Among Americans who made a donation in the past 12 months, more gave online (72%) than by regular mail (23%), while about 1 in 1 donated from their mobile device, this according to a new study from Cone Communications.
But donations are not the only form of digital activism: the report also notes that 58% of American adults believe that tweeting or posing information about an initiative on social channels is an effective form of advocacy and support.
In exploring the motivations to participate in social or environmental effort online, the study found that the largest share of respondents are inspired by:
- An urgent need to immediate support (79%);
- Clarity about how their support would make a real impact on the issue (79%);
- Ease of participation (77%); and
- The issue or beneficiary being personally relevant (74%).
By comparison, fewer are being motivated by rewards for participation (53%) or seeing all their friends participate (48%).
Separate findings from the report confirm the motive of a sense of urgency: respondents reported being more likely to give online following a major disaster (24%) than around the holidays (12%).
In other words, it is not a case of the time of year, but the urgency of the situation that dictates the response.
This report also holds an interesting result which speaks to the other leading motivator, clarity in how the support will make an impact.
In fact, 58% of the survey respondents said that it is more important to be able to have an impact on the issue than to be familiar with the organization they are supporting.
This attitude happens to be stronger among men (65%) than women (52%).
Turning to the different ways in which americans would be most likely to support social or environmental issues online, the study reveals that most would:
- Vote to designate funds to a cause they care about (71%);
- Signing a petition (70%);
- Learning about changes they can make in their everyday lives to make an impact on social or environmental issues (70%); and
- Giving feedback to companies directly about their business practices (66%).
While slightly fewer (60%) would like of follow a non-profit or company social or environmental program, the research finds these actions can act as significant “gateways” to other actions.
For example, 65% say they are more inclined to support social and environmental issues in other ways — including volunteering, donating and sharing information — after first liking or following an organization online.
However, there is a disconnect between what Americans say they would do and what they report actually having done.
So while 71% would vote to designate funds to a cause they care about, only 17% would report doing so over the past 12 months.
And while 60% would like or follow a company, only about half as many (29%) did so during the past year.
Of the 11 types of digital activism identified, americans were most likely in the past year to have made a donation (35%) and watched a video with a social or environmental message (32%).