Where Do Donors Give Online?
With the advent of internet technology and personal computers – online giving has increased tremendously in recent years.
“Online giving is growing exponentially each year, from $250 million in 2000 to more than $4.5 billion in 2005.” (ePhilanthropy Foundation, 2006)
New technologies have had much to do with the recent increase in charitable online giving. Aside from being a quick and convenient way for donors to connect with recipients worldwide, internet technology has provided us with a transparent look into donor behavior and online giving trends. Internet technology has has become the “Intel” inside of online giving trends and allowed us to understand donor behavior in a new way that has never been accessible before.
Previously we discussed:
- How the internet has changed the way we give
- Who is giving online
- When & how often Donors give online
Today we look at where online givers spend their charitable dollars. Data released by Network for Good and Guidestar released the following data in a study that explored “Why Donors Give Online“:
Online giving to Disaster Relief ranks #1
Data collected by web analytics reveals that disaster relief receives the highest response rate over any other category. Over $24.5 million was donated in response to Hurrican Katrina, the Pakistan earthquake, and the 2004 tsunami in Thailand. Additionally, donors typically give to larger non-profits like the Salvation Army and American Red Cross during times of natural disaster. Disaster relief also ranks among the top searches on the web, followed by international cause, animal-related, human services, and education. Interestingly, organizations not categorized as “relief”, but who have previously provided relief during disaster, like many animal and health organizations during Hurricane Katrina, experienced a significant increase in donations. Network for Good reports:
“As for the high amount of disaster giving online, this is a reflection of the fact that for a growing number of donors, the internet is becoming the charitable avenue of choice at times of crisis”.
The following is a list of causes that receive the most donations online by order of rank and popularity:
- Disaster Relief
- International Causes
- Animal Related Causes
- Human Services
- Education
- Health
- Public Society (technical assistance organizations & research institutions)
- Religion
- Environment
Online Givers’ Top Queried Search Terms
Analytics have revealed the top search terms on the web. The following terms received the highest volume of queries on search engines like Google and Yahoo:
- Children
- Katrina
- Clothing
- Tsunami
- Red Cross
- Salvation Army
- Cancer
- Volunteer
- Homeless
- Clothes
Based on these findings, a few points of interest are worth highlighting. Six out of the ten top search terms were a direct response to disaster relief. For example – “Katrina”, “Tsunami”, “Red Cross”, “Salvation Army”, “Volunteer”, “Clothes”, and “Clothing” reflect that many donors seek disaster relief information on the web and is the leading category of interest.
Organizations that receive the highest donations online
Additional reports reveal that larger organizations attract more donations. The following list ranks the top organizations that received the highest dollar amount in total online gifts:
- American National Red Cross
- Oprah’s Angel Network
- Salvation Army National Corp.
- United States Fund for UNICEF
- AmeriCares
- Save the Children
- Doctors Without Borders USA
- CARE
- Catholic Relief Services
- The Fistula Foundation
Your feedback is valuable to us. We’d love to hear your thoughts on our post:
- What causes are you most likely to donate to?
- Do you feel the categories listed above are ranked accordingly? What categorie(s) do you feel deserve more public attention?
- Why do you think online givers are more likely to donate to larger organizations? Don’t they receive enough donations?
Tags: where do donors give online
10. July 2009 at 11:21 pm :
I give mostly to disabled adults and elderly and usually for needs that arise out of their disabilities. Next I give mostly to animal care needs as many lower income people have difficulty with basic needs for their pets and finally in my top 3 is rural family needs.
I think the causes are ranked accordingly, I see many people jumping to help on natural disaster and international aid. Those are actually the two I rarely help with. While I know natural disaster is devastating and people in other countries have things very rough, I am a person of low income and have been so most of my life. I know too well that within my own country, my own neighborhood people are struggling and getting very little or no help at all from charities.
What I would like to see is more concentration on rural families who run small family farms to feed themselves and have small roadside stands. More and more restrictions and fees are piled on these rural families so that they cannot feed their families. Disabled people, it’s often sadly misunderstood that the disabled who are often on benefit programs actually get what they need They get what they are authorized for and often what Medicaid/Medicare will cover is not what is needed or even beneficial. This leaves Medicare people covering large costs when they need something and Medicare has a cap on what they will pay. With Medicaid you don’t even have the luxury of Medicaid covering part, if you are not authorized, you simply get nothing. This happens more often with prescriptions, durable medical equipment, splints/braces (soft goods), certain surgical and therapy procedures and nearly all aid to daily living needs that include adaptive gear or accessibility modifications. Medicare recipients have it slightly better than Medicaid, but the truth is unless someone is able to pay out the nose for private insurance they are only being kept alive and their lives are often miserable. It’s not fair to tax payers and I’m not sure why many don’t see what is going on.
There are free drug programs and free clinics that help the uninsured…not the insured. If you are on Medicaid/Medicare you do not qualify for free drug help or free clinic help to get the things Medicaid/Medicare won’t authorize. Only those without insurance or who are under insured with private insurance can get that help. There is a good reason for that so I don’t have an issue with the un/under insured getting help, but in the end, those on government aid do not get the charity help and often they are seen as simply whining.
The same is true of the elderly. They have government benefits in most cases so are overlooked as being in need.
I think online givers tend to give to large organizations because of the advertising large organizations are able to do and the fact that they are recognized and must furnish treasury reports to prove they are responsible with their funds. Many think the large organizations help everyone in that class of need. I wonder, do they ask how much is deducted for “administrative costs”?, The criteria each recipient must meet, how much that recipient actually gets and how much more they need? I feel if many more questions were asked…many more would seek out peer to peer giving rather than large organizations which do get grants to help.
11. July 2009 at 3:09 am :
I have not giving to any charitable oraganization,I would like to help others but I just got a job and it was only for 30 days.so I help by telling my story and maybe
that will help others to see that life does go on, no matter what.
I fell that the causes are in the right order . but were are the charitys, for those
of us who have been victims in one way are another.
.
11. July 2009 at 11:00 pm :
I think people give to larger organizations online because it might feel safer, I also agree they have more funds for advertising. With giving online people don’t always have the face to face opportunities but, I bet those same people would give to a homeless person on a street corner. I usually donate to my church and other religious organizations but not online. I don’t give money online right now because I don’t have much and giving online can involve more than change, most of the time that is all I have to give. I really like the smaller groups like micro giving and others I belong to.
12. July 2009 at 12:43 am :
I thing i would be more smypathetic in giving to these causes to save life included animals, homeless, and hunger.
I feel some categories above could be ranked more than they presently ranked, Like for example Doctors without borders USA, Save the children, Cares and AmeriCares.
Online givers donate more to major charity organization, I think because they feel their donation is safer and secure, and also they knows in most cases these foundation are a ligitimate 501c Foundation. But i don’t think they get too much donation, because if we take into consideration with the world economy at the moment, and all the children, people, things animal, etc. that need help.
Also if larger foundation could some times lend a helping hand to smaller organization, and distribute donations accordingly, I realy don’t think donations can be too much.
12. July 2009 at 3:10 pm :
I know after Katrina a lot of people were giving money to help out the southern states and it was so appreciated. The redcross was a great help and so many churches and other organizations that came in to help. I remember when the national guard got there it was about a week after and it was the most amazing feeling to see them. Then they handed me a bar of soap, lol sounds stupid but I will never in my life forget that moment I smelled that soap and cried. You can’t even begin to imagine what its like to have had no water or soap or anything and then someone hands you water and soap and it smells so so clean that you cry. That was the cleanest thing I has smelled in such a long time.
Sorry I know I got off subject but the point is if it weren’t for those many donations I wouldn’t have had that soap, the MRE’s, the water, the basic necessities for life. We had lost everything and we weren’t even able to get enough gas to get more gas. Its was crazy, I was lucky I was working with the fire dpt. and the police dpt. since I worked for a grocery and had keys I had so much more than others had but it was still so hard to go work with them all day and come back to a house that was full of water and sleep on a mattress that was still wet from the storm. People opened their hearts and gave and its just something I will never in my life forget.
13. July 2009 at 1:28 am :
I am more likely to donate to causes that involve children and animals. To me, they are very vulnerable populations. They have very little choice in decisions that will shape their lives. Children and animals cannot choose where, when or by whom they will be adopted or who their parents will be.
The ranking is 100% correct, putting children at the very top. Currently I am on Microgiving trying to raise funds for Brother Johns Orphans Children Home in Tamil Nadu, India. I just keep hoping that someday I will find donors who will just give.
Larger organizations are safer. Typically they have stood the test of time and the (mis)perception is that there is greater accountability as to where the money goes. Celebrity names and faces are often attached to these organizations.
13. July 2009 at 6:54 am :
Great comment Rayhawk! Your right so many people fall through the cracks that really need donations. Like I saw on the media that Bill Gates donated $10 million dollars to the Bill Clinton Foundation. Bill Clinton gets so many huge donations, why? What about the rest of us? Don’t forget us Bill Gates, you know.
13. July 2009 at 6:56 am :
When I got my disability settlement, I donated to Unicef. They are great, they help women and children around the world.
13. July 2009 at 6:59 am :
I think who gets the most donations are churches for religious reasons. They get millions of dollars everyday. Hope they help some people with that.
16. July 2009 at 6:59 am :
I’m glad you understand what I’m saying. So many big charities get the big bucks in donations and grants, but there are so many of us who don’t get help from charities, when everyone gives to these charities we are out here saying…umm…what about me…don’t I count? Many of us don’t fit into the criteria set up my charities.
Electric help charities need you to have your electric in your own name and you need to show an ID. Till just a few months ago I hadn’t had an ID since 2002 and for several years my power was on in my moms name as I caught up an old bill that was in mine. That wouldn’t matter though since you need to prove shelter costs too and my house isn’t in my name. The people who write up these rules and regulations have no clue how the poor and poverty level people are forced to live.
16. July 2009 at 7:55 am :
After the tornado wiped out many homes in the 3 small rural towns in April (my town was hit too), I have the stuff in my blog. Anyhow the victims saw a large outpouring of neighbor to neighbor help, so much that even the governor came in person and commented on the peer to peer help. They got very little help from charity though and no state of federal aid. I’m proud to have been part of helping the Aiken County tornado victims and proud of our country folk here who came out in the middle of the night to take in families who were suddenly homeless and without clothing or food. I do help in natural disasters on the local level where I know my contribution is going 100% to the person who needs it. I don’t want to seem like I don’t help people in natural disasters….I just prefer to help individuals, especially those who fall through the cracks and even in the tornado….many fell through the cracks.. the whole 3 towns fell through all the state and federal aid cracks because the towns are not heavily populated and are lower income so the total destruction didn’t value high enough. Not a big enough loss for aid, but for each family with a flattened home…the loss was devastating.
16. July 2009 at 9:25 pm :
I feel like the smaller people are easily forgotten, and that’s one of the things, I love about Microgiving-They do not leave anyone behind. You can find compassion, understanding, love, smiles, hugs, and yes, even help for the many people who may be forgotten without Microgiving’s help. They do not discriminate and help anyone that needs it. We need many more organizations like this. I also think at times there are so many rules and regulations, that it leaves a lot of people out. Keep doing what you are doing MicroGiving, you are making a true and valuable difference in the world!
Hugs
18. July 2009 at 3:06 am :
I couldn’t agree more Lois! For several years we have run into the rules and regulations problem. I often believe the rules are written by people who have no clue what it’s really like to live on a very low or fixed income. Far too many are left out when it’s up to bigger organizations or charities who make the rules, there needs to be a place for those who were left out.
18. July 2009 at 4:34 am :
i enjoy reading the blogs on microgiving. They give everyone great ideas on how to set up donation places, as well as how to donate, how to explain to friends and family how to donate. i wish alot more websites that deal with donations would do this.
19. July 2009 at 8:00 pm :
I agree more websites that work with peer to peer sharing should have forums or blogs that help donors to understand the real lives of low income or poverty level people. So many really don’t know the limits of medicare and medicaid or the extreme hardship of covering deductibles for private insurance when you have a chronically ill or disabled person. Many who have not lived this kind of life simply think there are tons of programs out there to help those on benefits or who fall borderline between low income and poverty.
Some just don’t understand the extreme limits on most charities and government programs. They seem to think all low income people are eligible for help and that people on benefits have everything handed to them.
Worse in my opinion is that tax payers who pay for benefits programs don’t realize that many don’t get durable medical equipment, surgical or medical procedures or medications that they actually need. Often they get very inadequate durable medical equipment that is then sold to raise money for what is actually needed which is illegal or it just sits there unused and you can be called non-compliant and lose benefits or like me it’s just refused which teeters on non-compliant unless you have a doctor who understands why you refuse the prescriptions. They understand better when you refuse the prescription rather than get the equipment and don’t use it.
Many get medications they really don’t need and wind up selling to get the ones they do need. They wind up getting caught, lose benefits and/or go to jail where they are viewed as horrible criminal when they were only trying to get the meds they needed.
Many lose their children simply due to being poor. Being poor is almost illegal, there are so many violoations to ordinances or laws that so many of us are involved in just because we don’t have enough money to have all the things needed to be in compliance.
Yes…blogs and forums are important to let donors know about those of us who don’t get all that help everyone thinks is available. We who slip through the cracks live a a life always wondering when we will be caught for this or that violation. Imagine living with children always afraid CPS will find out your lights or water got disconnected or you don’t have a car or money for public transportation?
21. July 2009 at 12:53 am :
Hey Guys, I just found out that Bill Gates is actually working on funding technology that would actually lessen the size of a hurricane. So, I guess he is helping the rest of us by trying to prevent another Katrina. I was happy to hear this. I hope it works out. As for Bill Clinton, I guess it’s a lot easier to raise donations when your a former president, it’s a lot harder for the rest of us to raise donations though and some of us need it a lot more.
Rayhawk your right, sometimes their are special circumstances, and they don’t allow for them, everybody is suppose to fit in this box, and we just can’t sometimes. We deal with real life, most people are cushioned from this poverty and fixed income, so they don’t understand and they have little compassion, saying why don’t you do this or this, but they don’t know we’ve already tried and we didn’t qualify.
22. July 2009 at 4:45 am :
Really you hear that too? Imagine that! Ok yeah that was sarcastic. I’m in one of those frustrated moods again. You are right most are cushioned from having to borrow off their mom and sister for food near the end of the month, defer bills till the first and eat up late fees while you are repaying loans only to do it all over again at the end of the month. I have been looking so hard for some kind of online work I could do at home. I have heard tons of suggestions but nothing I haven’t already tried. Nobody gives you a chance. I don’t even want minimum wage! Just something to keep us eating properly and keep my cars legal and my trash bill paid. LOL…I am offering to work 16 hours a day every day for $1.07 an hour and I can’t even get that!
At least I do have my volunteer work that gives me an annual fund raising event to benefit my kennel and I have a computer and broadband to use while I’m in this position. Guess I really can’t complain, but it does get frustrating.
28. September 2009 at 5:40 am :
Yeah that is so cool your a part of that Rayhawk. I too look for work online I can do! I can’t stand not helping out in this situation. It can be hard though. I joined a website called Inbox dollars, they are suppose to pay you for reading emails and doing surveys. I did only the free stuff and after 2 years, I earned $65 from them! I put it in my donations. Isn’t that cool. But don’t join Vista print, they are a scam! I got my mom a t-shirt from them, and used an online coupon they offered. Well that coupon joined me to a website called passport to fun where they gave them my debit card number and they started taking 17.95 out of my account unauthorized every month! We had checks bounce and everything before we caught it. My bank called them and they had to give me the money back. I put that in my donations as well. So it didn’t turn out too bad.
Should I ask the Bill Gates Foundation for a donation? let me know