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Online Giving

Chart your organization’s performance and inform your fundraising strategies for the year ahead with this review of online giving statistics, highlights, and trends.


Year-over-Year Online Giving

According to the Charitable Giving Report, online giving increased by 9% in 2021.1 This was on top of significant growth in 2020, as well. Donors continue to show positive trends in terms of online giving and donations made on a mobile device.

This is further demonstrated by a broader view of giving over the last 36 months ending in December 2021, which revealed a 42% increase in online giving over the last three years. A longitudinal view of giving provides a more representative perspective of what is happening with charitable giving across the United States.

1 2022, Blackbaud Institute, 2021 Charitable Giving Report


For more information on this topic, please visit: Year-over-Year Overall Giving

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Online Giving by Organization Size

Nonprofit organizations of all sizes had positive online giving growth in 2021 compared to 2020. Large organizations, with total annual fundraising of more than $10 million, had an increase of 9.8% in their online fundraising in 2019. Medium-sized nonprofits, with total annual fundraising between $1 million and $10 million, had an increase of 8.7% in their online fundraising. Small nonprofits, with total annual fundraising less than $1 million, grew their online fundraising 3.9% compared to 2020.


For more information on this topic, please visit: Overall Giving by Organization Size

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Online Giving by Month

2021 showed a spike in online giving during the month of December, which captured 21% of all online donations. This underscores the significant amount of online giving organizations still drive through end-of-year campaigns. Ensure that your organization is equipped to take its end-of-year campaigns online and offline. You must convey a key message that resonates with supporters. Think about what you want to say and how to tweak it for each platform.


For more information on this topic, please visit: Overall Giving by Month

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Online Giving by Subsector

According to the Charitable Giving Report, Public and Society Benefit organizations experienced the highest online giving growth in 2021 with a significant 28.3% increase in online giving. Alongside this subsector, Environment, Higher Education, K-12 Education, Arts and Culture, and International Affairs organizations also experienced at least 10% growth in online giving. Only Human Services subsector experienced a decrease in online giving by 5.9%. It is worth noting that the year-over-year decline for Human Services organizations should not be cause for alarm. These nonprofits grew online giving nearly 46% in 2020 and the difference between 2020 and 2021 was to be expected.


For more information on this topic, please visit: Overall Giving by Subsector

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Mobile Giving

The Blackbaud Institute has measured the growth in online donations made on mobile devices for many years now. In 2021, an estimated 28% of online donations were made using mobile devices. This has grown steadily since 2014 when it was just 9% of online donations. 

With the age of mobile giving in full swing, organizations must be equipped to process mobile transactions and readily optimize and test their platforms. Mobile-friendly websites, email, and donation forms should work together seamlessly to maximize the supporter’s giving experience.

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