Donated Technology
for UK Charities
'People are giving more' through electronic charity boxes
With technology improving the ways organisations can increase the size and scope of their charity fundraising efforts, one method in which people are increasingly giving in person is through the rise in popularity of the electronic charity box.
Pennies has revealed it has reached its one millionth micro-donation in just one year - generating more than £250,000 for good causes in the UK in the process.
Over 20 charities have benefitted from the public offering up their spare change when they make a purchase by card.
The approach is being promoted as a modern form of charity fundraising as opposed to dropping pennies into a bucket or on a shop counter.
As part of the method, consumers are given the option of rounding up their transactions to give that little bit extra when spending their cash.
The Pennies technology is seen in many different places, including larger high street chains and corner shops, in addition to via online and mobile purchases.
Major retailers to have signed up for the initiative already include Domino's Pizza, Zizzi, The Entertainer, the Rugby Football Union and Travelodge.
Alison Hutchinson, chief executive officer of the Pennies Foundation, claimed the 'power of pennies' is starting to be seen, as more people begin to realise how much charity fundraising can be carried out with loose change.
Ms Hutchinson stated: "Today we are announcing more retailers and technology organisations that are joining the Pennies movement as we head towards 2012, bringing the option to donate via Pennies to even more UK consumers."
She added: "Clearly its early days, but we believe that 2012 could prove a real turning point for micro-donations."
Companies who have now signed up to the scheme and will be encouraging customers to give generously while at tills in the not-so-distant future include Barracudas, CardSave, Screwfix, Shelter and Simply Tap.
Pennies - which went live for the first time in November 2010 with its first retailer Domino's Pizza - calculated that if every one of the 43 million cardholders in the UK decided to give the equivalent of 30p a month through the scheme, then more than £150 million a year would be generated.
Ms Hutchinson went on to note: "What Pennies is doing is taking that old fashioned British habit of dropping a few coins in the charity box and bringing it up to date on how we shop presently."
She added: "So if you're online or in store using a card, it will round up and ask the consumer through the technology, if they want to donate some pennies."
The number of people who are giving via the scheme works out at around two million if the amount who did so last week is then rolled forward for the next 52 weeks.
Ms Hutchinson added people have the option of giving with just a single touch of a button, making it easier for individuals to contribute to charity fundraising.
She observed: "There is a real momentum where consumers like giving. The reason they like it is because they are in control, it is all driven through technology, so they don't feel guilty."
Pennies has revealed it has reached its one millionth micro-donation in just one year - generating more than £250,000 for good causes in the UK in the process.
Over 20 charities have benefitted from the public offering up their spare change when they make a purchase by card.
The approach is being promoted as a modern form of charity fundraising as opposed to dropping pennies into a bucket or on a shop counter.
As part of the method, consumers are given the option of rounding up their transactions to give that little bit extra when spending their cash.
The Pennies technology is seen in many different places, including larger high street chains and corner shops, in addition to via online and mobile purchases.
Major retailers to have signed up for the initiative already include Domino's Pizza, Zizzi, The Entertainer, the Rugby Football Union and Travelodge.
Alison Hutchinson, chief executive officer of the Pennies Foundation, claimed the 'power of pennies' is starting to be seen, as more people begin to realise how much charity fundraising can be carried out with loose change.
Ms Hutchinson stated: "Today we are announcing more retailers and technology organisations that are joining the Pennies movement as we head towards 2012, bringing the option to donate via Pennies to even more UK consumers."
She added: "Clearly its early days, but we believe that 2012 could prove a real turning point for micro-donations."
Companies who have now signed up to the scheme and will be encouraging customers to give generously while at tills in the not-so-distant future include Barracudas, CardSave, Screwfix, Shelter and Simply Tap.
Pennies - which went live for the first time in November 2010 with its first retailer Domino's Pizza - calculated that if every one of the 43 million cardholders in the UK decided to give the equivalent of 30p a month through the scheme, then more than £150 million a year would be generated.
Ms Hutchinson went on to note: "What Pennies is doing is taking that old fashioned British habit of dropping a few coins in the charity box and bringing it up to date on how we shop presently."
She added: "So if you're online or in store using a card, it will round up and ask the consumer through the technology, if they want to donate some pennies."
The number of people who are giving via the scheme works out at around two million if the amount who did so last week is then rolled forward for the next 52 weeks.
Ms Hutchinson added people have the option of giving with just a single touch of a button, making it easier for individuals to contribute to charity fundraising.
She observed: "There is a real momentum where consumers like giving. The reason they like it is because they are in control, it is all driven through technology, so they don't feel guilty."
