  With the advancement and proliferation of technology, non-profit
organisations have embraced social media platforms to improve their operational
capabilities through brand advocacy, among many other strategies. The effect of
such social media campaigns on these institutions, however, remains largely
underexplored, especially during disaster periods. This work introduces and
applies a quantitative investigative framework to understand how social media
influence the behaviour of donors and their usage of these platforms throughout
(natural) disasters. More specifically, we explore how on-line engagement -- as
captured by Facebook interactions and Google search trends -- corresponds to
the donors' behaviour during the catastrophic 2019--2020 Australian bushfire
season. To discover this relationship, we analyse the record of donations made
to the Australian Red Cross throughout this period. Our exploratory study
reveals that social media campaigns are effective in encouraging on-line
donations made via a dedicated website. We also compare this mode of giving to
more regular, direct deposit gifting.
