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The voice of Scotland’s vibrant voluntary sector

Published by Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

TFN is published by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6BB. The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Registration number SC003558.

The contactless revolution is here

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The days of dropping spare change into a collection tin are gone – Robert Armour examines some of the ways charities big and small are using technology to fundraise

When Paul and Clare Haywood desperately needed to raise funds to take their three year old son Josh to Holland for treatment for a rare heart defect, they naturally turned to friends and family for help. Uninspired by crowdfunding, Paul used his background in IT to develop an app to encourage more to give. Called simply HelpJosh, the smartphone application helped raise £15,000 in just two months, a sum the couple from Strathaven, South Lanarkshire, thought would take at least a year to reach.

For the Haywoods, the app saved vital time, enabling Josh to get the treatment he desperately needed. Yet Paul is convinced the secret to success was not so much in the cause but the ease of giving. “It was apparent many who provided donations didn’t actually know why we were fundraising,” he said. “Of course our aims were clearly stated but because the app was shared, it came recommended and people just trusted it enough to donate. We made it as simple and easy as possible – that was key.”

Cashless is king

Charities have long known what the Haywoods chanced upon: that cashless donations are the new norm and the ease of giving the best measure for success. Research shows rattling tins is firmly rooted in the past with 83% of UK charities nowadays having the ability to donate through their website, and 45% of charities able to take donations via SMS/text.

And charities are becoming increasingly innovative – it might be the guardian of our heritage but the National Trust for Scotland has brought the modern to the ancient by adopting contactless technology to make it easier for the public to donate.

The trust mocked up versions of its most famous paintings, with Colonel William Gordon (left) on display at Fyvie Castle in Aberdeenshire, depicted effortlessly using a contactless Visa card in homage to the new technology.

“It’s the Holy Grail of fundraising,” says Stewart Lee, a technology consultant advising some of Britain’s biggest charities on how best to adapt new tech to their cause. “Last year was the first time that debit cards outstripped cash for payments in the UK so it’s imperative to realise that technology is not new or novel; it’s essential.”

Lee says that while some charities have been slow to adapt to change including technological, many large organisations have grabbed new tech by the lapels to the extent they are changing how we give – meaning more donations more often.

A bench to give, a dog to tap and a jacket that donates

Cancer Research UK (CRUK), the biggest fundraiser in the third sector, is transforming the high street with its futuristic fundraising strategy which is embracing new tech.

All its research has shown the public quickly gets tired and uninspired being asked to give to the same cause in the same way. So it uses video screens on its shop windows equipped with contactless payment points where passers-by can tap their bank card on the shop window to donate £2. Once a donation is made, the interactive screen plays a video showing how the donor’s money is helping.

CRUK has also pioneered smart benches, the first of their kind in the world. Knowing people are more likely to give in a relaxed setting, the rest areas work similar to CRUK’s giving windows with the public tapping a donation point on the bench to donate £2 with their contactless debit cards.

Michael Docherty, director of digital at CRUK, says ease of giving is key. “Having used contactless technology in innovative ways in the past to engage the public in the work we do, we are always looking for new opportunities to incorporate contactless technology further throughout the charity and make it even easier for our supporters to help us beat cancer sooner,” he said.

Animal welfare charity the Blue Cross has gone one further attaching contactless donation points to dogs to create the world’s first canine fundraisers – Tap Dogs proves how the move to cash-free is forcing charities to rapidly innovate.

And the children’s charity NSPCC said that its recent trial using contactless donations set at a fixed amount of £2 actually increased their donations, because people are less likely to donate small coin denominations.

It’s a trust issue

Supporters who make these types of payments tend to give three times as much as the average cash donor according to research by Barclaycard, the bank making much of the technology possible.

Paul Brand, its head of social responsibility, said while charities are eager to embrace tech, it is often a hard sell, especially as fundraising becomes more regulated.

“Charities are very forward looking so using technology comes naturally,” he said. “But there’s some amount of mistrust of technology in terms of security and legislation as well as GDPR. And charities are also more risk averse than, say, the private sector, so it can be a difficult pitch to assure a charity donors details are secure. Considering what has gone before, that’s all understandable.”

Even the oldest and simplest form of charity has gone cashless – begging. In the Netherlands an ad agency has released a jacket to be worn by homeless people that not only keeps them warm but also allows passers-by to donate €1 by tapping the contactless payment area. The money that is donated can then be redeemed in shelters for food, a bed and a bath, and those who donate can be sure that their donations are being used as they would wish.

“Charities who don’t keep abreast of technology do so at their peril,” says Stewart Lee. “Much of the tech isn’t new either: it’s been with us for years. The smartest organisations are those that are up to speed with the technology that can better their cause. Researching how technology can be applied to your cause, is vital for all modern charities.”

Six of the most downloaded charity apps

Impact App

Over 9,000 charities are currently supported by Impact, an app that helps people give to good causes when they shop. Users register their payment card, and earn rewards when they shop at retailers listed on Impact – both online and in-store. The app keeps track of the rewards earned and gives the user the option of cashing them as a donation, which they can give to one of the charities registered with Impact.

Buengo

This innovative app allows charities to post volunteering opportunities and products to sell in its marketplace for good. Buengo aims to become a “platform for good”, where users can connect with charities and good causes, both in their local area and nationally. It has proven hugely popular especially with younger people searching for local volunteering opportunities.

SnapDonate

Turns phones into a “magic lens” where the public can scan any charity logo and donate to that given cause. There are no SMS numbers nor QR codes to fiddle with and it works everywhere, according to the company behind the technology. The app was created by the SnapDonate Foundation, a not-for-profit entity that aims to promote impulse giving in an increasingly cashless society.

Parking Mobility

This app aims to allow the public to track down and report cars illegally parked on disabled parking spots. Parking Mobility allows users to use their phone to take pictures of offending cars. The app then uses submitted pictures to file reports with parking authorities.

Locket

Locket makes money every time you open your phone. Currently available on Android only, all you need to do is install the app, let your phone sleep and when you go to open your phone, your lock screen will have an ad on it – with every swipe sending a penny to charity.

Charity Collect

This Save the Children app makes it easy to donate books, CDs, DVDs and games to the international aid agency. Users scan barcodes of items they wish to donate to Save the Children and instantly receive a valuation. The donations can then be dropped off at over 5,000 collection
points in the UK.