Across the charity sector, new technology is being used to broaden reach and find more donors and Appco UK is embracing this fundraising innovation to enhance its campaigns for clients and donors alike.
Fundraising innovation: Appco UK has moved all charity pledge forms from paper to iPad.
Charities have been partnering with Appco UK’s fundraising division, Appco Group Support, to provide high-quality and effective face-to-face donor acquisition campaigns for almost 20 years.
To provide the best possible service, we have to move with the times, and that means staying on top of technological innovation and understanding how it can be applied to our services.
Kate McKinlay, General Manager of Appco Group Support, says: “We’re always on the look-out for new ways to help our charity clients raise awareness and engage potential donors. Adopting new technology is a big part of that.
“In the past, this has meant developing a bespoke system for managing when and how often we operate in different communities. Among our recent innovative changes are the introduction of iPads to replace paper pledge forms – making it easier and more secure for donors to sign up – and testing mobile giving.”
Charities invest in fundraising innovation
Among charities, the recent fundraising innovations to hit the headlines include an interactive World Vision installation at Westfield in Stratford, London.
The display, called Garden of Hope, has interactive touch-screens with maps of the world that allow people to see what the charity is doing in each country and watch videos of the communities. There’s even a weighted jerry can so visitors can experience the challenge children face in getting water each day.
Another tech-savvy fundraising idea from the last few years was Marie Curie Cancer Cure’s data-driven gaming website, where supporters could play free and paid-for games, and manage their winnings and donations online.
Meanwhile, the impact that mobile phones have had for charities is becoming increasingly clear, with news that text donations are likely to rise by £10 million this year.
The Phone-paid Services Authority’s annual market review says the regulator expects mobile donations to grow to £124.4m in the current financial year. It’s a channel Appco UK is continuing to investigate, making sure the balance is right in terms of efficiency and security for donors.
Appco UK has been delivering face-to-face fundraising campaigns for charities since 1999. We believe wholeheartedly in this personalised method of inspiring donors to give on a regular, ongoing basis and we continue to look at ways to improve our processes and standards to give donors the best possible experience and our charity partners the results they need to continue their work.