The internet has changed a lot over the years. The knowledge that was once inaccessible to the masses is now just one click away. The internet has made the world move much faster and continues to help foster new ways of doing things. In particular, the internet has changed how donations are made and how people can donate to their favorite charities:
Real-time Donations
For a while, organizing charitable giving and getting donations took a lot of time and planning. With the help of the internet, a nonprofit organization or charity is able to receive donations much faster than before. Through the internet, donors are able to give any amount of money they would like at any time to their chosen cause. This kind of giving also allows anyone, whoever they are and whatever their income may be, to donate whenever they would like.
New Type of Crowdfunding
Many nonprofits get most of their donations through crowdfunding, especially for ones less well known or traditionally ignored by major donors. There are hundreds of crowdfunding sites for raising money for charities and nonprofits. The internet is able to give crowdfunding the platform it needs to gather donors and give to smaller organizations that need it. Crowdfunding through the internet is able to shine a light on important causes.
Private Giving
For years, charitable giving was very much a public affair. People attended events or fundraisers to give to a cause. With the help of the internet, there is now more anonymity for charitable giving. Online platforms allow people to make donations in private and without giving their name. Some people value their privacy, even when giving support to a charity they care about. The internet is able to give donors the opportunity to donate anonymously.
Individual Donations
Thanks to the internet, people are now able to create donations for their own individual causes. Sites such as GoFundMe, JustGiving, or KickStarter are able to give people a platform to ask for donations for sponsoring a 5K, raising money for a community project, or even asking for help paying for medical services they are unable to afford. Anyone can use the site to raise money for their personal causes and anyone is able to make donations.
Giving Tuesday
The internet has revolutionized the way donations are made. Because of this, there is now a date on the calendar meant for donating. Every November since 2012, following Black Friday and Cyber Monday, there is Giving Tuesday. Giving Tuesday is dedicated to philanthropy and encouraging people to donate. Many of the campaigns are run through online and social media platforms.