Tips
Guides, insights and fundraising tips from National Funding Scheme.
1 June 2023
Capture Tourist Donations with Our Summer Fundraising Ideas
Four practical strategies for charities and visitor attractions to engage summer tourists as donors using digital giving tools.
Read more →1 April 2023
5 Steps to a Great Text Giving Campaign for Your Charity
A five-step practical guide for charities on planning, launching and promoting an effective text giving campaign.
Read more →15 February 2023
Ideas for PTA Fundraising This Spring and Easter
Five digital fundraising ideas for parent-teacher associations to run engaging spring and Easter campaigns.
Read more →1 December 2022
12 Giving Days of Christmas
Twelve case studies of charitable organisations demonstrating successful digital fundraising through the DONATE platform during the Christmas season.
Read more →1 October 2022
How to Incorporate Contactless Giving into Your Venue
Five practical tips for visitor attractions and charitable venues to introduce contactless giving systems that maximise donations from visitors.
Read more →15 September 2022
Fundraising During an Economic Downturn
Practical guidance for charities on maintaining and growing fundraising income during difficult economic times.
Read more →15 July 2022
Auctions and How to Plan Them
A guide to planning and running successful online charity auctions, with a case study from the Friends of Shuttleworth.
Read more →20 April 2022
The Spotlight – How Small Charities Are Creating a Huge Impact
A showcase of seasonal spotlight editions highlighting how small charities use the DONATE platform to raise vital funds through creative digital fundraising strategies.
Read more →1 March 2022
Text Raffle Changes
An update on changes to the DONATE platform's text raffle setup process, covering new mandatory lottery licence requirements and automated keyword allocation.
Read more →7 October 2021
Digital Gift Aid
How Gift Aid works within the DONATE platform, helping charities claim an additional 25% on eligible donations.
Read more →1 June 2021
Virtual Giving Programme
A guide to converting one-off virtual event donations into long-term regular monthly giving programmes using digital tools.
Read more →15 April 2021
Spotlight Spring: How Small Charities Are Creating a Huge Impact
A spring 2021 review of fundraising campaigns by smaller DONATE charity partners, featuring animal conservation, essential services, and personal fundraising initiatives.
Read more →10 January 2021
Hybrid Fundraising into the New Year
How charities can evolve their digital fundraising strategies into hybrid in-person and online events as the world reopens.
Read more →1 December 2020
Winter Spotlight: Christmas Special – How Small Charities Are Creating a Huge Impact
A Christmas edition showcasing festive fundraising activity by smaller charity partners using DONATE™, from school raffles to Christmas dinners for dogs.
Read more →1 September 2020
Autumn Spotlight: Virtual Conferences, Musical Marathons and Religious Giving
An autumn 2020 showcase of three diverse organisations using DONATE™ - a community food share, a virtual trade conference, and a church receiving text donations during Sunday services.
Read more →1 August 2020
Summer Spotlight: Virtual Music Festivals, Borderlands Treasure and a Local School
A summer 2020 edition featuring three fundraising stories - a virtual music festival, a national borderlands nature conservation campaign, and a local school making PPE for healthcare workers.
Read more →1 July 2020
How to Understand Digital Giving Platforms and Prices
Four key tips to help charities evaluate and choose the right digital giving platform for their needs, from integration compatibility to hidden costs.
Read more →1 June 2020
Digital Fundraising Sees Surge in Popularity During Lockdown
Research among DONATE™ charities reveals how lockdown accelerated the shift to digital fundraising, with 83% changing their approach and text giving becoming the leading channel.
Read more →1 May 2020
Charities Receiving Increased Donations During Pandemic as Generosity Rises
How several charities saw donation surges during the pandemic, and seven practical tips for fundraising during a period when traditional events are cancelled.
Read more →1 April 2020
Spring Spotlight: Food Banks, Dog Rescue and The Big Night In
A spring 2020 edition featuring a dog rescue charity campaign, a foodbank that raised £9,000, and a local football club that used social media to its full potential.
Read more →20 March 2020
Covid-19: Emergency Fundraising for Foodbanks
How foodbanks can urgently raise text and web donations from the public using the DONATE platform during the Covid-19 crisis.
Read more →3 December 2019
Why It's Vital to Think Digital for Fundraising This #GivingTuesday
Key statistics and insights from a National Funding Scheme and Giving Tuesday webinar on why charities must prioritise digital fundraising channels as cash usage continues to decline.
Read more →1 November 2019
Kids for Quids: Proving the Power of Text Donations
How the National Funding Scheme partnered with The Sun on Sunday for a Christmas text giving campaign that raised funds for children hospitalised over the holiday season.
Read more →1 August 2019
Contactless Comes of Age: Vauxhall City Farm
How Vauxhall City Farm trialled contactless giving at the Lambeth Country Fair and raised £400 via tap+DONATE™ - from visitors who had no cash.
Read more →1 June 2019
How Charities Can Maximise Fundraising When an Emergency Hits
Why speed is everything in emergency fundraising appeals, and how text giving enables charities to capitalise on heightened public generosity during a crisis.
Read more →16 April 2019
UK Emergency Appeal to Support Notre Dame, Paris Rebuild Fund
The National Funding Scheme launches a UK text and web giving channel to support the international effort to rebuild Notre Dame cathedral after the devastating April 2019 fire.
Read more →1 January 2019
Text Giving Is Now Available to Small and Medium Sized Charities
A five-step guide to launching a text giving campaign, from building your campaign and choosing a platform to picking the right keyword and marketing it effectively.
Read more →1 December 2018
JustTextGiving Closure in March 2019
With JustTextGiving closing in March 2019, DONATE steps up to ensure no UK charity is left without a text donation service - with no joining, monthly, or ongoing fees.
Read more →1 July 2018
Research Shows DONATE™ Is 5× More Effective Than Cash Giving
A Shakespeare Schools Foundation comedy event demonstrates how contactless giving through DONATE™ generated five times more income than traditional cash collection from the same audience.
Read more →1 June 2018
Contactless, Web or Text: Which Service Is Best?
A guide to understanding when to use contactless, web, or text giving - and how to choose the right digital fundraising channel for your situation.
Read more →1 May 2018
DONATE™ Launches Free Silent Auction Service
DONATE™ introduces a free silent auction platform for charities, completing an integrated fundraising suite covering text giving, raffles, web donations, and now auction capability.
Read more →1 March 2018
How Barclaycard Helped the National Funding Scheme Adapt to Modern Consumer Payment Habits
A case study exploring how the National Funding Scheme partnered with Barclaycard to develop contactless giving technology that enables charities to capture donations from cashless supporters.
Read more →1 January 2018
The Data Protection Act Is Dead - What GDPR Means for Charities
How the General Data Protection Regulation replaces the Data Protection Act, and what charities need to do about consent, data profiling, and the right to be forgotten by May 2018.
Read more →23 October 2017
Launch of tap+DONATE™ Contactless Charity Boxes
DONATE™ introduces contactless charity collection boxes, launching with the Royal Association for Deaf people following a successful trial at the School of Hard Knocks.
Read more →1 September 2017
DONATE™ Exceeds £500,000 Raised for Charity
The National Funding Scheme announces that DONATE™ has raised over £500,000 for good causes through its mobile giving platform, with charges from just 2.5%.
Read more →6 July 2017
DONATE™ Voted Most Flexible Digital System of the Year 2017
The National Funding Scheme announces that DONATE™ received the Most Flexible Digital System of the Year award at the 2017 Paperless Awards ceremony in Kensington.
Read more →1 June 2017
DONATE™ Delivers Local Community Impact: Natural England's Bergum Wood
How DONATE™ helped Natural England raise £7,451 for Bergum Wood restoration in Shropshire, reaching a wider donor base beyond the local community through text and web giving.
Read more →31 March 2017
DONATE™ Launches tap+DONATE™ Boxes to Revolutionise Instant Giving
DONATE™ provides contactless giving boxes at the 2017 European Rugby Championships to benefit School of Hard Knocks, demonstrating how contactless giving works at large live events.
Read more →1 February 2017
DONATE™ Supports Natural England: Restoring Bergum Wood
DONATE™ partners with Natural England to launch a spring fundraising campaign to restore Bergum Wood in Shropshire, transforming barren conifer plantation into upland oak woodland.
Read more →