In most of our blogs there’s a bit of a recurring theme. we talk about the trend in donations moving from cash to card, and in light of this, how charities are looking for more ways to go digital and utilise contactless donation technology.
Charity donation technology is really important to make sure that people keep making donations. We’ve said before how it’s not a case of people not wanting to donate, it’s not having an easily accessible way for them to do so.
Fundraisers are cottoning on to how charity donation technology could increase donations and become a valuable tool within a charity’s digital strategy.
There are many ways to use charity donation technology, and many of them lend themselves well to innovative and creative solutions to engage supporters new and old. It’s not just about the donations they get, but also how they interact with donors.
Whether you’re based in London or a rural village, the potential benefits of charity donation points are huge.
So here are 10 ways you could implement charity donation technology as a part of your digital fundraising strategy.
1. Upgrade your buckets
Street collections are still an important part of charity fundraising. It’s probably one of the first things that comes to mind when you think of raising money for charity! The problem however, is that people are carrying less cash and tend to pay for things by card or even on their phone. We’re not saying ditch the bucket though, we’re saying supplement it! There will still be people who are happy to drop a few coins in a bucket and you don’t want to block them from making a donation any more than you want to block those paying for things by card. With one of our Donater smart stickers, you can upgrade your bucket so that donors can scan the sticker on their phone and donate quickly and easily in a digital way. This way you can take both types of donation and increase your fundraising. One simple way that charity donation technology can help your cause.
2. Encourage your community to give back with charity donation points
Charities and councils alike could benefit from this charity donation technology. By identifying areas around London, or any city for that matter, that have high footfall you can literally tap in to a community of donations. By creating charity donation points around towns and cities, the community can tap to give money to a cause where they know their money will make a difference. How often do you walk past a homeless person feeling like you want to help but don’t the best way to do so? These charity donation points could be just the answer. Placing them in hotspots around a town, city or shopping centre would encourage people to tap to donate to a local cause or charity.
3. Encourage donations when donors are already stopped and spending
Other than the High Street, where do you tend to see charity boxes? Shop counters! Previously these have been used for any loose coins given as change at the checkout of most shops. Quick, easy to use and rids you of those coins that never get spent. But just like the High Street buckets, these boxes are another great opportunity to combine physical change with digital money. Adding one of Donater’s smart stickers to a shop counter charity box would provide an immediate opportunity for a potential donor, who is already in the mind of spending, to scan the sticker on their phone and make a quick and easy digital donation whilst they’re waiting for their receipt to print. Many businesses are willing to partner with charities, particularly local ones, and this would be a great way of retail business doing just that – A chance to help give a little bit back to their local community and help a local good cause. Charity donation technology in one of it’s easiest forms!
4. Keep art alive
It’s not just charities that need to utilise digital donation technology to increase donations. Many galleries and museums provide free entry to exhibitions and rely on donations to keep them running. Contactless donation points are a great way of encouraging donations and boosting fundraising as they can be placed around the exhibition itself, motivating people to donate whilst enjoying the exhibition they are experiencing. They can also be linked to an interactive exhibit giving a visual experience to the donor every time the donation point is tapped. You’re probably most likely to see this technology dotted around London, but there’s no reason why this can’t be used all over the country.
5. Keep heritage alive, too
Similarly, there are heritage sites across the UK that are free to enter, but not free to keep in good order. Many of these don’t have anyone on site to ask for donations either. Important parts of our history rely on donations to keep them standing – And when better to ask for a donation than when people are there, enjoying their visit and experiencing the history. Contactless donation points would be a great way to use charity donation technology in these situations. By placing donation points, or smart stickers, within heritage sites and even on or next to artefacts, you could send a clear message to visitors that with just the tap of their card or scan of their phone, they could donate some money to go towards keeping the heritage alive. And let’s face it, visitors are more than likely to have their phone out ready anyway to take photos! So scanning a smart sticker would be no big thing.
6. Giving something back to those that support us
Can you think of anywhere that invokes a supportive response from people more than hospitals or hospices? Visitors to these places tend to be grateful that a loved one is being well cared for and have likely felt supported themselves by wonderful, caring staff. Whilst hospitals and hospices do receive some funding of their own, they still need donations from visitors and members of the public. Charity donation points can easily be placed in wards, shops and reception areas where visitors might feel compelled to give something back and say thank you for the care they themselves, or someone close to them has received. Charity donation technology in these places would be a great way of people being able to donate with a simple tap of their card or scan on their smartphone via donation points.
7. Enjoyment can lead to donations
Are there any gardens, benches, fountains or monuments that you enjoy regularly? Perhaps there’s a bench that you always sit on overlooking the river, or a peaceful garden that you walk through on your lunch break. There are many of these places dotted around London and UK wide that people may take for granted without realising that there is a cost that goes into their upkeep. A donation point is a great way of encouraging those that enjoy these outdoor spaces to give a little something back in return. Charity donation technology is evolving all the time. If somewhere outside could benefit from a donation point, then there may be the scope to use solar energy to power it. Or by using smart stickers, you could bypass the need for power altogether and simply rely on people having their smartphone with them (Because who doesn’t take it everywhere with them anyway?). Outside/inside, rain/shine, day/night; a donation point or smart sticker can be there ready to encourage and take a donation.
8. Hey big spender
We’ve spoken a lot about small donations – The digital equivalent to a bit of loose change. But charity donation technology can also be used for the big spenders making big donations. The great thing about donation points and smart stickers is that they can take up to £30 in a simple tap or scan. The donor can choose how much they want to give, which means donation points can also be a great addition to charity events such as fundraising dinners, business awards, auctions and so much more. You could place them on the bar, on the tables or even on the back of the toilet door! The possibilities are endless.
9. Back to school
Schools seem to be going through a bit of a fundraising crisis so now more than ever they need some support. Schools and PTA’s run a whole series of events throughout the school year, with a whole calendar full of fundraising opportunities. Contactless donation points could be a huge help to bring in crucial donations. We’ve written a little about this in a previous blog, but charity donation technology could benefit schools massively. School offices, classroom doors, sports day and other events are great opportunities for donation points and smart stickers, giving parents the time and chance to give some money towards their child’s school.
10. Be innovative
There are many ways in which you can use charity donation technology to not only increase fundraising, but also engage with your donors more. It provides a great opportunity to be innovative and creative with your fundraising and really reach out to your supporters and potential donors. Be bold! Perhaps you could link a donation point to a Christmas tree that lights up every time someone gives a donation, or a model train that shoots out the station and completes a lap with every tap. You could even contact your favourite local celeb and ask them to record a ‘Thank You’ message to play every time someone donates. There are so many brilliant ways you can utilise this technology to really stand out from the crowd, and of course, increase those ever-important donations.
If you are interested in hearing more about Donator’s smart stickers and how they could benefit your charity’s fundraising, then please get in touch: Tel. 01962 670 190 | Email. [email protected]