Cash, Contactless, or Click? How Americans Are Giving—and Why It Matters

Cash, Contactless, or Click? How Americans Are Giving—and Why It Matters

In an era of shrinking wallets and swelling digital wallets, how Americans give is changing as rapidly as why they give. The humble act of donation—once dominated by cash tucked into church plates or passed to volunteers on sidewalks—is now just as likely to happen through a tap, a swipe, or a click.

Donations today are made in four dominant ways: cash, contactless, online, and digital.

While they may seem interchangeable to the average donor, each method tells a different story about the psychology of giving, the ease of transaction, and the people nonprofits are able to reach.

The Tangibility of Cash: Still Powerful, But Fading

Cash was once the undisputed king of donations. It’s immediate, anonymous, and requires no technological know-how. But in a world where even corner coffee shops are going cashless, its presence is dwindling. According to the Federal Reserve, cash payments dropped from 26% of all transactions in 2019 to just 14% in 2024.

Yet for many grassroots causes—think local food pantries, street musicians, or in-person religious tithes—cash still resonates. It offers a human touch. There's a psychology at play: people feel the donation leave their hands, and that tactile moment can feel more personal, even sacrificial.

Contactless Giving: The Rise of the Tap

Enter contactless giving—a term that covers donations made via contactless credit or debit cards and digital wallets like Apple Pay or Google Pay. Fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid spread of tap-to-pay terminals, contactless giving is now commonplace at museums, places of worship, pop-up charity booths, and even vending machines reimagined as donation points.

What makes contactless giving powerful is its speed and ease. With no cash to count and no forms to fill, donations become impulsive—a key factor for charities looking to capture goodwill in the moment. But this frictionless nature can also increase the amount given in a single gift as well as donations given in a higher volume.

Online Giving: The Digital Heart of Modern Philanthropy

Online giving is the backbone of modern fundraising campaigns. Whether it’s donating through a nonprofit’s website, giving through a crowdfunding page, or participating in peer-to-peer fundraising, online donations offer flexibility, recurring options, and instant tax receipts.

These donations tend to be larger and more planned, often made after reading an emotional story, watching a compelling video, or receiving a targeted email campaign. It’s the digital version of a deep-pocket donor writing a check—except the check is a secure online transaction, and the donor could be on their lunch break.

Online giving also opens the door for detailed donor analytics and relationship-building tools, which are vital for charities looking to foster long-term engagement.

Digital Giving: A Category of Its Own?

“Digital” giving often overlaps with online and contactless, but it can also include newer methods like texting a donation, scanning QR codes on subway posters, or giving through social media integrations. TikTok live fundraisers, Instagram “donate now” buttons, and even NFTs sold for charity fall under this umbrella.

It’s flashy, fast-moving, and especially effective at targeting younger audiences. Digital giving is often social by nature—it invites public participation, gamifies generosity, and thrives in moments of virality.

Which Method Works Best?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Cash can work for spontaneous, in-person interactions. Contactless shines when convenience is key. Online thrives with storytelling and planned giving. Digital is where innovation meets emotion, often in public or viral contexts.

For nonprofits, the smartest strategy is omnichannel—meeting donors where they are, and where they prefer to give. For donors, it’s a matter of comfort, trust, and motivation.

But perhaps the most important takeaway is this: the medium may evolve, but the heart of giving remains the same. Whether it’s a dollar bill dropped in a jar or a tap from a smartphone, the act of giving continues to connect us—one donation at a time.

At We Are GoodBox, we’re all about making giving easier, smarter, and built for the way people live today. We help nonprofits across the U.S.and around the world bring contactless and digital donations into their everyday fundraising—whether you're running a church, museum, food bank, or local community group. If you’re ready to upgrade the way your supporters give, we’ve got the tools and know-how to make it happen. Let’s take your fundraising to the next level—together.