Overall Giving Increases, Digital Giving Index Update

[Jessi Copeland]

CompaniesforGood.org

By Kate Olsen

Since 2010, Network for Good has been tracking digital philanthropy across several distinct channels including: individual charity websites, charity portals, and social giving (peer-to-peer) websites and applications. 

While the majority of charitable giving occurs directly on nonprofit websites (60-75%), portals have historically played an important secondary role.  With the exception of disaster response giving and December year-end giving, social networks for social good have established themselves as a key giving channel.  Social giving is increasingly becoming a go-to giving option, comprising 17% of overall giving through Network for Good’s platform.

 You can find more giving trends and observations in the Q3 2012 update to The Network for Good Digital Giving Index.  This Index builds on data and insights from the Online Giving Study, released in December 2009. This update includes trends and analysis on over $26 million in donations to more than 20,000 charities through the Network for Good platform in Q3 2012. The platform includes donations to Network for Good’s nonprofit customers through their own websites; other nonprofits through more than 40 corporate partner websites; and Network for Good’s giving portals, NetworkforGood.org and SixDegrees.org. 

Index highlights include:

• Overall giving increased in Q3 2012 versus the same period in 2011, with the exception of portal giving.
• Most charitable giving through the Network for Good platform in Q3 2012 was via charity websites (68%), followed by social giving (17%), then portals (9%).
• Average gifts on branded donation pages tend to be about 20% to 30% larger than on generic donation pages. When a charity has created a donation experience that reinforces its brand and connection to its supporters, the results speak for themselves: higher average gifts that grow over time.
• Social giving made up 17% of all donations through Network for Good in Q3 2012, consistent with results from Q2 2011 (18%).

Download the Q3 2012 Digital Giving Index update now!