Donors appear to give more online when their experience is intimate and emotionally coherent, according to a study of online giving across charitable websites released Dec. 8 by Network for Good and TrueSense Marketing.
The Online Giving Study, which was sponsored by AOL, also found that people give online for reasons of convenience, especially at year-end and in the aftermath of large-scale disasters. More than 20% of all giving for the entire year occurs during the last 48 hours of the calendar year.
“As we enter this giving season, this research shows how much relationships matter between charities and their supporters—online as much as offline,” Bill Strathmann, Network for Good’s chief executive, said in a statement. “Even small improvements in the online experience can make a big difference in the amount a charity can raise”
The study covered $381 million in online giving through Network for Good’s platform, including 3.6 million gifts to 66,470 different nonprofits from 2003 to 2009.