Online giving trends have had a positive impact on the nonprofit community, according to the Star Tribune. Organizations with virtual payment gateways can provide prospective donors with convenient ways to participate in campaigns and raise funds online.

"It's very efficient,'' Susan Waananen, a longtime Twin Cities community volunteer, told the media outlet. "I know it [the donation] is going to arrive right away. It's easier to keep records. And it doesn't take much time.''

Dana Nelson, executive director of GiveMN, told the source that online giving is much more than a fleeting trend. Now that most nonprofits have finished testing web-based platforms, they have begun to work them into future development plans. GiveMN is a website that allows individuals to make online contributions to many nonprofits, such as the Minnesota Community Foundation, The St. Paul Foundation and the United Way, through a single portal. It has raised more than $50 million since it was launched in 2009.

As foundations tap into emerging digital channels to raise funds online, they can benefit from nonprofit fundraising software that tracks incoming donations and quantitatively measures the success of their efforts.