Scout and Guide groups, youth clubs, uniformed organisations and children's charities do a great deal of good on modest budgets. They run on subscriptions, grants and the steady support of parents and the local community, and almost all of them could do more with a little extra income for equipment, trips, premises and activities. The people who back these groups, parents, former members and neighbours who value what they do for young people, are usually glad to give. A contactless donation point makes it easy for them to do so at the moments they are already gathered.
The occasions that bring supporters together
Youth organisations have a natural calendar of giving moments. Open evenings and parents' evenings, fundraising fairs and bag packs, displays and presentation nights, fetes and community events all bring supporters into one place with goodwill to spare. In each case the gift is most likely to happen there and then, while the adult is watching what their child takes part in or chatting with leaders over a cup of tea. A device they can simply tap captures that, where a request to visit a website later will mostly be forgotten. Because so much of this happens at events, our guide to contactless giving at charity events, galas and fun runs is a useful companion.
How this differs from school fundraising
There is some overlap with schools and parent associations, but the setting is different enough to be worth separating. A school raises money through its own community and its PTA, often inside the school itself, which we cover in our piece on contactless donation kiosks for schools, colleges and PTAs. A youth organisation usually meets in a hall, a hut or a community building, draws from across several schools and neighbourhoods, and fundraises around its own activities and events. The giving moments and the venues differ, even if the spirit is the same.
A simple, donation only device
Groups that work with young people rightly take care over anything new they introduce, and a donation point is reassuringly simple in this respect. The device does one thing, invite a gift from an adult supporter, and it can be locked to that single purpose. The hardware and its locked down setup come from DonorDynamics, so the device cannot be used to browse or to open anything else, and the giving experience and payments are provided by Give A Little. The donor chooses an amount, taps and sees a thank you. There is no need to capture anything about young people, because the device is there to receive donations from adults, not to gather information. A light, portable CharityTab is ideal for a group that meets in different places and takes its fundraising to events.
Gift Aid for registered groups
Many youth organisations are registered charities, and a great many Scout and Guide groups hold charitable status, which means eligible donations from UK taxpayers can be worth twenty five per cent more through Gift Aid. The donation app can invite a Gift Aid declaration as the gift is made, so it is well worth enabling if your group qualifies. Some very small clubs are not registered charities, in which case Gift Aid would not apply, so it is worth confirming your own status first. Our guide to Gift Aid and contactless donations explains what qualifies, and the official position is on GOV.UK.
A practical lift for community groups
For a youth organisation, contactless giving is a low fuss way to make the most of the support that is already there. Confirm whether your group is a registered charity, pick a device that travels easily to your meeting place and your events, and keep the giving screen simple and clearly branded as yours. The result is that a parent or supporter who wants to help can do so in seconds, without cash and without friction. If you would like to see how it would work for your group, you can explore the options on our Give A Little device pages or reach our team through the charities overview, and we will be glad to help.