Donr has seen a 653% year-on-year increase since the coronavirus lockdown due to charities organising emergency appeals, virtual events and using text giving as an alternative to cash donations.
The increasing popularity of text giving has led to many more charities registering with Donr, with over 3,000 charities now registered on the platform, of which 2,022 raised over £2 million via text between March and July. As Donr charges no monthly or dormancy fees, the platform is accessible to all charities, from small to large.
The severe financial impacts relating to the pandemic have led to many charities launching emergency appeals. This includes Chester Zoo, who launched the ‘Save Our Zoo’ appeal to offset a funding gap caused by forced closure during lockdown. Fundraising Manager, Julie Platt explained, “Donors are looking for simple ways that they can quickly and safely donate to their favourite causes. Text to donate is still a really popular way to give, so it’s great to be signed up and using it.”
Charities have also found text giving a valuable addition to virtual fundraising events. Several charities, including Keech Hospice Care used text giving during a series of quizzes streamed online. Meanwhile, National Theatre and Barn Theatre have used text giving to ask for donations during broadcasts of performances, raising funds from supporters unable to visit the theatre in person.
Other charities have used text giving as an alternative to donations of cash or physical items, which were impossible during lockdown. A Tottenham Foodbank spokesperson explained, “People want to donate food to us, but they often can’t because – they can’t make it during our opening times, they are self-isolating, they are avoiding public places during lockdown or they simply cannot find anything on the supermarket shelves. Texting is the most immediate thing they can do to help.”
A total of 250,469 charity supporters made donations through Donr’s platform between March and July. Text giving continues to be a popular donation method in a socially distanced world. Some charities have identified text giving as an alternative to cash donations and as an opportunity to resume face to face fundraising without the need for physical contact.
Charities can receive one-off or regular donations through Donr, at a cost of 5% plus VAT. Donr also offers the option to send an additional text message to request donors complete a Gift Aid declaration, or to send a conversion message to encourage a one-off donation to be turned into a regular gift. Both of these features have been made available for free for the rest of the year.
