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How can Funeral Directors collect contactless donations?

Funeral service long candles at a church

How can Funeral Directors collect contactless donations on behalf of their mourners?

January 2025

Funeral service long candles at a church

Many people like to leave a legacy to local or national charities or organisations close to their heart when they pass. One thing they might also share is the desire to have donations instead of floral gifts at their funeral. For the family, it is a time when they would generally like the process to be easy and hassle free.

At Dona we offer a service for Funeral Directors so they can accommodate the families’ needs in a professional way, with a service that they can provide to ease the burden at a difficult time. 

Having card donation machines available at a funeral mass, burial, cremation or wake, either near the entrance or in the room used to congregate, can be a useful way for mourners to give. 

Dona donation machines empower funeral directors to allocate donations directly to the charity chosen by the deceased, so that the family can be confident their last wishes are being honoured.

Beautifully decorated white coffin with lots of flowers at a funeral

Features

  • Total of donations raised will be available and shared with the family
  • A QR code can be included to the order of service and on a dedicated webpage so that mourners can use their phone to scan and donate. 
  • Funeral Directors can provide this service as an extra feature. 
  • Donations can be taken by debit or credit card.
  • A list of donors and the gifted amounts can be made available after the service to be sent to the family.

Benefits for Funeral Directors and Attendees:

  • Convenience: Contactless payments are quick and easy, meaning no cash handling needed.   
  • Choice: The family or deceased can choose the charity that they wish donations to be made to.
  • Efficiency: The terminal streamlines the donation process, reducing wait times and improving the overall experience.  
  • Security: Contactless payments are secure, minimising the risk of theft or fraud.
  • Trust: Donors can clearly see exactly where their donation is going and will be updated after with the amount donated.

Additional Considerations:

  • Accessibility: Ensure the terminal is accessible to people with disabilities by using Dona’s height-adjustable stand.
  • Staff Training: Train staff to assist attendees with the donation process if needed.
  • Marketing: Promote the availability of contactless donations on the funeral home’s website, social media, and other communication channels.
  • Data Privacy: The management portal already adheres to data protection regulations when handling donor information.
Black writing of gift aid logo for charity fundraising
  • Gift Aid: Donations can be amplified with the use of Gift Aid forms on the terminals and the donation website page. 

By implementing contactless donation terminals, funeral directors can provide a modern and convenient way for attendees to honor the deceased and support charitable causes.

How Contactless Donation Terminals Work:

  1. Setup:

     

    • Choose Charities: Select the charity relevant to the deceased or the family’s wishes.
    • Configure Terminal: Program the terminal with the chosen charity set up as an individual fund for each funeral for the coming day.
    • Choose set donation amounts ahead of time for ease of donating. Custom options will also be available. 

2. Placement:

 

      • Visible Location: Place the terminal in a prominent location, such as near the exit, entrance or reception area. Sometimes it is a good idea to have the terminal in the area where refreshments are served. 
      • Clear Signage: Use clear signage to direct attendees to the donation terminal and explain its purpose.
      • In the Order of Service. Print clear instructions in the Order of Service on where to find the terminals. 
      • Mentioned briefly during the service introduction.
    •  QR code on a mobile phone being held by a person

 

  • QR Code: Add this to the Order of Service to enable mourners to donate at their leisure when they return home. This can also be shared on the funeral home webpages (sometimes offered as part of the funeral package), or on the deceased or family’s Facebook page so donations can be made by those unable to attend on the day.

Funeral Directors’ Considerations

Funeral Directors are required to keep donation records for 7 years. The Dona Donations management portal is set up to comply with all HMRC data reporting needs.  

The portal can also provide a list of names and total donation amounts.

A general guide for best practice management of donations for funeral directors can be found here

If we can help in any other way please contact our Sales team with any new terminal enquiries on 0203 488 5038

Alternatively please do complete our enquiry from to request a copy of our latest brochure. 

Find out more....

Our friendly team will be in touch to answer any questions you may have. 

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Digital Collection Plate Festive Fundraising Checklist:

Festive Fundraising

Digital Collection Plate Festive Fundraising Checklist:

December 2024

During the festive season, around large religious festivals and celebratory events, there are a few steps you can take that can help make fundraising run smoothly for you and your donors.

Festive Fundraising

Speed up donations using Tap and Go on your V3 donation terminal

Dona’s newest V3 donation terminals come with a new Tap and Go functionality, allowing you to set one suggested donation amount that people can give with a fast, simple tap and go.  This can help reduce queues and encourage more people to donate that otherwise might not stop if they are subject to a lengthy wait.  

This is particularly useful during big events and busy seasonal gatherings, or for leaving in a shop window so passers-by can gift overnight

Tap and Go will speed up donations, but won’t ask new donors to register for Gift Aid. You can encourage donors to preregister for Gift Aid, as this only needs to be done once. Mention this to your congregation in person or in a newsletter to help secure Gift Aid donations ahead of time. 

Increase your number of terminals

The cost of employing an extra terminal can be quickly recuperated during the festive season and at busy events, and your organisation will then be set up to capture additional donations for the rest of the season and well into the new year. Contact our sales team to add a terminal to your account quickly and easily. 

Self-service stands

To enhance donation accessibility, Dona donation terminals are all self-service. Self-service terminals, placed in strategic high-footfall locations, empower donors to make contributions independently. This can significantly boost donations, especially during peak periods when staff or volunteers may be limited. Our flexible stands can be configured to suit various environments, including counter-top, freestanding, and adjustable styles.

Let people know you accept card donations

If you are holding an event or gathering, ensure you let people know before and during the event so they can feel inspired to donate at any point. This will reduce queues and give you the opportunity to let them know about how important their support is and the difference it can make. Donation terminal stands

Make the most of Christmas Fundraising for your organisation. Sending regular updates and newsletters electronically to your donors means they can really get behind your fundraising goals and be part of the journey to success with helping to hit your targets. 

Be sure to also have your Dona donation webpage set up for those unable to attend in person who might like to show their support. Contact our support team today if you have any questions about how to do this.

Is your account verified?

If you are a new customer, financial regulations mean you will need to complete a verification process with the card payment processor. This avoids limits to the donation amounts and totals that you can receive.  


If you have any questions about the information required by Stripe to verify your account for financial verification please follow this link: https://support.stripe.com/questions/business-information-requirements-to-use-stripe?locale=en-GB

Do you need to top-up your 4G data?

Wifi and 4g contactless donation terminal in black

If you are using 4G data SIMs or a 4G dongle with your Digital collection plates, we recommend topping-up your data ahead of busy

 periods. This will ensure that your DCPs are usable at all times.

If you would prefer you can upgrade to a WiFi +4G terminal that will allow you to take donations with or without an internet connection.  See our new DCPv3 

Further help and resources:

If we can help in any other way please contact our Sales team with any new terminal enquiries on 0203 488 5038

Or our support team on 0203 488 8095  who are available up until the 25th December and from the 2nd January. 

Find out more....

Our friendly team will be in touch to answer any questions you may have. 

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Today’s Role of Fundraising in Religious Organisations

Graph showing donations received over time with a contactless donation terminal

Today’s Role of Fundraising in Religious Organisations

October 2024

Fundraising is an ongoing and essential part of running a Religious Organisation.

 

Funds are used to support:

·       Day-to-day operational costs

·       Achieving the mission

·      Buildings, renovations or expansion

The balancing act:

Finances vs Mission – Fundraising efforts need to align with the core values of your organisation and be in line with achieving your overall mission.  An organisation could be criticised for being greedy, not spending wisely or making purchases that do not seem to align with their core mission.

This can be avoided by ethical transparency so donors can clearly see how their donations are being used.  This also applies to reducing costs and making sound business decisions. A donation portal with strong reporting features is key to sharing the valuable contribution made by donors. Reports can be drawn up and the key successes of the marketing campaigns shared with the congregation through email, in person or a physical newsletter. 

Statue in front of scaffolding and building work at a church

Encouraging Regular Donations in Religious Organisations

Communicating the impact is key – tell the story of how the fundraising campaign is going to impact your donors, others in the community and the benefit for the future.

The religious significance of giving – this is not only monetary. It can be acts of service or helping others.

https://www.ministrybrands.com/church-management/type-of-giving/

https://www.islamic-relief.org.uk/resources/knowledge-base/charity-in-islam/

Show how previous donations have helped to achieve updated or modernised areas for worship.   Restoring ancient parts of buildings, paintings, stained glass or even hymn books.

Being open and honest about the financial situation to donors is crucial for them to feel part of the congregation. A culture of shared responsibility for maintaining buildings and traditions for the future instils a great sense of belonging.

Keep donors updated on progress – regular updates in person during gathering, email newsletters or parish news magazines are all great ways to show the progress with hitting fundraising targets.

Practicalities:

Recurring donations – offering recurring donations is a great way for donors to show support regularly without the need to keep cash or cards available each time they attend to worship or for an event.

Flexible amounts – Donors circumstances can change, they might be able to give a little and occasionally more, so being flexible in the options is essential.

Lots of ways to give – Contactless donations are a quick and easy way to donate to your Religious Organisation but you might also offer a webpage, direct debit or cash.

Gift Aid – Having contactless donations means it is so much easier to gift aid if your donor is a UK taxpayer meaning their donation is also worth so much more for the recipient.

Black writing of gift aid logo for charity fundraising

How can Religious Organisations make it easier for people to donate?

Donation terminals – Using these by your church or mosque entrance is ideal.  As your congregation arrives or leave, they can use the donation machines as they wish.  There is no need to have staff on hand as the terminals have easy-to-follow instructions, and large fonts mean they are perfect for those with accessibility problems too.

Clear signage – Ensure your card machines are clearly visible and remind donors they are there after each service.   

Full range of card options – sometimes you might use a credit card, another time a debit card, with online contactless donations you can choose your preferred card each time.

How does Dona Donations make it easier for Religious Organisations?

1.Open and transparent costs – easy to understand with no hidden extras. Each organisation has its own unique needs and demographic of donors. At Dona Donations we pride ourselves in working to meet your donors’ needs and show them how quick and easy it is to support your organisation.

2. Easy reconciliation and administration of donations through the online management portal. This saves time, makes charity staff more productive, and reduces the likelihood of theft or fraud.

3.  The Dona Portal has features that allow charities to see graphs showing their total donations, count of donations and average donation by week/month/year. The graph below shows a breakdown of Gift Aided and non-Gift Aided donations. The graphs can also be filtered by device or fund.

Graph showing donations received over time with a contactless donation terminal

4. Charities can see how much donors give to different funds/campaigns. A fund could be “Roof Repair” or “Priest Offering” – any cause the charity may collect for.

 

5. The portal also allows the option to download the full set of donation data to a spreadsheet, where charities can run their own analysis in Excel or import the data into a 3rd party analytics tool.

 

6. The “Donors Report” lists all registered donors (i.e. those who have registered for Gift Aid or registered to “keep in touch”), their emails and opt-in status and how much they have donated. This is useful for carrying out targeted campaigns.

 

7. Long-term relationships are vitally important to Dona Donations. Our Support is offered for the staff and volunteers who are using the terminals or management portal. The support team are UK based, passionate people looking to help raise donations for the organisations using the terminals.

 

Learn more about how Dona Donation can support your missions with contactless card donations for your religious organisation.

Find out more....

Our friendly team will be in touch to answer any questions you may have. 

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The Power of Contactless: How Charities Can Raise More

Contactless cards in gold from visa and mastercard

The Power of Contactless: How Charities Can Raise More

July 2024

Why going contactless is one effortless way to boost donations.


Nowadays, fewer than 1 in every 5 payments are made with cash in the UK. There has never been a
better time to switch to contactless donations for your charity.
The rise in contactless payments in the UK has been phenomenal since Covid 19 with a record 93.4%
of all in-store transactions up to £100 being made with a contactless method of payment in 2023*
In 2023 the average person used their contactless payment 231 times with an average spend over
the year of £3,623**


There is no doubt that contactless is now the quickest and most efficient way for most people to
make purchases day to day. The contactless payment limit was raised to £100 in October 2021 and
with Dona Donations terminals the most you can donate in one transaction is £9999.99.
Mobile phone wallets have no specific limits. However, it is wise to check as some providers have a
general total card spending limit. Find out more here about general mobile transactions.
Contactless payments continue to be a safe way to make payments with a small reduction in the
amount stolen through payment fraud in 2023 according to the UK Finance Annual Fraud Report
2024.


*According to Frontier Economics 
**Barclays, 2024

Contactless cards in gold from visa and mastercard

5 key benefits of taking contactless donations with Dona
Donations


1. Take donations with Contactless and Chip & PIN

2. Collect donations without an internet connection.

3. Easy-to-use Management Portal featuring Gift Aid declarations and HMRC
reporting 

4. Secure custom stand options 

5. Self-service kiosk with a 10-hour battery life


Most charities can benefit from contactless donations including churches, mosques, temples,
museums, schools, universities, hospices, and food banks. Dona Donations have raised over £25
million for over 2,000 charities thus far. With 40% of donations Gift Aided it is the future of
fundraising.

Cards Accepted include@

 Mastercard
 Visa
 Apple pay
 American Express
 Google Pay
 Contactless
 Diners Club
 Maestro

What does the future of Contactless fundraising look like?

With the use of mobile wallets, digital currencies and banks collaborating to make fintech
advancements at an astonishing rate, we can be sure that tap and go is here for the long run. But
which other areas could we see payments developing into for the future?


Consumer confidence has grown, and card payment is widely accepted as a preferred alternative to
cash. With the reduction in risk and the rise in wearable devices, the future of contactless looks likely
to grow further with enhanced convenience and accessibility. The technological advancements mean
the traceability and reporting now available help to make the running of a charity so much more
efficient.


We could see further biometric payments and the need for physical cards decline with some
providers already issuing virtual credit cards. Additionally, QR codes may have finally found their
niche with a huge uptake in the use of this technology for managing business credit card accounts
and taking automatic payments.


Find out more about Dona Donations charity donation plate and how it could help boost your
donations. 

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4 Easy Steps to Set Up Contactless Fundraising

Group of Charity volunteers by a van ready to take donations

4 Easy Steps to Set Up Contactless Fundraising

June 2024

Boost donations for your charity!

Dona Donations Managing Director Elroy Fernandes talks us through the ease of setting up contactless fundraising terminals for your charity.

The rise of mobile payments has transformed how people give. Cash donations are declining, but with contactless fundraising, your charity can literally ‘tap’ into a whole new world of generous supporters.

Here are the 4 easy steps to get your contactless fundraising up and running:

1. Assemble Your Fundraising Committee: Gather and talk to your committee about how contactless fundraising can be used for your charity as a safe and effective tool.  Speak to us and we can provide you all the costs, savings, and statistics to help you put forward your case to your fellow members.

Some of the most common questions we are asked are:

    1. How much does it cost
    2. Length of contracted commitment
    3. What support is available should there be a technical or user problem?
    4. Which payment cards are accepted?
    5. How long does it take to set up contactless donations?

    Elroy said “The biggest factor is trust, making sure we are helping your charity to make the most of the donations made with low costs and clear transparency.  Ensuring our values also align with your mission and values of your charity as a trusted professional supplier”

     

    2. Setting Up Your Electronic Donation System: The beauty of ‘tap to pay’ fundraising is its simplicity. We walk you through the entire process, ensuring a seamless integration with your existing donation infrastructure.

    Elroy noted “Nominate a team member that will help us to get you set up,  this is a quick process that is usually handled by your treasurer who can liaise with your bank, we are very happy to help guide you from start to finish”

    3. Promote, Promote, Promote! Once your mobile giving is up and running, let your supporters know! Announce your new donation option on your website, social media channels, and email newsletters. Additionally, you could consider offering incentives for early mobile donors to generate excitement or set a target to reach.

    Person making a Credit card payment for online donation terminal

    Elroy stated “Upon launch, we see a big rise in initial donations as supporters are keen to try the new technology and welcome the opportunity to use a safe method of payment.  Hence, this leads to a rise in the average donations made”

    4. Enjoy Increased Donations & Growing Support: With a card payment fundraising system in place, you’ll be opening your charity up to a whole new wave of contributions. Therefore, Dona terminals make donating easier than ever, allowing your supporters to contribute anytime, anywhere.

    Elroy added “For outdoor activities and events our terminals are perfect.  No Wi-Fi signal is no barrier; we can bring the latest technology to your charity fundraising and keep your team safe with a reduced theft risk.  We also find that charity volunteers like the reduced responsibility of handling cash”

    Remember, we're here to help!

    We have the experience and resources to make your contactless fundraising journey a success. Contact us today to learn more and take the first step towards a brighter future for your charity.

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