In this electronic age, concerns about the environment, convenience and caution about where our money goes means paper-free, streamlined payment processes are preferred. We are increasingly more likely to donate to our favourite causes through contactless means, rather than by dropping a coin into a bucket.
The whole act of giving to charity is highly emotive, often prompted by deeply personal motivation, attachments and experiences. Charities strive to protect this emotional connection between them and their donors above all, so the switch to contactless giving may seem counter-intuitive.
While efficient, contactless donations lack the personal touch, so charities need to deepen their levels of engagement in other ways.
Until recently, one of the few drawbacks of contactless donation was the inability for charities to acknowledge contributions and thank the people that support them.
One of the few drawbacks of contactless donation is the inability for charities to acknowledge contributions and thank the people that support them.
Swiftaid intends to change all this through anonymised, automated Gift Aid. This innovation allows donors to complete one single electronic Gift Aid Declaration that will automatically trace Gift Aid on all their donations, allocating it to the appropriate charity. They will only be required to do this once, and future donations they make to any charity will automatically assign Gift Aid in this manner.
It is through this technology that Swiftaid aims to put a stop to the £564 million a year that is lost in Gift Aid, as well as providing several additional benefits to charities and donors.
When the Swiftaid system finds an eligible donation, it automatically generates a claim that is sent to HMRC on behalf of the charity. This process is entirely anonymous, and no details of the donor are shared with the charity, helping that organisation circumvent GDPR requirements.
Research from fundraising consultancy John Grain Associates shows that not being thanked is one of the main reasons people didn’t make future donations.
This attitude is hardly surprising and is something Swiftaid aims to fix!
When a donor that is signed up to Swiftaid makes a donation, they will receive a ‘thank you’ message, along with an acknowledgement of the full amount of their donation, including the additional 25% Gift Aid.
Additionally, Swiftaid is developing the technology to allow the donor to ‘opt-into’ further information so charities can keep in touch with them about projects and causes, resulting in increased loyalty through a more personal connection and a higher chance of future support.
It is logical that when someone puts themselves out to help another, whether that is by giving money, time or products – they would expect to receive thanks. Swiftaid empowers these organisations by helping charities to say ‘thank you’ – regardless of the format, this donation takes.
