--- title: Online Giving is Not an Option description: In today's digital age, fundraising online is a necessity - not an option. image: https://blog.swellfundraising.com/hubfs/miss1.jpg --- [Client Login](http://manage.swellgives.com) - [![Twittee](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/hubfs/Swellfundraising-Mar2017-Theme/Images/twitter_secondnav.svg)](https://twitter.com/swellfunds) - [![Facebook](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/hubfs/Swellfundraising-Mar2017-Theme/Images/facebook_secondnav.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/swellfundraising) - [![LinkedIn](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/hubfs/Swellfundraising-Mar2017-Theme/Images/linkedin_secondnav.svg)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/3605977?trk=tyah&trkInfo=clickedVertical%3Acompany%2CclickedEntityId%3A3605977%2Cidx%3A2-1-2%2CtarId%3A1459363657085%2Ctas%3Aswell%20fund) [![Swell logo](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/hs-fs/hubfs/swell_just_website.png?width=144&name=swell_just_website.png "swell_just_website.png")](https://www.swellfundraising.com) # Blog ### Categories - [Fundraising (53)](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/topic/fundraising) - [Event Tips (52)](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/topic/event-tips) - [Event Tech (20)](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/topic/event-tech) - [Peer to Peer (7)](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/topic/peer-to-peer) - [Online Fundraising (6)](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/topic/online-fundraising) - [technology (5)](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/topic/technology) - [Junior Board (4)](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/topic/junior-board) - [Social Media (4)](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/topic/social-media) - [Event Ideas (3)](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/topic/event-ideas) - [Management (1)](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/topic/management) [See all](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/online-giving-is-not-an-option#) # Online Giving is Not an Option Written by : ### [Hugh Perkins](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/author/hugh-perkins) Categories: [Event Tech](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/topic/event-tech) Let’s face it: We live in an online world, and not just with emails and research. Online is where we talk to our friends and coworkers, where we shop, get our grociers, book our appointments and so much more. In this age of convenience, it's no longer seen as forward-thinking or innovative for fundraisers to allow for online giving: *it’s expected.* While the overall amount given to charities is increasing, the amount that is given online is growing at a much higher rate. According to the [Blackbaud index](https://www.blackbaud.com/nonprofit-resources/blackbaud-index), overall charitable giving in the United States was up 0.2 percent in April 2017 compared to the same time last year. Online giving during the same time was up 9.9 percent compared to April 2016. This has been a fairly constant—***there has not been a single time in the past five years that the rate of growth of online giving has not been higher that the rate of growth of all giving.*** What does this mean for charities, universities, and other organizations that might be holding fundraisers? The answer is simple: They must adapt to the modern world. Holding a fundraiser in this day and age without a platform that allows for easy online donations is leaving donations on the table.  [![How to Plan More Effective Fundraising Events](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2276003/a82bcb2a-dd14-41ad-8ca9-cb9448c723ee.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2276003/a82bcb2a-dd14-41ad-8ca9-cb9448c723ee) That is the simple fact of the matter. The fundraising world is moving steadily towards a much more digitally-based system, and the organizations that are able to adjust to this changing world are the ones that will most succeed. ### [Hugh Perkins](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/author/hugh-perkins) [![Share on facebook](https://7528309.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/7528309/hubfs/raw_assets/public/mV0_d-web-default-modules_hubspot/img/facebook-color.png?width=24&name=facebook-color.png) ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.swellfundraising.com%2Fonline-giving-is-not-an-option%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on linkedin](https://7528302.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/7528302/hubfs/raw_assets/public/mV0_d-web-default-modules_hubspot/img/linkedin-color.png?width=24&name=linkedin-color.png) ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.swellfundraising.com%2Fonline-giving-is-not-an-option%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on twitter](https://7528304.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/7528304/hubfs/raw_assets/public/mV0_d-web-default-modules_hubspot/img/twitter-color.png?width=24&name=twitter-color.png) ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.swellfundraising.com%2Fonline-giving-is-not-an-option%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.swellfundraising.com%2Fonline-giving-is-not-an-option%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=) [![Share on pinterest](https://7528311.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/7528311/hubfs/raw_assets/public/mV0_d-web-default-modules_hubspot/img/pinterest-color.png?width=24&name=pinterest-color.png) ](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.swellfundraising.com%2Fonline-giving-is-not-an-option%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dpinterest&media=) Brooke Battle Creating Personalized Donor Experiences at Your Events ## Why? A Personalized Donor Experience The difference between a forgettable gala and one that leads... [Read More ![Read More](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/hubfs/Swell_Fundraising_May_2016_Images/tile_arrow.svg) ![Read More](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/hubfs/Swell_Fundraising_May_2016_Images/tile_arrow_hovered.svg) ](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/creating-personalized-donor-experiences-at-your-events) Brooke Battle Why We Canceled the Auction at Our Nonprofit Fundraising Event *“Join us on November 2nd for our annual gala. Guests will enjoy cocktails, dinner, a silent...* [Read More ![Read More](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/hubfs/Swell_Fundraising_May_2016_Images/tile_arrow.svg) ![Read More](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/hubfs/Swell_Fundraising_May_2016_Images/tile_arrow_hovered.svg) ](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/why-we-canceled-the-auction-at-our-nonprofit-fundraising-event) Brooke Battle Peer to Peer Fundraising: A Nonprofit Guide to Fundraiser Communication Effective communication is the cornerstone of successful peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns. This... [Read More ![Read More](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/hubfs/Swell_Fundraising_May_2016_Images/tile_arrow.svg) ![Read More](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/hubfs/Swell_Fundraising_May_2016_Images/tile_arrow_hovered.svg) ](https://blog.swellfundraising.com/peer-to-peer-fundraising-a-nonprofit-guide-to-fundraiser-communication) - [**](http://www.facebook.com/swellfundraising) - [**](https://instagram.com/swellfundraising) - [**](https://www.linkedin.com/company/swellfundraising) Newsletter sign up form it’s fast and easy ```   ``` [About Us](https://www.swellfundraising.com/about) [Affiliate Program](https://go.swellfundraising.com/referral-program-channel-partners) [Bloomerang Integration ](https://go.swellfundraising.com/en/bloomerang-integration-1)         info@swellfundraising.com ### Recent Blog Posts   Copyright Swell Fundraising 2026 [Terms of use](https://www.swellfundraising.com/terms-and-conditions) | [Privacy policy](https://www.swellfundraising.com/policy) ** ![](https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/viewthroughconversion/877713489/?guid=ON&script=0) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Hugh Perkins", "url" : "https://blog.swellfundraising.com/author/hugh-perkins" }, "datePublished" : "2017-06-09T15:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Online Giving is Not an Option", "image" : [ "https://blog.swellfundraising.com/hubfs/miss1.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.swellfundraising.com/online-giving-is-not-an-option", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.swellfundraising.com/hubfs/SwellBrand/Swell%20Logos/Swell_SOLO_blue.png" }, "name" : "Swell Fundraising" } } ```