The Royal British Legion (RBL) and PayaCharity's Contactless Donation Evolution.
The Poppy Appeal is the RBL’s largest fundraising campaign, held every November to commemorate Remembrance. This campaign includes London Poppy Day, the UK’s largest one-day street collection. Over the years, RBL has increasingly turned to contactless donation technology to adapt to the decline in cash donations and to meet the evolving needs of their supporters.
The Evolution of Contactless Donations
In 2019, RBL set out to expand their contactless donation efforts on an unprecedented scale. Deploying an extensive array of devices, this marked the largest distribution of contactless devices for any fundraising campaign in the UK. This ambitious initiative laid a solid foundation for future successes.
The 2023 Poppy Appeal: Breaking New Ground
The 2023 campaign represented a significant leap forward in RBL’s contactless donation journey. Compared to 2022, the number of deployed devices increased by 14%, with a remarkable 37% rise in transaction volume and a 42% increase in the value of transactions. This success was further boosted by the introduction of QR codes and improvements in the average donation value.
Key Highlights from the 2023 Campaign:
- Device Deployment:
- 5,800 PayaCharity contactless devices were used, maintaining year on year consistency of experience since 2021. This stability was crucial for both operational efficiency and user familiarity.
- Record-Breaking Performance:
- The campaign shattered previous records, achieving over £1 million in a single day and over £4 million in a single week through contactless technology.
- Average Collection per Device:
- The average collection per device was up over 20% year on year from 2022, reflecting higher utilisation and fundraisers being comfortable with their use.
- Return on investment:
- The return on investment soared to almost 8x, with the investment in contactless devices being recovered within a record period from the campaign’s start.
Strategic Enhancements and Recommendations
Strategic enhancements such as increasing the minimum donation amount, expanding the use of unattended devices and easy GiftAid capture significantly contributed to the campaign’s outstanding success. Use of QR codes became a standard feature for both donations and GiftAid, further streamlining the donation process.
Future Opportunities
RBL plans to continue leveraging data insights to maximise donations, exploring opportunities to expand unattended devices year-round and enhance QR code functionality. Additional focus areas include expanding Gift Aid automation, introducing open banking payment options, and utilising digital platforms for broader engagement.
Conclusion
The partnership between PayaCharity and The Royal British Legion showcases the transformative power of innovative fundraising technologies supporting the bold embracement of the changes in the way supporters wish to donate. By continually evolving their approach to contactless donations, RBL has set new benchmarks in the third sector, demonstrating the potential for technology to revolutionise charitable giving.
PayaCharity is proud to support RBL in their ongoing mission to raise funds and awareness for a vital cause.
If you would like to find out more about how contactless donations could boost your charity’s fundraising strategy
Email cs@paya.group today