# Kintera estimates $350 million given online in US to tsunami appeals

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2005/01/06/kintera-estimates-350-million-given-online-us-tsunami-appeals/
- Published: 2005-01-06T00:00:00+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

US technology provider Kintera has seen its non-profit clients raise over $50 million
online in a week for Asian tsunami related appeals, leading it to believe that US
individuals have given around $350 million online to the disaster appeals in that
period.
The estimate of $350 million is based on “Kintera’s historical online fundraising
data compared to overall online giving” up to 3 January 2005.

Kintera estimates that its customers raise approximately 5%-15% of all online donations.
in the USA. Therefore, with its customers raising over $50 million via the Internet
in the past week alone, overall online giving to date for tsunami disaster relief
efforts is estimated to be over $350 million.

If correct, it means that the US public has donated online alone more cash than 
the US government has pledged in aid at this stage, despite increasing its initial
pledge 10-fold.

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“The phenomenal amount of money donated online is evidence that the Internet is 
now the accepted way to contribute to a cause,” said Kintera’s CEO, Harry E. Gruber,
M.D. “Donating online offers consumers the definitive giving experience, combining
immediacy, convenience and confidence. Consumers can give online to help in a tragic
event of this nature, and feel like they have made an immediate impact.”

Dr. Gruber added that the speed and flexibility of handling donations online was
essential in an emergency situation such as this. “Since most nonprofits have not
had time to begin direct mail campaigns or other offline activities, funds donated
online are critically needed to begin relief efforts.”

The Web is still attracting new donors. Nearly 300,000 new donors were added to 
Kintera’s client databases in the week after the tsunami earthquake disaster.

 * **[British Red Cross raises more online than offline for tsunami appeal](https://fundraising.co.uk/2005/01/07/british-red-cross-raises-more-online-offline-tsunami-appeal/)**(
   7 January 2005)
 * **[AMA handles £2 million of donations for tsunami appeals](https://fundraising.co.uk/2005/01/07/ama-handles-2-million-donations-tsunami-appeals/)**(
   7 January 2005)
 * **[Kintera reports on clients' success in online fundraising for tsunami appeals](https://fundraising.co.uk/2005/01/11/kintera-reports-clients039-success-online-fundraising-tsunami-appeals/)**(
   11 January 2005)