Fundraising tech to save you money at Christmas

Online fundraising tech is often simple to use, easy to integrate with various channels, and usually good value for money. The tech has become an indispensable part of the charity fundraising toolkit, essential for charities of all shapes and sizes.

The recent closure of Virgin Money Giving (VMG) left a vacuum in the fundraising platform market. And that vacuum is quickly being filled, with an exceptional rise in the number of new fundraising tech currently entering the market. It has been a small explosion, with so many new names appearing to offer new functionalities at competitive prices.

For charities moving away from VMG or simply finding your first tech platform can be quite difficult to navigate the complexities of the current market, trying to cut through the noise and find the best options for your needs. And with Christmas campaigns just around the corner, making the right choice can often feel a little daunting.

But, worry not. We are experts when it comes to fundraising tech platforms, regularly hosting podcasts, creating videos, and writing articles on the subject. So, without further ado, we present you with three cost-efficient options that will save you money over Christmas.

BOPP

Let’s start with BOPP. BOPP is especially cost-effective because you can access our 10% discount on Charity Digital Exchange. It’s an already cost-effective tech option, but particularly cost-effective because of our partnership.

BOPP is the perfect platform for the Christmas period precisely because it is simple and cheap. The platform makes it easy for charities to receive payments with no chargebacks and no card fees. And, importantly, BOPP provides a useful fundraising tool in the form of QR codes.

Charities do not need apps or contactless machines. Fundraisers do not need to give cash, or work out card payments. All that is needed is for charities to sign up on a monthly or pay as you go basis and create QR codes to use on your Christmas campaigns.

You can create as many QR codes as you like. You can create QR codes in any shape – think QR codes in the shape of antlers, candy canes, stars, or Christmas trees.

You can stick a QR code on a bucket, or a Christmas hat, or a sled. Stick a QR code on mulled wine glasses, or on Christmas jumpers. Sing carols with QR codes to hand, place them on personalised advent calendars, or put them on tables during the Christmas quiz.

QR codes make for simple fundraising. All supporters need to do is scan the QR code with their smart device, authorise the payment, and the process is complete.

If BOPP’s monthly Value Bundle is purchased through Charity Digital, the price is simply £9 a month with no fees on the first £5000 raised. After that, charities are charged 0.5% per transaction, up to 50p. All prices exclude VAT.

GivePenny

GivePenny uses the latest tech innovations to connect your charity to fundraisers, using their favourite apps. GivePenny allows charities to launch virtual fundraising events to increase engagement, improve visibility, and raise more money for your charity.

They call it Connected Giving. GivePenny take care of the integrations and the tech. The integrations include, among others: playlist fundraising (Spotify), fitness fundraising (Strava, Fitbit), content creator and gaming fundraising (Twitch, YouTube), and more.

That means a tech-driven Christmas fundraiser, allowing you to embrace the digital and embrace connectivity using popular apps that many donors enjoy. Charities can sign up with no up-front fees, but they will pay a standard 5% commission on all donations.

The fundraising account includes myriad donation payment options, Gift Aid processing, data and reporting, donation buttons for websites, playlist fundraising, integration with apps, and several other features.

GivePenny is the option for charities looking to sacrifice a small portion of their donations to gain a more advanced fundraising experience and embrace tech this Christmas.

Wonderful

The Wonderful Organisation re-launched in March 2021 and the platforms remains fee-free for charities, donors, and fundraisers, making it a cheap option for the Christmas period.

The platform depends on Pay by Bank technology for all donations. Pay by Bank is an online checkout option that lets you pay using the banking app on your mobile phone. It is designed to make payments easier, while providing additional security.

Wonderful is a simple platform that does not deduct money, or take anything from Gift Aid, nor does it charge subscription fees. The platform doesn’t even expect a tip. They know that charities work hard for donations, putting time and effort and energy into fundraising.

For a simple, cost-effective alternative at Christmas, Wonderful is a particularly enticing option. The Pay by Bank tech makes it simple and easy for donations, allowing charities to focus more on the fundraising ideas rather than the act of fundraising itself.