The collection plate is one of the oldest fundraising tools there is, and for generations it worked because everyone carried coins. That is no longer true. With cash now below one in ten payments across the United Kingdom, the plate that passes along the pew reaches fewer hands each year, and a regular worshipper who would gladly give often finds they simply have nothing to put in.
The plate and its blind spot
A church depends on the steady generosity of its congregation, supplemented by visitors who step inside during the week. The weekly collection still gathers that giving, but it now misses the growing number of people who carry a card or a phone and no change at all. The willingness has not faded. The means of giving in the moment has.
A quiet point of giving
A contactless donation point sits alongside the plate rather than replacing the tradition behind it. A discreet wall unit near the entrance lets a worshipper or a visitor give in a single tap, before or after the service, for the amount they had in mind. The CharityWall suits a fixed spot by the door, while the CharityDesk works at a welcome table or parish office. Our guide to donation kiosks for churches looks at placement in more detail.
Gift Aid on the regular gift
Most churches are registered charities, and where a giver is a UK taxpayer their eligible donation can carry Gift Aid, allowing the church to reclaim an extra twenty-five per cent from HM Revenue and Customs at no cost to the giver. Capturing the declaration at the device, in the same simple action as the tap, means this is collected as a matter of course rather than chased through a form weeks later.
Giving that continues through the week
A church building is rarely empty. Visitors come to sit quietly, to look around, or to attend a midweek service or event, and a fixed device keeps accepting gifts during all of those hours without anyone present to ask. It recovers by itself after a power interruption and stays locked to its single task, so it asks nothing of the churchwardens beyond switching it on.
The wording on the screen is worth a little thought. A church may wish to direct gifts to the general fund that keeps the lights on, to the upkeep of the building, or to an outreach project in the parish. Because the cause and the suggested amounts are managed remotely through Give A Little, the church can move the device from one appeal to another, and switch the right campaign on when it wants it live, without touching the unit on the wall.
Thinking about contactless giving for your church? Read our guide for churches, compare the models on our comparison chart, or look at the discreet CharityWall and CharityDesk.