Online giving websites are proving popular with philanthropists and charities this Christmas.

The Big Give launched the ‘Double Your Donation’ scheme on 1st December. The scheme raised £2m in 45 minutes through a commitment by the Reed Foundation to match £1m of donations made through the website. The average donation was £1,400.

Jon Brooks, managing director of The Big Give, said, “We thought the £1m would be matched within a couple of weeks. To have all of it donated in minutes is incredible. It is really encouraging to see that this response is still possible in the face of a recession.”

Meanwhile, Everyclick have launched a Considerate Christmas campaign to enable donors to give to up to 200,000 charities who are registered on their website. Users can send personalised online greetings and donate to charity. Everyclick say that charity Christmas cards give 10% of the cost to charity, on average, whereas through Everyclick, charities receive up to 121% of every donation.

Polly Gowers, founder of Everyclick, said, “Let’s make this Christmas about spending less and giving more.”