A visit to a zoo, an aquarium or a wildlife park gives people something rare in everyday life, a moment of genuine wonder at the natural world. Many such organisations are charities or run conservation programmes that reach far beyond their own grounds, and that moment of wonder is fertile ground for giving. The task is to let a moved visitor act on the feeling there and then.
Wonder at the enclosure
A family that has just watched the penguins, stood before a tank of rays, or seen a big cat up close is open to supporting the work that protects such animals. A contactless donation point placed by an exhibit, at the exit, or beside an information board lets them give in a single tap while the experience is fresh. A robust CharityPole stands up to a busy outdoor walkway, a CharityStand suits an indoor exhibit or visitor centre, and a CharityWall works at a fixed indoor point. The related needs of rescue centres are covered on the animal rescue page.
Giving the gift a purpose
Conservation giving is strongest when it is specific. An appeal a visitor can picture, the care of a particular species, a breeding or release programme, or a project in the field, gives more readily than a general request for funds. Because the cause and the suggested amounts are set through Give A Little and changed remotely, the park can put the most compelling appeal in front of visitors and move a device from one exhibit's story to another.
Gift Aid on eligible gifts
Where the organisation is a registered charity and the visitor 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 collects this in the same quick action as the tap, across the high volume of visitors a popular attraction sees.
Robust, outdoors and unattended
Much of a wildlife attraction is outdoors and exposed to weather and crowds, and staff cannot stand by every giving point. A device made for the job runs unattended through the day, recovers by itself after any interruption, and stays locked to its single task. A unit that carries its own mobile connection keeps working in spots far from the venue's network, which matters across a large site. Through the management layer, every device can be monitored and adjusted remotely from one screen.
Placing more than one device across a large attraction lets you meet visitors at several high points of their day, and the reporting shows which spots give most so the next placement follows the evidence. Over a season, that turns a scattering of giving points into a dependable contribution to the conservation work the visitors came to enjoy.
Funding conservation at a zoo, aquarium or wildlife park? Compare the range on our comparison chart, read about the giving software on the Give A Little page, or see the rugged CharityPole and CharityStand.