21 Nov How technology is helping the way Charities raise money
The Technology of today is changing everything. Smart phones are getting smarter, mobile devices are becoming more mobile and desktops are taking up greater desktop space. Every business is looking to jump on the technology bandwagon and drive innovation forward.
But what about Charities and Not-for-Profit organisations? Always deemed to be slow to act in tough financially lead changes, our customers are now embracing the need for new technology in ways to raise more funds for their essential projects.
Technology is key to many design and build concepts that support the charity market – with the main aim to deliver a message that drives awareness and generates funding. Although the adoption of digital technology in the charity fundraising sector is still in its infancy, with even the bigger organisations only at the start of their journey, at ATAMA we are supporting the change that is helping raise those all-important funds.
How is Technology helping?
In 2016, only 7.2% of all individual donations in the UK were made online. Most Charities still generate the majority of their money from more traditional, physical fundraising activities, including mass sponsorship events such as marathons. However, the demand for better ways to generate funds via APPS and online platforms has seen a dramatic rise in the past 12 months to a level where teams are now relying on their new digital strategy.
How is Technology being used by Charities?
Technology is being used by a range of charitable organisations to increase donations, improve campaigns, and to build a stronger relationship with supporters. At ATAMA we see 5 ways that charities are embracing Technology:
1. Alternative payment options
Finding new ways to pay has helped charities to improve their donation rates. By adopting digital fundraising, charities have increased their overall donations by as much as 600 per cent. Seamless payment options like PayPal and Apple Pay, for example, have been adopted by groups who now see the instant payment from a smart watch or phone as an easier way to raise funds
2. Mobile apps
Mobile apps provide a way for users to get closer to the charity but also for the charity to get closer to those within their wider public networks. Apps enable constant access on personal devices, creating a flow of information. As well as helping charities to understand their supporters, it also helps those users to manage their interactions with the organisation
3. Social media
Social media sites have become a forum for sharing news, campaign information and stories to a mass audience. Charity marketing teams are hiring social media experts to help promote the awareness via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and even Snapchat. Adopting the right device, either mobile, tablet or desktop, as been the real key to helping social campaigns perform admirably.
4. Virtual Reality
VR offers a powerful tool for engagement, showing exactly what happens in a given situation. This has obvious benefits when applied to charitable causes, building emotive narratives to drive support.
5. Artificial Intelligence
One way in which charities could take advantage of AI is in adapting AI assistants and chatbots. AI’s growing natural language processing (NLP) capabilities could help to overcome language barriers as well as streamlining research processes by sorting through academic data.
As a Partner with the NCVO and the Charities Buying Group, ATAMA, part of the Academia Group, is driving change in the Charity market with better Technology solutions. To get your free Technology health check for your charity or not-for-profit organisation please contact us on info@atama.tech or on 0203 9292 300, or via our simply online form below where a member of the team can get in contact today.
