Blackbaud in the News: More go online or text to donate for Haiti's quake victims
Online contributions for Haiti earthquake-relief efforts are setting giving records, topping early totals for other major disasters and opening new support sources for humanitarian groups.
Electronic donations for the first five days after the Jan. 12 disaster totaled 19% more than during the same time frame after the 2004 Asian tsunami and 109% higher than the equivalent following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, according to Blackbaud, a software and services provider for 22,000 non-profit groups.
Similarly, users of the online-payment system PayPal raised more than $1.8 million for Haiti relief efforts in the first five days of fundraising after the tragedy. That surpassed the $1.5 million contributed via PayPal in the month after the devastating 2008 earthquake in China.
"The Haiti disaster is yet another example that when major disasters strike, it's online where givers increasingly turn first," said Steven MacLaughlin, Blackbaud's Internet solutions director.
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