Growing Together: How the Performance of Dona Donation Machines Keeps Improving
April 2025
At Dona, everything we do starts with one goal: helping charities fundraise more. When we first launched the Digital Collection Plate (DCP), we knew it had the potential to transform giving. But we also knew that listening, learning, and improving alongside our partners would be key to making it truly powerful.
From Version 1 to Version 2: Smoother, Smarter Giving
When we first moved from Version 1 to Version 2, we made what might sound like a small change: removing an unreliable Bluetooth connection.
But the impact was huge. With a smoother, more reliable donation process, charities saw an average of 49% boost in donations raised over their first first six months of fundraising, compared with charities using the version 1 devices.
From Version 2 to Version 3: Donations Anytime, Anywhere
The next step was even more exciting. By switching from SumUp to Stripe as our payment provider, we were able to launch offline mode — meaning charities could accept donations even without WiFi or 4G.
That freedom led to a 21.8% increase in donations for charities fundraising on Version 3 compared to Version 2, in their first six months with Dona. For more data on the impact made by Offline Mode, see this blog.
The Bigger Picture: 81.4% More Raised Since the Start
Looking back at the journey so far, the difference is clear. Organisations now raise on average 81.4% more in their first six months with Version 3 compared to those who started out with Version 1. That’s not just an upgrade in tech — it’s a real difference in the funds reaching charities and communities, through all the amazing work our partners do.
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None of this would be possible without the feedback we receive from the charities we work with. Our UK-based support team makes sure every insight is heard, and our in-house development team turns those ideas into new features and improvements. Together, we’re building technology that grows with your needs.
Looking Ahead to 2025-6
The journey doesn’t stop here. We’ve got new innovations on the way in 2025 that we believe will make an even bigger impact. We can’t wait to share them with you — so watch this space.
