Charities urged to get in shape as mobile donations soar

Charities are being urged to ensure that every consumer interaction counts by adopting “frictionless” journeys and faster payment methods, with a new analysis revealing donors are increasingly turning to mobile donations to support good causes.

So says the latest annual report from online donation platform goDonate, which reveals mobile payments surpassed 50% of total volumes for both one-off and regular giving for the first time in 2025.

The analysis, encompassing £30m in anonymised donations made directly on UK charities’ websites during 2025, reveals mobile is now the default giving medium.

In fact, it accounts for 67% of monthly donations and 58% of one-off donations. The equivalent figures in last year’s analysis (of 2024 data) were 61% of monthly donations and 40% of one-off donations.,

Meanwhile, digital wallets now account for almost half (49%) of one-off donations, an increase from 45% in 2024.

The Online Donations Insights Report 2026 also reveals encouraging increases in both one-off online income volume, growing by 16% year on year (2024 to 2025), and one-off donation volume, which rose by 18% year on year. This is despite a difficult market overall, with lower giving, fewer donors and more selective support among the key problems charities currently face.

In addition, goDonate’s analysis discovered that donor behaviour is shifting. Alongside the uplift in use of digital wallets:

– Regular giving is changing. New regular gifts grew by 13% in income and 8% in volume, while cards and wallets now account for 45% of recurring gifts.

– Donor motivation is affecting value. In-memory donations account for 12% of single donations but 25% of income, with a higher average gift than standard personal giving.

Commenting on the findings, goDonate founder and CEO Vicky Reeves said: “The wider sector picture is tougher and more pressured than ever, with fewer donors, lower overall giving and more selective support. Charities are having to make every supporter interaction count.

“What stood out to us in goDonate’s 2025 data was not only that digital giving continued to grow in important areas, but that donor behaviour is clearly shifting. Supporters are increasingly giving on mobile, using faster payment methods and responding to journeys that feel simpler, more relevant and easier to complete.

“For us, that reinforces a clear view: in a tougher market, the quality of the donation experience matters more than ever. Charities must design for mobile-first giving and reduce friction during the donor journey. It also means offering digital wallets as part of the wide range of donation options supporters expect; making regular giving an easy option to boost overall income; and understanding why donors give then tailoring their experience accordingly.”

Charities urged to get in shape as mobile donations soar

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