We had heard of it in recent months, now the data confirm it: with the push of the pandemic, Italian donors have converted to digital. In a sector anchored to habits and the postal bulletin, the limitations of lockdowns have led to a leap: in 2020 33% of users made at least one online donation, compared to 34% who used cash. Ten clear points of difference compared to five years ago when the shares were 44% cash and 23% digital. A great little revolution.
“The pandemic has done nothing but accelerate a trend that was actually already underway, namely the constant growth of digital donations at the expense of cash. The absence of fundraising events in the presence (such as the classic banquets ed.) Has simply enhanced this phenomenon “comments Valeria Vitali, founder of Rete del Dono, a donation crowdfunding platform, which promotes every year” Donare 3.0. Survey on the propensity to donate of Italian onliners ”, conducted together with PayPal in collaboration with Bva Doxa (here the analysis of the previous survey).
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The advance of the under 40s
The other novelty – which will be presented on May 19, 2021 – concerns the age of donors. For the first time under 40s (millennials and generation Z) they donated in 84% of cases, more than generation X (users born between 1965 and 1980) which stops 81% and of baby boomer (born between 1946 and 1964). “The impression is thedose horribilis of the coronavirus has strongly contributed to the participation of the under 40s – adds Vitali – In light of the data of our first quarter, it is clear that their involvement is constantly increasing “. Of the total donors on the platform, the 18-24 age group went from 5.4% in 2019 to 10.6% in 2020 up to 15.4% this year. In the same period, the over 65s were 72% in 2019, 11.3% in 2020 and 8.45% this year.
Endless growth of furniture
A confirmation concerns the digital donation tools: between 2015 and 2020 the share of people who used the mobile at least once for the donation it has grown 31 to 57 percent. The use of the PC instead underwent a trend reversal last year: the decline in PC users reached a minimum of 64% in 2019 to rise again in 2020 due to the permanence induced by the pandemic.
Digitization of donations
The survey shows that PayPal – which in 2020 donated to non-profits worldwide 17 billion dollars – and the preferred digital payment method in Italy for those who want to donate, with volumes growing over the previous year. “This is further confirmation of how in an area such as donation less advanced than B2C commerce in terms of digitization, our payment model is perceived as safe and fast, a result that has been pushed by the under 40s. . I believe it will be a consistent trend again this year »explains Maria Teresa Minotti, PayPal’s country director.