Fidelity Charitable said it saw a $3 million increase in donations going to Ebola relief efforts over the past three weeks, as the crisis has surged and awareness of the disease spread.
The charitable arm of Boston-based Fidelity Investments first noted customers directing gifts to Ebola aid as early as April, according to Amy Danforth, president of Fidelity Charitable. But the activity has since jumped, and donations of $875,000 through Sept. 30 soared to $3.8 million through October.
“This is a humanitarian disaster. It’s got a different pace and timing to it” than hurricanes and other event-related emergencies, Danforth said. “What we see is a slower build as people become aware of the enormity of it.”
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Some philanthropists may still be sorting out which Ebola initiatives to support, and whether to send money for immediate medical needs or for longer-term efforts to develop drugs to combat the disease.
In scenarios like this, Danforth said, large donations like the $25 milion one made recently by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to combat Ebola, can inspire others to act.
The number of grants earmarked for Ebola-related causes nearly doubled to more than 500 this month, Fidelity said. That was in addition to ongoing support by donors who were already recommending grants for health care improvements in West Africa, prior to the epidemic, Fidelity said.
Overall, Fidelity Charitable said the first nine months of the year set a record for donations. Clintes directed $1.6 billion to thousands of charities, up 27 percent from the same period in 2013.
Beth Healy can be reached at beth.healy@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @HealyBeth.