Turning Free Exhibitions into Fundraising Opportunities at Whitechapel Gallery

Background

Whitechapel Gallery is one of London’s leading contemporary art galleries, presenting an internationally renowned programme of exhibitions, commissions and events. Alongside its ticketed exhibitions, the Gallery runs free, non-ticketed seasons, providing an opportunity to engage a wide audience with contemporary art.

Previously, the Gallery relied on cashboxes for donations, but these had experienced break-ins and theft. It also had a contactless donation point from another provider, but at £20 per month, this was proving too expensive.

With a mix of ticketed and non-ticketed exhibitions, the Gallery was particularly keen to introduce a new contactless donation solution that could engage visitors attending its free exhibitions and encourage them to support the Gallery with a donation.

The Solution

In 2023, Whitechapel Gallery purchased its first CollecTin devices: a CollecTin More with SumUp and a CollecTin Solo.

The devices were initially positioned in key visitor areas - the More in the cloakroom and the Solo at the information desk, where it sits alongside a cash donation point built into the desk.

Two years on, the Gallery has added two more CollecTin More devices, bringing the total to four contactless donation points. These have been positioned around exhibition entrances and in the foyer, maximising footfall and putting the donation opportunity in front of visitors at the right point in their journey.

The Solo remains at the information desk, while the portable CollecTin More devices can be moved around the Gallery to suit different exhibitions and visitor flows.

Encouraging visitors to support and tap

The Gallery has also developed a communications approach to support its contactless fundraising.

During non-ticketed seasons, such as the summer programme, front-of-house staff are briefed and trained to let visitors know that the Gallery is a charity and that donations are welcome. Visitors are encouraged to “support and tap”, with the messaging reinforced through vinyl wall signage throughout the Gallery.

This combination of staff engagement, clear signage and strategically positioned contactless donation points helps ensure visitors understand why their support is important and makes it easy to donate.

Results

The CollecTin devices have been well received by both staff and visitors the Gallery has seen a steady increase in donations, particularly around its free exhibitions and events, where the contactless devices provide an easy and visible way for visitors to support the organisation.

The portability of the CollecTin More has also allowed the Gallery to adapt its fundraising approach, moving devices between exhibitions and visitor areas to maximise opportunities for donations.

Importantly, they have been able to achieve this at a lower monthly cost than its previous contactless donation solution.

Ewa Luc
Visitor Engagement Manager, Whitechapel Gallery commented, “Both the CollecTin More and the Solo have been great for us at the Gallery. We love how simple they are to use and the clear donation amounts on screen are very visually impactful and easy for donors to choose. The monthly cost is lower than what we have paid previously and we have seen a steady increase in donations, particularly during our non-ticketed events. We like how portable they are and how we can move them around to suit the exhibitions.”