When was the last time you dropped some loose change into a charity bucket? Digital methods of fundraising may be supplanting the humble bucket; charities say they are not only convenient, but also offer enhanced transparency, foster relationships with donors, and help to broaden organisations’ reach when they are actively fundraising.
Caoileann Appleby, head of fundraising at the Irish Cancer Society, says that in recent years, the charity has adapted its fundraising methods in an effort to make donating as easy as possible for its supporters.
“We use a variety of digital methods and platforms, depending on the supporter’s preferences and the type of donation, and we are always looking at how well they work for supporters, and how they can be improved.”
Digital donations open up a world of possibilities – the Irish Cancer Society employs a variety of online and digital methods and platforms, from email appeals, online ads and social media to virtual challenge events, contactless donations at in-person events, and QR codes to donate online on its postal appeals and advertising.
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Irish Guide Dogs chief executive Tim O’Mahony says the charity’s website supports many of its campaigns.
Other methods of digital fundraising include “electronic card payment terminals, QR codes, and online digital fundraising platforms, which have proved useful for events such as marathon sponsorship and individuals doing their own fundraising challenges and activities”, he says.
For many charities, the pivot to digital was spurred on by the pandemic, which choked off its traditional fundraising streams. “During the pandemic, our focus became more towards fundraising online, which proved very successful, and our supporters really helped us through those challenging times,” says O’Mahony.
Gillian Neary, head of fundraising at LauraLynn, points out that public trust in digital fundraising has grown compared to 15 years ago, when methods such as QR codes and donation apps were met with scepticism.
“An example of this evolution is that today, less than half of income from bucket collections comes in via cash; the majority of people will use a QR code or NFC [contactless] tap payment on the bucket, or the preferred option of paying by card on a separate machine like a SumUp machine,” Neary says.
She echoes O’Mahony, noting that the pandemic served to accelerate this evolution as cash usage plummeted. Hand-held donation devices are now commonplace during on-street collections. “Today, every fundraising mechanism has a digital component, from contactless payments to online events.”
But digital fundraising has other direct and indirect benefits, she says. “It offers transparency, reduced fraud risk, and reduces the administrative burden of dealing with predominantly cash, making it a vital part of modern fundraising strategies.”
And it can also be more lucrative: Neary notes that the average gift via contactless “tap” payment is significantly higher, usually at least €2, compared to cash donations, which often amount to less than €1 per person, depending on what loose change they have in their pocket. Separate devices such as SumUp machines also outperform QR codes and NFC tags on collection buckets.
Digital fundraising has the added bonus of raising a charity’s profile. “Using methods like social media advertising and pay-per-click (PPC) allows us to reach audiences who may never have known about us, including differing age groups, raising both awareness and funds,” says Neary. “Digital fundraising also fosters ongoing relationships by capturing donor details, unlike cash donations into buckets, which offer no continuation of engagement.”
Yet the consensus is that on-street collections are not a relic of a bygone age. Charities say these events have a role that goes beyond simply raising money.
“They raise awareness of the work the society does, and the help we have available,” Appleby notes. “Cancer patients, survivors and families tell us that they draw strength from seeing the yellow army of volunteers fundraising on Daffodil Day in their communities – it can help them to feel that the whole community and country is ‘all in against cancer’ with them.”
“On-street collections are still fundamental to our nationwide volunteer branch fundraising activities,” O’Mahony agrees, saying it is an opportunity to both educate and advocate. “We find that when our clients and dogs attend events and collections, the public is really interested in the level of training which goes into each dog, how the client’s life has been changed, and even just to ask questions about how the dog stops at pedestrian lights. Community engagement really is the core of our activities.”
