ALS Association Credits Eric Dane for Massive Uptick in Donations

Eric Dane's death is spurring people to action ... encouraging many to support researchers looking to cure ALS.

A spokesperson for the ALS Association -- a leader in the fight against the vicious disease -- tells TMZ ... the website's seen a 100% rise in website traffic since Dane passed away yesterday, as well as a 200% rise in donations.

We're told many of the donations are for small amounts ... coming from new donors around the country.

While the ALS Association didn't provide an exact figure, we're told the money is in the tens of thousands of dollars ... and that's only donations made through the website. There are other ways to give gifts that take longer to aggregate, the spokesperson explained. Regardless of the total, the spokesperson told us they believe Dane's passing caused a huge outpouring of support.

As you know ... Eric's family announced his passing Thursday after having spent his final days with his wife, Rebecca, and their children. The statement also refers to Eric as a "passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight."

Numerous celebrities -- including John Stamos, Martin Lawrence, "Grey's Anatomy" creator Shonda Rhimes, and Sharon Stone -- paid tribute to Dane online. His former costar Patrick Dempsey talked about their final communication in a heartfelt interview.

Eric was 53.