A recent SkillsPlatform report found that over two thirds of charities now see digital as a priority for their organisation. As not for profits look for ways to be better digital advocates, these are the key trends that will shape the digital fundraising landscape this year, writes Shaf Mansour, not for profit manager at The Access Group.
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Cashless donations
Just as recently as 2019, cash was still the preferred way of donating for the majority of the UK. But times have changed. By summer 2021, only two in ten donors were still giving by cash.

Cashless giving is being embraced by all generations, as they opt to donate through websites, apps, direct debits, payday giving and contact-free donation points. Apple is also currently in the works of allowing small businesses to accept payments on iPhones without any extra hardware. It’s crucial to have a donation page that is easy to find, secure and accessible for all. Above all, you must make it quick for people to give - if you can facilitate one-touch giving, even better.

A leaner social media strategy
Social media has always been an asset for charities to help them serve their campaigns directly to their audience. But, there are now so many apps, it can be hard to know where to focus your efforts.

TikTok, for instance, is reporting higher levels of engagement than other platforms, while MeWe is being dubbed as the anti-Facebook for people looking for a privacy-first social app. Your charity doesn’t need to use every single mainstream media platform. This will just lead to messaging that is spread so thin, it has no real substance. Instead, take a deep dive into where your audience is most active, and then centre your efforts there accordingly.

Organising hybrid events
Events are still hotbeds for fundraising activities, and those that combine the in-person community feel with the convenience and accessibility that virtual events bring will be the ones who shine.

Technology makes it much easier for charities to adapt their event strategy. Unlike purely real-life events, the hybrid element allows your charity’s message to be broadcast nationally, boosting the reach of your live and recorded presentations. Ensure that your team is briefed well in advance and planning goes into coordinating the activities across the events, and take advantage of interactive content to capture attention, such as quizzes and live talks. Finally, test your digital donation tool in advance of the day, since many people will likely be attending the event with the intention of giving.

The QR code means business
With the widespread adoption of hybrid events, QR codes can be used to engage donors and make it easier for supporters to access relevant information and give quickly and easily. QR codes are free to create, and are an excellent way to quickly point your user in the right direction to donate, sign up to an event or watch relevant content. In today’s day and age, we need to make the donor experience as quick and trustworthy as possible, and QR codes enable a one-click method to do this at charity stands, charity shops and even by post.

AI for timesaving
AI can rapidly speed up the decision-making process for charities. And the data that is collected from donation portals is vital - it shows what interests your audience, when they’re most likely to donate, and your audience’s demographic, among other things.

AI chatbots can help with day-to-day supporter enquiries, answer FAQs easily and even promote a fundraising event. Even when applied behind the scenes, AI can be a true time-saver. AfghanAid, a humanitarian organisation that helps the most vulnerable in Afghanistan, managed to double its donations after working with Access’ Google Ads Grant tool which used a unique AI modelling software to manage its Google ads.

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