Survey Global Facebook Users Generous Texters for Haiti, but Unprepared Themselves

Thirty-nine percent of Facebook users in the U.S., U.K. and Australia have already donated money or goods to the relief efforts following the January 12 earthquake in Haiti – 13 percent through SMS text-messaging.  These are among the key findings of a survey jointly conducted this week by Facebook and The Nielsen Company.

The survey found that

• Thirty-two percent of Facebook users in the U.S., U.K. and Australia have donated money , 4 percent have donated goods (clothing, blankets, food, etc) and 3 percent have donated both money and goods to relief efforts (a total of 39 percent have donated money, goods or both)
• 21 percent of users have not yet given to the cause, but plan to do so.  This means that, overall, 60 percent of Facebook users in these markets have donated or plan to donate goods or money
• New methods of donation have taken off: 13 percent of respondents have donated to Haiti relief through a text-message on their mobile phone.  That number is higher in the U.S., where 23 percent have donated through text-messaging
• Text-message donations aren’t just for teens: roughly the same percentage of adults 50 and older have given through text messaging (12 percent) as teens 13-17 (14 percent)
• When it comes to corporate support of the relief efforts, 29 percent of users believe corporations are doing their part, while 42 percent say they are not.  U.S. users are more likely than those in the U.K. and Australia to feel corporations have done enough
• 9 percent of Facebook users in the U.S., U.K. and Australia say they, their family or friends have been personally affected the disaster
• The Haiti earthquake is a wake-up call to some: 75 percent of respondents said they are either “not very” or “not at all” prepared for a natural disaster, themselves

Response to the January 12 Haiti Earthquake among Facebook users in the U.S., UK and Australia
Question	TOTAL	U.S.	U.K.	Australia
Have donated either money, goods or both	39%	42%	39%	24%
Have donated money	32%	34%	33%	17%
Have donated goods (clothing, food, etc)	4%	4%	3%	4%
Have donated both money and goods	3%	4%	2%	3%
Donated through Text Messaging	13%	23%	15%	6%
Have not donated, but plan to	21%	23%	18%	24%
No plans to donate	40%	36%	44%	53%
Affected personally or have friends, family affected by disaster	9%	12%	4%	4%
Corporations are doing enough to help	29%	33%	24%	19%
Corporations are not doing enough to help	42%	40%	46%	47%
Very prepared for a natural disaster	10%	10%	10%	7%
Somewhat prepared for a natural disaster	16%	21%	8%	13%
Not very prepared for a natural disaster	26%	30%	19%	27%
Not at all prepared for a natural disaster	49%	39%	63%	53%
Source: Facebook & The Nielsen Company

Responses vary by age and gender

• Facebook users ages 50 and older are nearly twice as likely to have donated goods or money than teenagers (61 percent compared to 36 percent), but
• Teens were more than twice as likely as adults 50 plus to say still plan to donate (29 percent compared to 13 percent)
• 46 percent of female users have given compared to 32 percent of males
• Women are less likely to feel prepared for a natural disaster: 83 percent of women said they felt “not very” or “not at all” prepared, compared to 66 percent of men

Response to the January 12 Haiti Earthquake among Facebook users in the U.S., U.K. and Australia
Question	TOTAL	Female	Male	13-17	18-23	24-29	30-49	50+
Have donated either money, goods or both	39%	46%	32%	36%	30%	37%	49%	61%
Have donated money	32%	38%	26%	27%	24%	31%	42%	56%
Have donated goods (clothing, food, etc)	4%	4%	3%	5%	3%	3%	4%	3%
Have donated both money and goods	3%	3%	3%	5%	3%	3%	2%	2%
Donated through Text Messaging	13%	14%	13%	14%	13%	13%	14%	12%
Have not donated, but plan to	21%	25%	17%	29%	23%	19%	16%	13%
No plans to donate	40%	29%	51%	35%	47%	45%	36%	26%
Affected personally or have friends, family affected by disaster	9%	10%	8%	12%	7%	10%	8%	7%
Corporations are doing enough to help	29%	28%	30%	29%	28%	27%	30%	33%
Corporations are not doing enough to help	42%	44%	40%	43%	43%	41%	41%	42%
Very prepared for a natural disaster	10%	4%	16%	9%	10%	9%	9%	12%
Somewhat prepared for a natural disaster	16%	14%	18%	18%	13%	12%	17%	23%
Not very prepared for a natural disaster	26%	28%	24%	30%	24%	24%	25%	26%
Not at all prepared for a natural disaster	49%	55%	42%	43%	52%	55%	50%	39%
Source: Facebook & The Nielsen Company

This survey was conducted January 20 and 21, 2010 amongst 50,641 Facebook users ages 13 and older, in the U.S., U.K. and Australia. Total responses per question ranged from 1,000 to 6,000, with results weighted by gender. This research is part of the previously announced research partnership between The Nielsen Company and Facebook.

More information on Haiti relief efforts can be found on Facebook’s Global Disaster Relief page. The page, which was launched last Wednesday, has already attracted more than 225,000 fans.