New Zealanders donate $50m on Givealittle

The Abel Tasman Beach pledge successfully raised more than $2 million, used to purchase the Awaroa Inlet for public use.

Generous New Zealanders have reached a milestone on crowdfunding site Givealittle, seeing total donations exceed $50 million over the past eight years.

The combined total of $50 million is from more than 30,000 Givealittle pages.

Some of the most high-profile causes include the Awaroa Beach pledge, donations to the Himalayan Trust to aid Nepal's earthquake recovery and the campaign to help Good Samaritan Lucy Knight and her family.

Donations on Givealittle represent only a fraction of charitable giving in the country - sitting at around $2.788 billion according to the latest Giving New Zealand report.

Givealittle chief giving office Tom Beyer said the milestone reinforced what he believed, that "New Zealanders are a generous bunch who are always there to back a great idea or to help each other out when the going gets tough."

The volume of giving on the site has grown rapidly - particularly in the past 3 years - with an expected $21.4 million in the year to June 2016.

Beyer believes the steep growth shows the crowdfunding model for social giving is becoming more mainstream with New Zealanders.

"Digital communication is now ubiquitous and so the ability to donate instantly online is of great appeal to your average Kiwi," Beyer said.

Givealittle is owned and funded by the Spark Foundation, which has covered the platform's fast-growing operational costs since 2012.

Watch: Givealittle reaches $50 million in donations

"For people who find themselves in extremely difficult circumstances, being able to tell their story and establish a community of support around them can feel very empowering," Beyer said.

"Fundraisers on Givealittle tell us the messages of love and support that come with the donation mean as much to them as the actual dollars raised."

The numbers:

• $50 million donated since Givealittle established in 2008.
• 673,223 individual donations and pledges made.
• More than 30,000 Givealittle pages created.
• $5 million invested by the Spark Foundation since late 2012.
• $2.280 million pledged for Abel Tasman Beach campaign.

Top 10 Givealittle pages:

• Abel Tasman Beach - $2,276,183.09
• Nepal Earthquake response - $367,570.00
• Help Lucy & family - $269,634.00
• Brad Smeele's Recovery - $232,688.22
• Riding for Hospice - $230,028.90
• Red Cross Samoa Tsunami - $202,233.19
• Help Tobi and Sara get a house - $201,610.00
• Bone Marrow For Life - $184,037.32
• Paul (PJ) Lupi Needs Your Help - $173,147.21
• Help Jared Noel meet his baby girl - $170,265.30