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Margaret Green Animal Rescue

Margaret Green Animal Rescue Charity: Fundraising Machine Case Study

Margaret Green Animal Rescue

“We have found the Dona terminal really easy to use both from a staff and supporter point of view. It makes donating a smooth process and ensures that we spend less time on admin.”
Emma Thompson
Marketing Assistant

For over 60 years the Margaret Green Animal Rescue charity has been providing expert veterinary attention, care and rehoming for animals in need.

Founded in 1965 by Margaret Green and her father, Jerry, the charity has grown to three animal rescue and rehoming centres in Dorset and Devon, and eight charity shops across the region.

This well-loved animal charity began fundraising with Dona in September 2023 to help mitigate against the decline in cash use. Dona makes it easy for people visiting their busy Church Knowle Centre to donate by card, contactless and with chip and PIN when they pass through the reception area after enjoying a heart-warming day out.  

By enabling their supporters to self-serve with discreet and easy-to-use fundraising technology, Dona has helped the charity increase donations, and speed up admin, generating over £8000 in additional income that might otherwise have been missed.

Learn more about the Margaret Green Animal Rescue Charity

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Popular Support Technology

50 Creative Fundraising Ideas for Charities and Places of Worship

50 creative fundraising ideas for charities and places of worship

50 Creative Fundraising Ideas for Charities and Places of Worship

Discover 50 fundraising ideas to help you design inspiring, community-focused campaigns that build engagement and increase donations — both online and in person.

Inspiring your community to engage with your mission is a crucial part of successful fundraising. 

At Dona, we empower charitable organisations to get creative with their digital donation terminals through a range of useful tools and fundraising features, including:

  • Create up to 20 different funds or campaigns
  • Share different funds on different donation machines, and on your free donation webpage
  • Toggle Gift Aid on and for different funds
  • Add up to 5 screensavers to showcase your campaigns
  • Use “Tap & Go” for faster set-amount donations – perfect for ticketing at events
  • Leave a message with online donations – ideal for Mass intentions or more personal donations.

Explore the full range of Dona features here.

Once you’ve got to grips with all the things you can do with your donation terminals, the next step is to set up your fundraising events and initiatives. 

Here are 50 fundraising ideas to help you design inspiring, community-focused campaigns that build engagement and increase donations — both online and in person.

People at an event where mobile donations are taken with tent in background

Community Events

  1. Charity Fun Day – Host a community fair with games, stalls, raffles, and food. Invite local businesses to sponsor or donate prizes.

  2. Open Mic Night – Encourage local talent to perform and charge an entry fee or donations at the door.

  3. Cultural Food Festival – Celebrate your community’s diversity by hosting an international cuisine night.

  4. Car Boot or Table-Top Sale – Great for spring cleaning and fundraising at the same time.

  5. Charity Quiz Night – Hold a pub-style quiz at your hall or community centre with small entry fees and prizes.

  6. Auction Evening – Ask supporters and businesses to donate items or experiences for a live or silent auction.

  7. Talent Show – Showcase your community’s singers, comedians, and performers.

  8. Seasonal Market – Organise a Christmas, Easter, or harvest market with handmade crafts and goods.

  9. Community Concert – Feature local choirs, bands, or youth groups in a ticketed concert.

  10. Film Night – Screen a family-friendly film with popcorn and refreshments for sale.

Sponsored Activities

  1. Sponsored Walk or Run – Create routes for all ages and fitness levels, and set up online fundraising pages.

  2. Cycling Challenge – A local loop or a virtual mileage challenge across your community.

  3. Sponsored Silence – Great for youth groups or schools; participants stay silent for a set time for sponsorship.

  4. Sleep-Out Event – Raise awareness of homelessness by spending a night outdoors safely.

  5. Read-a-Thon – Perfect for schools or book clubs; participants get sponsored for each book or chapter read.

  6. Steps Challenge – Use fitness trackers to hit a daily step goal and collect pledges.

  7. 24-Hour Event – Host a non-stop prayer vigil, sing-a-thon, or relay.

  8. Climb for a Cause – Climb a local hill or take on a virtual mountain challenge.

  9. Charity Sports Tournament – Football, netball, cricket, or even a friendly tug-of-war competition.

  10. Swim for Charity – Organise a sponsored swim at a local pool or open water venue.
Boxes of donations being sorted and moved by volunteers at an event

Food and Hospitality Fundraisers

  1. Bake Sale – A classic that always works; involve your congregation or community groups.

  2. Community Breakfast or Brunch – Offer a hearty morning meal with a suggested donation.

  3. Charity Dinner or Banquet – A formal evening with entertainment, raffles, and guest speakers.

  4. “Taste the World” Evening – Showcase dishes from around the globe prepared by volunteers.

  5. Coffee Morning – Partner with local cafés or host your own regular gathering.

  6. Soup & Song Night – Combine a simple shared meal with music or storytelling.

  7. Cooking Class Fundraiser – Invite a local chef to host a class and donate proceeds.

  8. The Great Charity Bake-Off – Run a friendly baking competition and sell the entries.

  9. Ice Cream Sunday (or Sundae!) – A summer treat that families love.

  10. Barbecue & Picnic in the Park – Outdoor fun with donations encouraged per plate.
Creative community fundraising event ideas

Creative & Interactive Ideas

  1. Art Exhibition or Sale – Display local artists’ work and share profits from sales.

  2. Photography Competition – Charge a small entry fee and exhibit the finalists.

  3. Craft Workshop – Host a session on pottery, painting, or card-making with donation-based tickets.

  4. Charity Calendar – Feature local landmarks, people, or pets, and sell copies.

  5. Themed Costume Day – Fun for schools or offices: pay to dress up or dress down.

  6. Build-a-Brick Wall – Supporters “buy” a brick (physical or digital) to help fund a project.

  7. Message Wall or Prayer Tree – Donors contribute a small amount to leave a personal note or prayer.

  8. Art Auction – Sell donated artworks or community-made pieces.

  9. Community Quilt or Mosaic – Each donor funds a tile or patch; display the finished piece proudly.

  10. Photography Day – Offer mini photo sessions with proceeds going to your cause.
Handing around and collecting donations at events with volunteers

Mission-Driven and Themed Campaigns

  1. Adopt-a-Project Scheme – Let supporters sponsor specific projects (e.g. feeding a family, restoring a roof, etc.).

     

  2. “Give It Up” Challenge – Participants give up a luxury (coffee, sweets, social media) and donate the savings.

     

  3. Charity Livestream – Run an online event, from music to gaming marathons, with live donations via contactless or QR.

     

  4. Matching Gift Week – Partner with a local business to match donations for a limited time.

     

  5. Green Fundraiser – Tree planting, recycling drives, or eco-market days.

     

  6. Legacy Giving Campaign – Educate supporters about leaving gifts in wills.

     

  7. Pet Blessing & Fundraiser – Combine a light-hearted event with community giving.

     

  8. Birthday Fundraisers – Encourage supporters to create personal donation pages for their birthdays.

     

  9. Digital Giving Day – Use QR codes, donation machines, and social media to power one big giving day.

     

  10. Thankfulness Wall – Invite people to donate in honour of something or someone they’re thankful for.

Tips for Making Fundraising More Effective

  1. Use multiple giving channels: Combine contactless donations, QR codes, and online giving to make it easy for everyone to give.

  2. Tell stories: Share who benefits from each campaign — real stories drive real impact.

  3. Keep it simple: The best events are easy to understand and easy to join.

  4. Encourage repeat giving: Follow up with updates and gratitude to turn one-time donors into long-term supporters.

  5. Empower your branches: If you’re a multi-site charity, use centralised tools (like Dona’s Parent Account) to track data, forecast success, and celebrate what’s working across your network.

Call Sales: 0203 488 5038

Call Support: 0203 488 8095

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Categories
Case Studies Church DDB

Verso Vineyard Church

Verso Vineyard Church: Church Fundraising Terminals Systems Review

Verso Vineyard Church

"We are pleased with the latest version of our Dona machine and particularly its improved visibility, because the new design ensures the machine is more noticeable helping to attract attention. The expanded display provides greater clarity for users, and we now have the capability to display additional funds. Overall, this version is much better."
Sally Mannington
Admin and Business Operations Assistant

Verso Vineyard Church has been fundraising with Dona’s Digital Collection Plates since 2021, and began trialling our Digital Donation Box range (launching November 2025, available for pre-order now) in 2025.

Verso Vineyard Church is a vibrant and welcoming community with a simple mission — to become more like Jesus and invite His presence into every part of life. Based across St Albans, Hatfield and Hemel, Verso creates spaces where people can encounter God, build authentic relationships, and make a real difference in their local communities. Their gatherings, worship, and outreach reflect a passion for helping people discover faith, hope and purpose in everyday life.

From Sunday gatherings to community projects, youth work, and discipleship courses, Verso Vineyard Church is deeply rooted in serving others. The church encourages people to grow spiritually, care practically, and bring the love of Jesus into their families, workplaces, and neighbourhoods. Whether through moments of worship or acts of compassion, Verso is committed to seeing lives transformed and communities strengthened.

Since partnering with Dona Donations in 2021, Verso Vineyard Church has raised an incredible £232,926 (as of October 2025), with an average donation of £67.71. Thanks to Dona’s integrated Gift Aid technology, an impressive 42% of those donations included Gift Aid — boosting every pound given and helping the church do even more to serve their mission. This partnership has made generosity simpler, more impactful, and a powerful part of how Verso continues to grow and give back.

£255k+ |Total fundraised on Dona since November 2021

£67 |Average donation value 

45% | Donations given with Gift Aid

Learn more about Verso Vineyard Church

Call Sales: 0203 488 5038

Call Support: 0203 488 8095

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Case Studies

The Gurkha Museum

The Gurkha Museum, Winchester​

“Unlike our previous provider, Dona’s machines also allow us to accept offline donations when we have had trouble with our internet connection in the museum. Overall the service from Dona has been friendly, fast, and reliable from start to finish. We’re incredibly pleased with the machines and the positive difference they’ve made for our museum.”
https://thegurkhamuseum.co.uk/
Victoria Anastasi,
Fundraising Co-ordinator

The Gurkha Museum serves as a vital bridge, connecting the past with the present and ensuring that the extraordinary legacy of the Gurkha soldier continues to inspire.

Nestled within the historic Peninsula Barracks in Winchester, The Gurkha Museum stands as a vibrant testament to over two centuries of unwavering service and profound connection between the Brigade of Gurkhas and Britain. More than just a repository of artifacts, the Museum actively safeguards the rich tapestry of Gurkha heritage by celebrating, honouring, and promoting the remarkable history and culture of these legendary soldiers, alongside their enduring commitment to the British Armed Forces.

As their constitution states, the Museum’s core mission is two-fold: to advance education, primarily through the provision of the Museum itself and the meticulous preservation of the Brigade collection, and to promote the efficiency of the Armed Forces by steadfastly upholding the cherished traditions and ethos of the Brigade of Gurkhas, ensuring their remarkable deeds are never forgotten.

“Using Dona’s digital collection plates has significantly boosted our fundraising efforts at The Gurkha Museum. In a time when we were seeing fewer people carry cash, these machines have allowed us to capture donations that we would have otherwise missed.

The Gift Aid functionality has been invaluable, enabling us to collect Gift Aid on eligible donations, further increasing the impact of each contribution.

Unlike our previous provider, Dona’s machines also allow us to accept offline donations when we have had trouble with our internet connection in the museum.

Overall the service from Dona has been friendly, fast, and reliable from start to finish. We’re incredibly pleased with the machines and the positive difference they’ve made for our museum.”

Victoria Anastasi, Fundraising Co-ordinator at The Gurkha Museum

Learn more about The Gurkha Museum

Call Sales: 0203 488 5038

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Case Studies

Sacred Heart Church, Wimbledon

Sacred heart Wimbledon internal church image

Sacred Heart Church, Wimbledon​

“Using Dona’s donation terminals has helped us raise over £200,000 in the last four years! The Management Portal is easy to use and allows us to download reports of Gift Aided donations and track what our parishioners are giving towards. Dona also provides a Donation Webpage, making it simple to manage all our donations in one convenient place. This system has completely transformed the way we collect donations, making the process smoother and more efficient than ever. It is an invaluable tool for our parish, and the positive impact is clear in the results we achieve.”
The sacred heart church exterior with blue skies
Christopher Woodman
Parish Priest

In 1884 young architect, Frederick Walters, designed the Sacred Heart Church in the stunning late Decorated Gothic style.

As one of the largest parishes in England, the Sacred Heart Church in Wimbledon has a dynamic community that has used the church as a place of worship for over a century. At the heart of our parish are the many people of all ages who work, study, pray and share their lives together. 

With large numbers of donors, it was important for the church to be able to customise the donation terminals for several funds they were collecting for and have a clear reporting portal that was easy to manage. 

£332k+ |Total fundraised on Dona since 2020

£11.73 |Average donation value 

46% | Donations given with Gift Aid

Learn more about Sacred Heart Church

Call Sales: 0203 488 5038

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Case Studies

Newton Mearns Islamic Centre

Islamic donation terminal in place in a mosque

Newton Mearns Islamic Centre​

“Dona has provided our masjid with a simple and efficient way to raise funds for those in need, fisabilillah. With clear screen options that allow brothers and sisters to donate generous amounts for Lillah, our congregation has taken up this new way of giving with ease, alhamdulillah. With less people carrying cash, this transition has made sense and worked really well for us!”
Discrete and custom-placed card donation machine on a pillar of a mosque
Management Team

Newton Mearns Islamic Centre is an Islamic Community Centre in Glasgow, established in 2011, with the generous support of the local Muslim community.

Noting that less people were carrying cash to give Lillah / donations to the masjid, we initially provided them with 2 donation terminals, for collecting contactless and Chip & PIN donations, increasing to 5 donation machines by 2025.

Newton Mearns Islamic Centre chose wall mount to make their donation terminals easily accessible nearby the entrances of the masjid and they use additional donation terminals portably – passing them along the rows of people after salat – as well as with floor stands which can be moved around for additional self-service donations.

£310k+ |Total fundraised on Dona since 2022

£13.80 |Average donation value 

65% | Donations given with Gift Aid

Learn more about Newton Mearns Islamic Centre

Call Sales: 0203 488 5038

Call Support: 0203 488 8095

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Categories
Case Studies

St Peter’s Church, Gorleston-on-Sea

Countryside church with modern brick built walls and oval windows

St Peter’s Church, Gorleston-on-Sea​

“Dona’s contactless giving system has been fantastic for increasing our fundraising at St. Peter’s Church. The whole process, from purchasing to setting up the machine, was simple and efficient, making it easy for us to get started. While issues have been rare, the customer support has been incredibly helpful whenever we’ve needed it. We always receive a quick response, which has given us great peace of mind. Overall, we’re extremely pleased with the service and the positive impact it’s having so far on our fundraising efforts.”
Outside image of St Peters church at Gorleston
Chris Whiting
Treasurer

St. Peter’s Church in Gorleston-on-Sea, is a distinguished Grade II listed building and the sole ecclesiastical design by renowned twentieth-century sculptor Eric Gill.

The church sought to modernise their fundraising efforts and are actively raising funds for several vital initiatives, including an organ rebuild, a comprehensive restoration project, and improvements to St. Peter’s Hall.

To support these crucial campaigns, Dona provided two contactless donation terminals, strategically placed at the front and rear of the church. These self-service devices enable parishioners and visitors to contribute conveniently and securely. Furthermore, Dona facilitated a free donation webpage,  integrated with the church’s existing website, allowing donations to be made online or via QR code at any time.

£14+ |Average donation value 

36% |Average donations given with Gift Aid

Call Sales: 0203 488 5038

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Case Studies

The Lantern Arts Centre, Wimbledon

Large image of a promo flyer for Lantern arts centre where they have a dona donations contactless card machine

Lantern Arts Centre Wimbledon

“Not only can our supporters choose what they want the donation to be for, but they can also declare their Gift Aid status all in the same process. This saves us lots of chasing and paperwork and of course increases the value of the donation. The functionality is effective and the user experience is good, even for those who are less used to using technology in this way.”
Lantern Arts Centre Fundraising for Arts Charities Case Study
Steve Rees
Operations Manager

Lantern Arts Centre has strong community presence and is funded by donations.

Like many charities, Lantern Arts Centre saw a big decline in cash donations in 2020 so explored digital giving options and chose Dona.

Utilising both donation terminals and a donation webpage, they have been able to transform their fundraising efforts. With their average donation amount increasing to £49.

They also use the Management Portal to remotely monitor donations for their various community initiatives throughout the year.

The time saved counting and depositing cash has meant they can now focus on what they love most, performing arts!

£235k+ |Total fundraised on Dona since 2020

£49 |Average donation value 

Call Sales: 0203 488 5038

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Case Studies

West London Islamic Centre

West London Islamic Centre Donation System

West London Islamic Centre​

“Although we have used standard card readers in the past, none of them allowed us to collect Gift Aid. This is why we chose to move forward with Dona. The Gift Aid feature is easy to use, and the Management Portal lets us track all Gift Aid related information in one place, reducing time spent on admin so that we can focus on the centre’s other needs.”
West London Islamic Centre Donation System
Dr. Abdulkarim Khalil
Chief Executive Officer

The West London Islamic Centre and Jamia Masjid (WLIC) was established in 1984 and, having found its base in West Ealing 12 years later, is a central hub for the area’s Muslim community.

WLIC is dedicated to providing an inclusive space for all that enter, aiming to expand and become a landmark facility that will serve the well-being of the community.

Using 5 devices in a combination of countertop stands and the passing around of digital collection plates portably, the flexibility of our donation terminals, has allowed WLIC to make donation points visible at all their seasonal events and regular worship times.

£52k+ |Total fundraised on Dona

£12.60 |Average donation value 

41% | Donations given with Gift Aid

Call Sales: 0203 488 5038

Call Support: 0203 488 8095

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