Nonprofit software developer Blackbaud is predicting record donations on “#GivingTuesday,” the global day of giving that takes place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.
Established five years ago, #GivingTuesday encourages charitable giving following the Black Friday and CyberMonday shopping days. Blackbaud is a founding partner of the movement, and has been tracking data on donations since it began.
“Blackbaud has seen consistent double-digit, year-over-year growth in online donations on #GivingTuesday,” said Mike Gianoni, president and CEO, in a statement. “In 2012 we processed $10.1 million in online donations, and last year’s donations hit nearly $40 million. With nearly 300 percent growth, if #GivingTuesday remains on this trajectory, we anticipate it will have a record-breaking year in 2016.”
The company has also seen upward trends in online and smartphone donations, according to its
“The report shows that online donations on #GivingTuesday grew by 52 percent, and 17 percent of donors used a mobile device,” said Steve MacLaughlin, director of analytics at Blackbaud, in a statement. “The rate of mobile giving began accelerating at 3 p.m. and peaked at 10 p.m. EST, when 42 percent of all online donors were using their phones or tablets.”
Among Blackbaud’s other findings:
Faith-based, education, and human services organizations receive the largest percentage of #GivingTuesday online donations.
Large organizations have received the most online donations on #GivingTuesday, but this trend is shifting.
The average online gift amount was $137 per donation last year, an increase of 6 percent. Online donations tend to be larger than traditional direct mail gifts.
“Many charities use #GivingTuesday as a launch pad to boost donations through the end of the year, when nonprofits typically see spikes in financial contributions and volunteer hours,” added Gianoni.
