NextGenDonate Case Study
The Movement Centre
Winter 2022
Success for The Movement Centre with NextGenDonate
How we’re helping grassroot charities to adapt and thrive in a post-pandemic economy
Introduction
At a time when their services are needed more urgently than ever before, many charities are contending with ongoing fundraising restrictions. Numerous factors are squeezing third sector organisations, and small, grassroots charities in particular are seeking more efficient and cost-effective ways to engage donors.
In this case study, we explore the drive towards cashless donation software and find out how one charity is using new technology to augment their fundraising strategy.
The Charity
Based in Oswestry, The Movement Centre is a national charity that provides life-changing physiotherapy for children whose disabilities affect their movement. Operating for over 25 years, the team provide targeted training to help children with Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome or other diagnoses to develop skills, strength and movement control.
The centre generates half its income by applying for grants through Trusts and foundations. The remaining half comes from community and corporate fundraising, along with events and donations from individuals, predominantly through the Just Giving platform.
Curtis Langley, Fundraising Officer for The Movement Centre, says: “Despite the great challenge of losing our NHS funding in 2019, we’ve been extremely lucky to have had some wonderful supporters over the past few years which has meant we’ve met our fundraising goals. They were amazing during the pandemic, and we couldn’t have got through it without them.
“However, we’ve seen a reduction in attendance at our events and we know fundraising will be more difficult over the next few years as people bounce back from COVID and get through the current financial crisis.”
The Challenge
The Movement Centre is not alone in navigating this issue. Third sector organisations have always faced significant challenges in terms of fundraising, but the current economic issues combined with an increasingly cashless society is placing added pressure on organisations of all sizes to maintain and grow revenue streams.
Event attendance still hasn’t reached pre-pandemic levels, and the rising cost of living means that communities simply don’t have as much disposable income anymore – unless a particular charity is very close to their heart.
Another key issue for charities is not having access to data that would allow them to truly understand who their donors are, and why they’ve donated. Gathering these insights, along with donor details and Gift Aid percentages, could make a tangible difference to future fundraising and marketing efforts.
A number of fundraising platforms also take weeks to process online donations, meaning that charities are often left waiting for up to a month to receive the funds into their account. Collectively, these issues can send smaller charities into survival mode.
The Solution
Shropshire-based NextGenDonate is a pioneering start-up which helps third sector organisations to increase their revenue and funding streams by adopting new, cashless technologies. The business aims to support smaller local charities who do not have the resource pool of larger fundraising teams.
The technology works by combining NextGenDonate’s software with personalised, coded stickers (‘stickies’) which turn any object or environment into a contactless donation point. The low-cost solution allows donors to easily tap and pay their preferred amount using Apple Pay, Google Pay or card, with the option of adding Gift Aid using a smart phone.
The stickies can be used at any fundraising event, on collection boxes or at corporate sponsor venues, allowing charities to stay in touch with donors in a GDPR-compliant way and understand more about their supporter demographics.
Gill Nunn, Co-Founder of NextGenDonate, says: “Our goal is to show smaller charities who are struggling with fundraising how we can really impact their operations using this technology. Our solution doesn’t replace fundraising methods; rather it augments charities’ existing frameworks to maximise the valuable efforts they provide to the local community.”
Curtis contacted NextGenDonate through LinkedIn, and after a meeting, he decided to trial the use of stickies at the charity’s various events. The stickies were manufactured and deployed just two weeks later.
Beyond being a physical object, each sticky comes with its own bespoke QR code and URL so it can be used in a virtual environment to increase across a charity’s wider network and publicise their fundraising projects.
The Outcome
Charities generally see a return on their investment within three months; from there, success levels depend on building the capability into a robust donation strategy and augmenting physical donation points with this technology to increase digital engagement.
Curtis says: “As it’s still a relatively new concept for us, we won’t be able to fully measure the impact until the stickies have been in use for a full year. Already, however, we’re seeing tremendous value from being able to track where, when and who has made a donation almost simultaneously, and email out to thank them straight away.”
An early example of its success has been at The Movement Centre’s events, which showcase how they can link young people and their families with the right professionals. The charity had previously used a clipboard and pen to record the families’ details, as well as contact details for doctors who could offer their expertise.
This was a time-consuming task whilst manning a stand, but NextGenDonate’s solution has enabled a faster and more dynamic way of recording this information, storing it and linking it with the appropriate consultant.
Curtis adds: “I’m very proud that The Movement Centre was one of the first charities to adopt this technology. I’m glad to be working with NextGenDonate and I’m excited to see where we can use our stickies next.”
NextGenDonate’s founders hope the service will enable other small charities - including churches, museums and hospices - to not only make fundraising easier but also boost the value of their average cash donation.
For more information, visit www.nextgendonate.co.uk
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