As more and more of our daily activities, interactions, and transactions happen on our computers and mobile phones, it makes sense that our charitable giving has started to move to the digital sphere. Online contributions to The Rotary Foundation have increased steadily over the past five years.
A total of 60,827 donors contributed $14.7 million online to the Foundation in 2016-17, compared with 27,578 donors contributing $8.1 million online in 2012-13.
When you exclude the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s large, one-time donations of $100 million from the total (large donations like these would not be made with a credit card online), Rotary’s online giving falls very close to the industry average of 7.2 percent, as reported by the Blackbaud Institute for Philanthropic Impact, which publishes the annual Index of Charitable Giving.
Donors are also getting more comfortable giving on mobile devices. The rate of smartphone use in charitable transactions has nearly doubled since 2014, now accounting for 17 percent of online gifts.
Recognizing this shift, Rotary has made online giving easier. When you give to The Rotary Foundation, it takes just a few simple steps, whether you use a desktop computer or a mobile device. The page you use to donate is available in several languages, and you can give using any of a number of currencies. It’s also easy to give memorial and tribute gifts.
