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Donation collection tin vs contactless card donations
August 2024
Churches and temples have been using collection tins for centuries. One of the earliest instances recorded was from the High Priest in the Temple of Jerusalem. Fast forwarding to the 50’s and 60’s you may remember Debra? She is an early example of a collection box with a begging girl wearing a calliper. Many collection tins and boxes are now valuable historic items.
Locations
The tins would normally have been on site by the entrance/exit of the church to collect donations
for the upkeep of the building and grounds.
As communities grew, collection tins would be carried around, sometimes with the collector ringing
a bell or shaking the tin for attention.
Later they were placed outside shops or on counter tops.
Designs
There were a few famous ones. The RNLI being one of them – from the weird fish to the rocking lifeboat. The creative fundraisers produced a whole host of fabulous collection tin, boat and box designs that caught the eye of donors around the UK. One of the first original boxes was wooden and dates back to the 1860’s.
Who also remembers Sooty waving on the top of the RNIB charity tins? Or the realistic life-size
labrador by the doorway of many shops to collect donations for Guide dogs for the blind.
Of course, they were not all tins, there were boxes, baskets, hats, or even handmade designs that
still did the job pretty well.
From counter top to free standing, charities would compete to tug at the heart strings of the public
to boost donations with images, messages and gamification.
Rules and ethics
Although there is no law stopping you from rattling your donation tin it is considered very bad practice in the modern fundraising world. Shaking of the collection tin is strongly discouraged as it can cause public annoyance as well as damaging the tin! It can seem pushy and intimidating and therefore it is explicitly forbidden in most charity fundraising regulations.
There is also a high risk of theft, so regular emptying is essential. Additionally, to the nature of cash donations, it is almost impossible to know how many people have donated and how much.
From loose change to meaningful amounts.
We remember as a child being given some coins to pop in the charity box after we had completed our weekly shop. The collection box would whizz the coin around in ever-decreasing circles until it dropped into the tin. We were happy children and our parents gave a little and felt good.
With the development of card machines, the giving of donations has now been added to our totals when we shop on the high street – where we can either accept or refuse the donation – they are rather more thrust in front of us at times with much of the pleasure taken away.
Freestanding contactless terminals give much more privacy and choice with less intimidation. With
the rise in gift aid too, which can amplify our donation.
Collection tin vs contactless card payment
Contactless card terminals are a great way to collect donations without the need to intimidate your donors. Using a freestanding or countertop terminal, that is self-service, gives the donor choice and can save charities money.
- No staff needed
- Easy to reconcile
- Less risk of theft or fraud
- Increases average donation amount
Talk to us about how we can help boost your fundraising with contactless card payment terminals
Call – 0203 488 3095