New Schemes aim to increase face to face income
Published Mon 01 September 2008
Two new schemes have been introduced to try to help charities raise more money via face-to-face fundraising. Gift Fundraising has issued all its street fundraisers with handheld computers (PDAs) following a test for Scope, which saw gift aid declarations rise by almost 10 per cent over a two-month period as a result of using the device.
Donors’ details are inputted directly into the PDA and are instantaneously encrypted on to a secure server. In addition to the increased data security, data capture is more accurate and the environmental impact of campaigns is reduced.
“We’re seeing a big increase in the quantity and accuracy of email addresses and phone numbers collected, helping charities to communicate even better with donors. We can even validate bank account details at the point of signup, which cuts out any chance of human error,” said Milly Ahmed, director of Gift.
Meanwhile, Blue Cross, Action for Blind People and Guideposts are among a number of charities that are to use Vismail as a means of welcoming new donors signed up via the door or on private sites.
All new supporters will receive a video Vismail that explains more about the cause and what their donations will be used for. It will accompany the usual welcome call and mail pack.
Vismail is being offered for free to Fundraising Initiatives’ clients after tests by Quarriers in Scotland and Surf Life Saving in Australia showed that using Vismail resulted in a “marked drop” in first year attrition.
“Over the past 12 months we’ve been welcoming all newly recruited door-to-door and street donors by sending them a personal welcome and thank you for their support using Vismail,” said Morag Fleming, head of individual giving at Quarriers. “The Vismail uses a mix of video and slideshow images to show how a family has benefited from donations. We’ve been happy with the results so far and are confident it’s contributing to a drop in attrition rates.”
Becky Slack
September 2008