The UK is looking at a tough road ahead. If it isn’t news about rising energy costs, it’s weekly food bills rocketing up. We’re barrelling towards a cost-of-living crisis, and that means many people are going to be tightening the purse strings. In fact, 80% of consumers are cutting costs. That’s going to mean less money for charities.

And this is likely going to be at a time when people need their support the most. So squeezing every penny and making everything count is going to be vital for the third sector. But how can you do it? Here are three small ways to increase donations, letting you make a big difference…

Gift Aid on rags

As a charity, you’ll know how massive Gift Aid can be. That extra funding on donations is essential. But it doesn’t just stop at the goods you’re selling – the clothes, items, or furniture. It can equally apply to your rags. It turns out your unsellables actually have a lot of value in them!

We’ve found that around 10% of income for charities comes from rags. With so much potential money on the table, you want to ensure you’re getting everything you can from them. With the right setup, you can claim Gift Aid on these rags as easily as you can everything else. You don’t have to mess around with a separate system; just make sure it’s an integrated part of your till solution.

Lottery

Charity lotteries are not a new concept. You’ve likely already seen one of them – perhaps you even have your own. People love the thrill of potentially striking it lucky, so why not make sure they put that money towards a good cause?

As with the Gift Aid on rags, the difference here is you want it to be a seamless part of your regular retail system. Something with a simple interface that’s easy for volunteers to navigate. Then you can sell all the tickets you need with ease.

Round-up

Every penny counts. So a round-up function is an easy way to keep extra pence trickling into your charity. The idea is a shopper would have the option to donate to the nearest, 25p, 50p, or £1. And since it’s such a small amount – and it looks cleaner on statements – plenty of people will say yes and round-up that £13.78 shopping spree. We found that one of our customers was able to increase donations by an average of £10 extra per shop, per day with this function.

It might not seem like a lot, but you’ll be surprised how quickly it builds up. To make it even better, you might want a flexible solution that allows you to set your own round-up amount. The more choice you have, the better. And since they count as cash donations, you can also claim Gift Aid on the round-ups.

These tips will only earn you small amounts at a time, but when you add them all together, you’ll see how staggering they can be. With the future uncertain, having these options available could make a huge difference. The most important part? That they all work in a cohesive way. You don’t want volunteers to have to juggle three different systems to use all these features. That’s where we can help…

CHARiotWeb is the culmination of decades of experience in the retail and third sectors. Gift Aid on Rags, integrated lotteries, and round-up are all included in one simple monthly cost, along with a suite of other amazing features. To find out more about how CHARiotWeb can help to increase donations, reach out to us on 01204 706 000.