from 19% to 21%,” he said.

“Australians who don’t give to charity are another story. Despite not making donations, many are concerned about helping others: since December 2008, the proportion of non-donors who believe that helping others is their duty as a global citizen has increased from 32% to 40%.

“The same proportion (40%, up from 37%) believe they have a responsibility to do what they can to help the world’s poorest people.