From Cash to Contactless: Driving Success and ROI in Charity Fundraising

For charities that have traditionally relied on cash donations, the transition to contactless donation terminals can feel like a daunting step. However, in a world where fewer people now carry cash, embracing digital payment options seems essential for sustaining and growing donation streams. We fully understand that with the investment required to implement contactless technology, charities will want to see a meaningful return on investment. Knowing how to maximise the potential of contactless boxes, charities can not only recoup their costs but also increase their overall fundraising impact.

Benefits of Going Cashless  

As more charities adopt contactless donation methods, the benefits of this approach to giving are becoming increasingly clear. These include:  

Enhanced Security – Taking cashless payments reduces the risks associated with handling and storing cash, minimising the potential for loss or theft.  

Free up resources - Counting and banking cash has become increasingly resource intensive, with closures of bank branches meaning that staff or volunteers are needing to travel further to bank cash. 

Gift Aid - Contactless giving allows for the collection of Gift Aid for UK taxpayers, increasing donations by 25% at no extra cost to the donor.  

Increase donation potential - With fewer people now carrying cash, having contactless options opens more opportunities for spontaneous donations. 

Higher Average Donations - Contactless donations often result in higher average amounts compared to what someone might offer with cash.  

Reporting - Digital payments provide an immediate record of donations and allow for simplified financial tracking and donor data analysis.    

Engage with supporters - Cashless giving incorporates the use of software which can allow for marketing communications opt-in so charities can collect information about their donors and use this to engage with them about their cause.

Fundraising with CollecTin 

To get the most out of our CollecTin contactless donation box, it's important to leverage its customisable features effectively. One of the key advantages is the ability to set your own donation amounts. For instance, our client Wet Wheels saw a one-off donation of £1,000 thanks to having the option to ‘choose your own amount’ on their CollecTin box. A good strategy is to offer a strong middle-value option, such as £10, while also including an ambitious third value, like £50, to make the £10 choice more appealing by comparison. Additionally, campaigns can be fully customised with your charity's branding, helping to build trust with donors. This customisation can include images and messages that resonate with your audience, encouraging them to donate. On average, CollecTin users experience donation values exceeding £10, making it a valuable tool for maximising your fundraising efforts. 

CollectTin offers a choice of software providers and payment providers, ensuring there is a solution to suit all settings and budgets. Depending on your needs you can benefit from the following features: 

• Recurring Monthly Donations – Allow donors to sign up for recurring monthly donations.  

• Offline Donations – Continue collecting donations even when you have no network coverage. The donor will just be charged when you are back online.   

• Gift Aid - Boost your donation by up to 25% by allowing the donor to sign up with Gift Aid.  

• Donate and Go – Set the contactless donation terminal to a default donation amount and allow donors to quickly tap to donate without interacting. 

• Low transaction fees - Some of our software partners and payment providers offer special transaction fees for charities.  

• Potential ROI in six weeks - Last year the average transaction on our CollecTin More with Give A Little  software was over £10, with each active unit returning an average total donation for the year of £3184. With the CollecTin More units starting at £320 our charities are regularly able to break even within six weeks of use. 

To find out which CollecTin is right for you, compare our units here.  

We have many customers who have shared their contactless fundraising stories with us. Visit our case study page to discover more about how CollecTin can boost your fundraising efforts and help you reduce reliance on cash donations.