Who is Giving Online
20 November 2006 at 11:49 am
Online givers are young and generous, giving several times more than offline donors on average according to a new US study.
And, while online donors are not new to giving, they tend to be new to giving online.
The study was carried out by Network for Good in partnership with GuideStar. Since its inception in November 2001, Network for Good has processed $US100 million in online donations to more than 23,000 charities.
The study examined this giving to provide insights on:
– Who is giving money online
– What times of year, week and day donors give online
– How online givers spend their charitable dollars
– Why online givers choose to give through Internet portals
The study found that the median age of donors at Network for Good is 38, with the average between 39 and 40. This is significantly younger than offline donors, who tend to be 60+ according to most studies (Source: Craver, Mathews, Smith & Company).
In terms of gender, 52% of donors are female.
Nearly all – 96% – of online donors reported having donated to charity before, including via church collection boxes, memberships to NFP organisations such as museums, and any other tax-deductible gifts.
A significantly lower percentage –62%– report having given to charity online before, at Network for Good or any other web site.
Some other highlights of the study are:
– Virtually all of them (96%) have given to charity before, but a sizable proportion (38%) is new to online philanthropy.
– Online giving is tracking to the trends of online shopping and banking, and it is the avenue of choice for donors during disasters.
– Most people give online during the week, during business hours – most commonly, between 10am and noon.
– Giving online follows the same "long tail" phenomenon seen in online sales of books and music.
– Most online giving goes to disaster agencies.
– People say they give online because it’s easier than writing a check and a fast way to respond to disasters.
