Spike in precise $1,200 charitable donations in 2020 shows that the ease of giving translates into more donors
Despite the gigantic challenges the entire world faced throughout 2020, and even while many American families were forced to closely watch expenses, large numbers of Americans still donated to countless pandemic-related causes as well as to many organizations dedicated to racial justice. This speaks not only to the compassion and drive across the country, but also to what helps instigate and facilitate giving.
Although last year’s giving took many forms – from massive financial gifts for historically black colleges and universities to in-person donations of bottled water for healthcare facilities – it’s clear that the easier it is to give, the more likely those who are able to do so will move forward with a donation. Media reports show that nearly 75 percent of millennials and more than two-thirds of Gen Z Americans gave to COVID relief or efforts aimed at helping victims of violence. And when the process of giving can consist of a few clicks online, it’s that much easier to make a difference.
One of the more notable indicators of how this giving “simplicity” results in action is the number of precise $1,200 gifts that charities received in the days following the distribution of federal pandemic subsidies. Since the U.S. government directly deposited the $1,200 into citizens’ bank accounts, all that was needed to do next was to use fast and easy digital methods for moving that money to charities. The result was that many people simply passed the money along to their favorite cause. The more steps or hurdles to get to that point where money is actually transferred is that much more of chance for a delayed or ultimately unsuccessful effort to give.
Technology plays a gigantic role in consumers’ instant decisions to execute on a desire. Just as many love quick and easy “tap and pay” capabilities of today’s credit cards and smartphones, people like taking action with just a few clicks – even if it’s on a grander scale to help make a difference.
In the end, people give more when it’s easy to do so. Learn more in RenPSG’s One Minute White Paper Trends report available here.
