Record Online Charity Gifts for Tsunami Relief Efforts

Several major relief organizations have reported that they are receiving a record amount of money from online donors hoping to provide a gift donation that will help the nonprofits in getting emergency supplies to victims of the South Asia tsunami disaster.

Over $20 million have been donated online to five distaster relief organizations involved in aiding survivors in the 11 countries affected by the tsunami. The groups include Doctors Without Borders, Catholic Relief Services, American Red Cross-Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter, U.S. Fund for UNICEF and World Vision. All of the organizations have reported a 50 percent increase in charitable gifts donated through their web sites. In addition, the average gift amount has increased 66 percent.

Director of interactive donor communications at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, Tim Ledwith, stated the amount of donations it has received has been increasing steadily since the disaster struck. "It's unprecedented," Ledwith added. "We have never seen this much of an outpouring. The generosity is overwhelming. This is a response that we really couldn't have foreseen."

The organizations are expected to raise a record amount of money online, as well as set records for the most money raised in a single day and for the average gift amount.

Most online donors use credit cards, although payment services such as PayPal or online banking accounts are also popular methods of making a charitable gift donation. Because the funds are sent electronically, UNICEF said it has access to the money within 72 hours, as opposed to several weeks when the money comes through more traditional channels such as direct mail. "Once funds are available, they can be transferred to UNICEF for programs in the field," Ledwith stated. "It's a very quick process. It can only increase the amount of assistance that will be available for emergency supplies and the speed at which they can be transported."

Once the emergency relief efforts have subsided, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF said it plans to again solicit more money from online donors for rebuilding programs.