A hospice depends heavily on the generosity of the community it serves. Much of its income is raised close to home, through the hospice itself, its charity shops, and the events and supporters that gather around it. Many of the people who give have a personal connection to the care provided, which makes the giving heartfelt, and it makes the way you collect it a matter of real sensitivity.
Giving with dignity
A hospice is a place of compassion, and any donation point within it should reflect that. A device should never feel like a transaction or press for attention. A discreet, well-placed unit lets a visitor, a family member or a supporter give quietly and quickly, treating the act of giving as a natural part of their visit. The CharityWall suits a reception or quiet corner, and the CharityDesk works at a welcome desk or in a charity shop. Our guide to donation kiosks for hospices looks at this in more detail, and the related needs of hospitals are covered on the hospitals page.
Across the whole operation
Hospice fundraising rarely happens in one place. There is the hospice reception, the network of charity shops, the fundraising events through the year, and the open days and remembrance occasions that bring supporters together. A contactless point fits all of these, capturing the gift at the moment it is offered whether that is by a grateful family at reception or a shopper at the till who wishes to add a little more.
Gift Aid on eligible gifts
Hospices are charities, and where a donor is a UK taxpayer their eligible gift allows a further twenty-five per cent to be reclaimed from HM Revenue and Customs at no cost to them. Capturing the declaration at the device, in the same simple action as the tap, adds this reliably to a stream of gifts that might otherwise carry no Gift Aid at all.
Reliable and undemanding
Hospice teams and volunteers are stretched, so a device must work without supervision. A fixed unit runs unattended through the day, recovers by itself after a power interruption, and stays locked to its single task. Where a hospice runs several shops and sites, the devices can be monitored and adjusted remotely through Give A Little, so an organiser can look after them all from one screen rather than visiting each in turn.
In-memory giving deserves particular thought. A device set to a remembrance appeal, with wording that names it gently, lets a visitor make a gift in someone's memory in a quiet and personal way. Because the cause and the suggested amounts are changed remotely, the hospice can run such an appeal alongside its everyday collection and adjust it whenever it wishes.
Raising support for a hospice? Read our guide for hospices, compare the devices on our comparison chart, or see how the giving software works on the Give A Little page.