As lockdown eases, many attractions and tourist spots are gearing up for a busy Spring, one in which many hope to re-coup as much lost income as possible. For those attractions that are charities and charitable organisations, there are ways to boost your income as doors reopen.
According to UK Finance, over half of the 40 billion payments made in the UK were made using cards in 2019, a sign of the times as many of us carry less cash than ever due to the pandemic, with the average contactless transaction value now at £12.38 according to Barclaycard.
Receiving and making donations through contactless eliminates the need for cash handling and with platforms such as DONATE™ charity fundraisers can see their text, web and contactless donations in one place so easing reporting and analysis.
With contactless units, donation levels can either be set to manual or repeat modes. If set up as a manual transaction, any amount can be taken using the keypad. For repeat transactions, a preset amount is set making it easy to set up a donation amount, and with contactless payments due to rise to £100 later this year, the channel is set to continue to grow.
As more charities and charitable organisations look at using contactless, here are some inspiring stories from charities that are benefiting from contactless fundraising:
Gearing up for doors to re-open shortly, Vauxhall City Farm is an urban farm based in the heart of the capital used for educational, recreational and therapeutic activities. Their vision is to support children and disadvantaged people to boost their confidence and aspirations, promote wellbeing, develop environmental awareness and strengthen community cohesion.
The farm has previously used DONATE™ contactless machines to fundraise as they noticed cash donations from their visitors had declined. Michelle Frank, Marketing Coordinator at Vauxhall City Farm said; “The true difference has been using the contactless unit back at the farm. We have been astonished by the difference it has made in visitors donating to Vauxhall City Farm and can honestly say that we did not expect it to have such a big impact.”
As they look to reopen, the charity is fundraising to safeguard the future of the farm which had lost 80% of its revenue streams over lockdown.
Also considering fundraising through contactless units as attractions open is The Etches Collection Museum of Jurassic Marine Life, which houses a unique collection of fossils dating back over 150 million years. At present they charge an entry fee to cover some costs, however, after a tough year they are appealing for donations to help them to continue to provide their museum and educational services.
Carla Crook, PR and Marketing Manager at The Etches Collection said: "Some people like to be more discreet when making a donation and we feel that contactless units offer that ability more than cash donations where the amount given might be visible to others.
“Placing the units near our exit would provide people who have experienced the exhibition an opportunity to re-evaluate their contribution made through our entrance ticket and increase this if they felt they had gained more value from the experience."
Prior to the pandemic, contactless giving worked wonders at events where it allowed guests to make one-off donations with ease. However, as digital fundraising continues to be more prominent, simply placing a few units around charitable venues is a great way to get donations flowing.
For attractions that are reopening this spring, whether you have an entry fee already to help recoup further costs or not, contactless can increase your opportunities to raise funds with ease.
DONATE™ provides many options for contactless giving covering both portable and fixed units with both ensuring you will be collecting donations within a week of ordering. For more information, visit www.nationalfundingscheme.org/tap-donate
