The Blackbaud Institute’s 2020 Charitable Giving Report finds that online giving grew 21% amidst global pandemic
February 16, 2021
The Blackbaud Institute, a research division of Blackbaud, today released its ninth-annual Charitable Giving Report. Tracking over $40 billion in US-based charitable giving from the Blackbaud Institute Index, the report is one of the most credible resources on fundraising performance in the social good community.
The 2020 Charitable Giving Report explores giving trends in one of the most transformational years the social good sector has seen. The report leverages the largest data set of giving and donor trends to help social good organizations understand the past and prepare for the future with resources to create informed strategies. Findings are based on giving data from 8,833 nonprofit organizations totaling $40.7 billion in fundraising revenue, plus online data from 4,964 nonprofit organizations totaling $3.2 billion in online fundraising revenue.
Key Giving Trends in the 2020 Charitable Giving Report:
- US charitable giving grew 2% year-over-year, representing an increase of more than 5% over the last three years.
- Online giving grew by nearly 21%, representing more than a 32% increase over the last three years.
- A record 13% of fundraising came from online donations in 2020, mirroring similar online retail sales trends.
- Nearly 30% of all online gifts were made from a mobile device.
- Growth in online and mobile giving represented a dramatic shift to digital in 2020.
- Donation amounts increased, with overall donations averaging $737 (a $120 increase year-over-year) and online donations averaging $177 (a $29 increase year-over-year).
- Though nonprofits of all sizes experienced a significant drop in charitable giving in April, May and June, giving made a remarkable recovery in the second half of 2020.
