In recognition of Data Privacy Day, a BBB Wise Giving Alliance poll asked over 2,000 Americans about data privacy and donations. We wanted to know how much donors cared about the safety of their personal information overall, as well as how much they thought about data and privacy when donating to charities. (GiveSafely.io is a program of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance).
61% of all respondents rated their concerns about the Safety of Personal Information 7-10 on a 10-point scale
The poll found that overall concern about the safety of personal information ranked high across generations. 61% of all respondents rated their concern between 7-10 on a 10-point scale, compared to 51% of Generation Z, 59% of Millennials, 60% of Gen X, 70% of Baby Boomers, and 59% of Matures.
94% of Millennials indicated that data and privacy considerations had been either ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ important to them when giving to charity
Beyond their general levels of concern about privacy and security, we wanted to know whether donors thought about these issues when giving to charities.
When asked about their giving experiences, Millennials stood out, with 94% of them indicating that data and privacy considerations had been either ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ important (30% and 64% respectively), compared to 68% overall.
Indeed, the percent of Millennials responding that data and privacy concerns were 'somewhat' or 'very' important was markedly higher than Gen Z's (51%), GenX's (60%), Boomers (70%) and Matures (59%).
Charities can rise to address these challenges with innovations in privacy, technology and engagement
When I asked Art Taylor, the President & CEO of BBB Wise Giving Alliance about our findings, and how charities might incorporate them into their practices, he shared:
“The last year has been particularly hard for the charity sector as operating models and traditional fundraising methods have been tested to the limits. Now is a time for thinking about how to combine innovations in privacy, technology and digital currencies with online engagement to rethink how charities interact with potential donors and can receive payments in a secure and more equal setting”.
Targeted to Millennials, BBB Wise Giving launched GiveSafely.io to meet both donor and charity needs. In addition to listing only trusted charities (that meet all 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability) and using blockchain encryption to protect donors and enable cryptocurrency donations, GiveSafely.io, provides charities with a means to go even beyond protecting donor data. It rewards donors who share their personal data with GivingPoints that can be redeemed for charity experiences.
As we mark Data Privacy Day, we note that a focus on privacy and donor safety might well become a growing trend in the charity sector and other industries. Increasingly people may start to see their personal data in the same light as property and expect it to be respected as such. GiveSafely.io provides a template for charities and industry in general to interact online with their donors and clients.