Online giving making gains, but at a slower pace

While charitable giving using the Internet continues to rise, the pace is slowing down due to the recession, according to a survey published yesterday by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. In its annual survey, including 203 non-profit organizations, the number of online gifts grew by a median of 28% in 2008, according to the Washington-based newspaper, which reports and researches philanthropy. The increase was less than the 42% median growth rate reported in 2007 and the 45% median found in 2006, it reported. Still, online giving represented only a small portion of the donations received by most of the groups. For 101 groups in the survey, online giving accounted for less than 1% of donations. But 10 groups received more than 10% of their contributions online, it found.