Donation Point Taps will be used in Large Scale Fundraising Drive
19 May 2017 at 1:02 pm
In an Australian first, a charity is using Donation Point Taps on a large scale to collect donations.
The Salvation Army has announced it will be establishing more than 550 Donation Point Tap devices across Australia for this year’s Red Shield Appeal launching later this month.
Salvation Army community fundraising director Andrew Hill told Pro Bono News it was exciting to be at the forefront of technology and that the tap and go cards had the potential to revolutionise gift donations.
“We are really excited about it, a) because it is finding a solution and saving anxiety for the volunteers who don’t have to worry about taking people’s credit cards and keying in amounts and b) it’s quick and easy for the donor,” Hill said.
The award-winning Donation Point Tap, developed by Melbourne-based payment technology company Quest, is a new channel for charities to raise funds indirectly without increasing staff or administration costs.
A individual can make a donation simply by tapping their card on the system, which displays the charity’s branding and the pre-set donation amount as determined by the charity.
The funds are then transferred to the charity’s bank account at the end of each day.
Hill said the predetermined amount for the Salvation Army’s Red Shield appeal will be $20 but the amount can be changed at the discretion of local leaders.
“The reality is we are trying to move sensitively away from ‘just throw us your loose change’, we are trying to lift our average dollar amount that we get at these locations. We are hoping it will help us raise a little bit more,” Hill said.
“It is hard to make money when all you are doing is asking for loose change. We were standing there non-verbally with a bucket saying ‘give us your loose change’ now we setting the amount and saying ‘hey, will you give us that amount?’”
“The underlying principle of fundraising remains, you’ve got to ask.”
Research conducted by Quest Payments on high profile charities found that in some cases charities had seen a 30 per cent decline in traditional coin collection methods.
Quest Payment Systems CEO Jan Mason said the Donation Point Tap was an innovative alternative to cash collection in an increasingly cashless society.
“With the steady decline in cash donations, we believe Donation Point Tap will provide an avenue for people who no longer carry cash to continue to support the Red Shield Appeal,” Mason said.
Hill said the Salvation Army would not have gone ahead without the support and financial backing from Bendigo Bank and Community Sector Banking.
“They have taken on 100 per cent of the finances. So it means the money donated can go to the people who need it most,” he said.
Donation Point Tap devices will appear at Woolworths and Bunnings stores for the Salvation Army’s Red Shield appeal.
