Arlington, VA (January 28, 2021) – In recognition of Data Privacy Day, a BBB Wise Giving Alliance (BBB’s Give.org) poll asked over 2,000 Americans about data privacy and donations. 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.

When asked specifically about data and privacy when giving in the past, Millennials stood out, with 94% of them indicating that these considerations had been either ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ important (30% and 64% respectively), compared to 68% overall.

Art Taylor, President & CEO, BBB Wise Giving Alliance: “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”.

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, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance donation platform, provides charities with a means to reward their donors for 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.

About BBB WGA: BBB Wise Giving Alliance (BBB’s Give.org) is a standards-based charity evaluator that seeks to verify the trustworthiness of nationally-soliciting charities by completing rigorous evaluations based on 20 holistic standards that address charity governance, results reporting, finances, fundraising, appeal accuracy and other issues. National charity reports are produced by the BBB WGA and local charity reports are produced by local Better Business Bureaus – all reports are available at Give.org.

About GiveSafely.io: GiveSafely.io is a program of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance (BBB WGA). It aims to protect donors’ personal data when interacting with accredited charities. As a platform GiveSafely.io seeks to enhance trust in the online donation model and ensure personal data is only passed on to charities with the donors’ consent. Data passed on is rewarded with GivingPoints. BBB WGA accredited charities involved with GiveSafely.io include:  Save the Children, Easterseals, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Population Media Center, RedRover, Wild Animal Sanctuary, Cure Alzheimer’s Fund and World Emergency Relief.

Media Contact: 
Ezra Vazquez-D’Amico
E-mail: evazquezdamico@give.org
Tel: 703-247-9362