The Chronicle uses online fundraising data provided quarterly by Blackbaud, Network for Good, and PayPal to analyze online giving. The percentage changes above show an analysis of online donations to a fixed group of organizations during the second and third quarters of 2012, compared with donations to this same group made during the same period in 2011. The graphics below show giving data by month, day of the week, and time of day to all organizations that received online donations during the second and third quarters, regardless of whether they had accepted donations in 2011.

The Chronicle's quarterly online fundraising report is based on donations made to U.S. charities through the online-payment processors Blackbaud, Network for Good, and PayPal. Comparisons are based on a group of nonprofit organizations that received donations during the same quarters over two consecutive years.

All of the hours listed in the last graphic are Eastern time and include giving across all time zones. As a result, giving from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. would also include gifts made from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Pacific time.

To compare online giving based on organization size and cause, see the Blackbaud Index of Online Giving, To learn more about giving through different channels, see reports published by Network for Good.

For questions about these data, e-mail data@philanthropy.com.

Development by Derek Lieu, data analysis by Emily Gipple for The Chronicle