# Income from online giving rose 97% over past 12 months - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/04/19/income-from-online-giving-rose-97-over-past-12-months/ - Published: 2021-04-19T08:14:26+01:00 - Author: Melanie May **Online giving by UK donors has increased during the Covid-19 pandemic, with an overall growth of 115% in donations volume, and an income increase of 97% over the past 12 months, according to WPNC’s second annual Online Donations Report.** The integrated agency analysed anonymised data gathered from gifts totalling more than £40m made through [WPNC](https://wpnc.agency/)’s online donation platforms including goDonate to compare findings with its previous study, published in April 2020. The findings show that total value is up 29% on 2019, with [the report](https://go-donate.uk/2021Report) also covering trends in both one-off and regular giving, as well as donor behaviour across the board: covering geography, seasonality, day of the week, and time of day. ## Advertisement ![WPNC Donation Report](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2021/04/DonationReport_2021_Chart_1- 1024x408.png) #### Key findings **Big uplift in online donations** Online giving has increased over the past year. When looking at the same donation funnels that were live in 2020, WPNC registered an overall growth of 115% in donations volume and a 97% income increase, across both one-off and regular gifts. This is far higher than the 26% increase in the volume of one-off donations, and a near- 20% rise in overall value seen in 2019 compared with giving through the same channels in 2018. **One-off donations and regular donations are growing** With one-off gifts in 2020 given through donation funnels that were also live in 2019, there was an increase of 119% in donations volume and a 78% growth in value. For regular gifts in 2020 – going through donation funnels that were also live in 2019 – there has been an increase of 92% in donations volume and a 151% growth in value. Regular donations under £50, paid on a monthly basis, made up almost 98% of all regular donations made in 2020. Meanwhile, monthly average value increased by 6% in 2020, compared to the previous year. **Linking to a Covid-related cause helped raise funds** Due to 2020’s unique situation and the restrictions in place throughout the year, many charities with a mission not directly related to Covid-19 suffered a drop in income. Health-related charities and those focused on education experienced some of the highest growth, especially if they were able to relate their cause to the effects of the ongoing pandemic. **Digital wallets are growing in popularity** ![WPNC Donation Report](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2021/04/DonationReport_2021_Chart_2- 1024x529.jpg) When looking at payment methods used for one-off donations across all charities, the volume of card payments decreased, while digital wallet payments rose in popularity. 7% of donations were made through ApplePay across all devices, including desktop. Usage on mobile-only devices was higher: for example, 46% of donations at one large charity in the analysis were made through ApplePay on mobile devices. #### Other key findings ![](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2021/04/DonationReport_2021_Chart_3-1024x529. jpg) * In 2020 26% of all year donations were collected during the first lockdown. While December remained the month with the highest number of donations, April and May saw higher volumes than previously * Sunday, Monday and Tuesday are the most popular days for giving, with almost 50% of donations made on these days * The highest spike in donations is before noon (between 11:00 and 12:00) with another spike between 16:00 and 17:00. A significant drop happens between 18: 00 and 19:00, but overall 73% of donations are made between 10:00 and 21:00 * Average donation size in 2020 was £24.87. Large charities kept a similar value YOY, seeing a small decrease, while medium and small charities grew compared to 2019, with an average value reaching almost the same amount as large charities * Gift Aid conversion rate increased in 2020. On average it is claimed on more than 70% of donations under £75. Compared to 2019 there was a 9% increase in donors selecting this option inside the donation funnel Vicky Reeves, Managing Director Digital and Deputy CEO, WPNC, said: > “The trends we share in the report clearly show a significant rise in online donations > for both one-off and regular giving. >   > “Covid-19 has also prompted a rise in giving to related charities, so linking > your cause to topical national and global issues where possible is a key learning > for organisations. >   > “It’s also important to factor into the donor experience an increasing preference > for online giving, including aspects such as mobile wallets rather than traditional > types of giving. Donors want a frictionless experience, and offering them convenient > ways to give will increase chances of conversion.” The report is [freely available](https://go-donate.uk/2021Report) from WPNC. Photo by **[Keira Burton](https://www.pexels.com/@keira-burton?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels)** from **[Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/photo/crop-woman-in-warm-jacket-using-smartphone-in-street-6084224/?utm_content=attributionCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pexels)**