Media Release

TUESDAYS are the day when people donating online are at their most generous, according to an analysis of almost 28,000 online donations through the Australian Giving Centre on www.ourcommunity.com.au.

The analysis showed that Tuesday is the day with the highest average online donations ($207) compared to an average across all donations and all days of $161. It also showed that people tended to give more in the morning and evening, donating an average of $217 between 7am and 8am and an average of $200 between 7pm and 8pm

The analysis of over $4.5 million in donations through the free online donation service at the Australian Giving Centre, which is operated by www.ourcommunity.com.au with the support of Westpac Bank, also showed that men donated on average $163 while women donated an average $121 per donation.

While men were higher one-off donors, women were more likely to be in it for the long haul, with women twice as likely to sign up for monthly donations, providing ongoing support and donations across the year.

The analysis has been released ahead of Australian Giving Week which runs from December 5-11. Australian Giving Week is about encouraging people to look at the ways they can assist in the community in the lead-up to Christmas.

Dr Rhonda Galbally, CEO of www.ourcommunity.com.au said a picture was now starting to emerge of how and when people gave and the differences between the giving patterns of men and women.

"One of the trends is when people give bigger donations and there is certainly a case that people are donating more at a time when they are more likely to be reading, watching or listening to media coverage about causes or emergencies," Dr Galbally said.

"Obviously over the past year, events such as the Asian Tsunami saw Australians giving in greater numbers, in greater amounts and with more speed than ever before.

"The benefit of an online service is that it is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day so people can donate whenever the motivation or desire strikes. It also has the capacity to attract new donors who stumble across the appeal or who search for a group that represents their interest area.

"We now have more than 670 appeals from across Australia listed on the site and as more come on and more donations come through we are seeing a difference in times and ways in which men and women donate to the groups they support."

The analysis of donations through the service also showed that:

• The most popular time of the day to donate was the hour between 9am and 10am with the period between 9am and midday being the busiest time by volume of donations. However the largest average donations were given between 7am to 8am and 7pm to 8pm.
• Residents living in the ACT gave more on average, donating $198 per single donation on average, ahead of Victorians on $176, NSW donors on $169 and Tasmanians on $166. Those in WA gave $133, SA ($134), Queensland ($129) and Northern Territorians ($146).
• ACT men gave more than men from other states on average, donating an average of $215 with NSW men donating on average $190, Tasmanian men $170 and Victorians $152.
• Tasmanian women donated more per average donation ($151) compared to the national average donation for women of $121. The next closest were women from the ACT who donated on average $146 per donation.
•  Tuesdays are the most popular days for making donations online with the average donation for men rising to $182 and women $130. 
• Men donate the smallest average amount on Fridays ($144 on average) while women donate the least amount ($100) on a Saturdays.
• The quietest day for online donations was on a Saturday.