Online Giving in the US Still on the Rise

Online charitable giving has risen steadily over the last three months in the United States, according to latest figures from U.S.-based technology company for Not for Profits, Blackbaud.

In figures just released, the Blackbaud Index of Charitable Giving – a broad-based fundraising index that reports overall giving trends of 1,300 Not for Profit organisations – showed that charitable giving rose 1.8 per cent in the three months since December 2011.

The Blackbaud Index of Online Giving, comprised of revenue data from 1,895 Not for Profits representing $US419 million in yearly online giving, reported that online giving rose 12.9 per cent for the three months ending December 2011 as compared to the same period in 2010.

The Blackbaud Index of Charitable Giving and The Blackbaud Index of Online Giving are based on actual giving statistics from Not for Profit organisations representing a wide range of sectors including arts, education, environment, health care, and public and society benefit.

According to the Blackbaud website, the reports were initially created to provide fundraisers with up-to-date data on fundraising trends and to couple that information with valuable analysis by leaders in the sector.

Blackbaud says that this is due to the fact that “economic conditions, natural disasters, and market fluctuations have made it extremely difficult for Not for Profits to make fundraising decisions informed by the latest donor behaviour”.

The reports are updated monthly and are based on a three-month moving average of year-over-year percent changes in U.S- based charitable giving.

Blackbaud says that the figures represent the most comprehensive and timely sources of charitable giving available.

You can view the recently updated Blackbaud Index of Charitable Giving and the Blackbaud Index of Online Giving here.