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.
The digital fundraising world can seem overly confusing. When is contactless preferable to web donations? What limits are there on text giving? Which channel will generate the most income for your specific situation?
The answer depends on your audience, your venue, and the nature of your campaign. Here is a quick guide to the three primary channels.
Contactless Giving
Best for: Passing traffic, visitor attractions, retail environments, live events with queues or bars.
Contactless giving via tap+DONATE™ captures spontaneous generosity from people who have no cash. It works wherever you have passing or queuing visitors - train stations, hospitals, zoos, festivals, shops, and anywhere with a physical footprint.
Donation amounts are typically set at a fixed level (e.g. £3 per tap), making it ideal for quick, frictionless contributions from supporters who don't want to stop and fill in a form.
Text Giving
Best for: Audiences at events, campaigns with a single compelling ask, emergency appeals.
Text giving works wherever there is a mobile signal and a motivated audience. It is particularly powerful when combined with a live event - a speech, a performance, a broadcast - where supporters are emotionally engaged and want to act immediately.
Text giving levels typically run from £1 to £20, allowing supporters to choose an amount that feels right to them. The simplicity of texting a keyword is its greatest strength.
Web and Mobile Giving
Best for: Private events, online campaigns, situations where supporters have time to engage.
Web and mobile giving allows for larger donation amounts, Gift Aid collection, and a richer donor journey. It is ideal for supporters who want to give more than £20, read about the cause in detail, or set up a regular giving arrangement.
Web giving also works well alongside email campaigns, social media fundraising, and peer-to-peer fundraising pages.
The Integrated Approach
For most charities, the answer is not to choose one channel - it is to use all three together. DONATE™ provides an integrated platform covering text giving, web donations, and contactless giving, allowing every supporter to give in the way that suits them best.
Contact the DONATE™ team to find out which combination of services would work best for your organisation.