Introducing your first contactless donation device can feel like a leap, but in practice it is a series of small, manageable steps. A month is ample time to go from the decision to a device that is live and raising money, provided you tackle each part in turn. Here is a practical plan, set out as four stages across roughly thirty days, that a charity of any size can follow.
The first week: decide the where and the why
Begin with the setting, because everything else follows from it. Picture where the device will live and how people will pass it, then choose the form that fits, whether that is a discreet wall unit, a desk unit or a free-standing one. Our comparison chart sets the options side by side. At the same time, decide what you are raising money for and how you will word the ask, since a clear, specific cause gives better than a general one.
The second week: order and prepare
With the device and the spot chosen, place your order and set up the giving experience that will run on it. On a DonorDynamics device that experience is provided by Give A Little, where you set your preset amounts, your campaign and your Gift Aid step. Decide your suggested amounts with care, since they shape what people give, and make sure the Gift Aid declaration is in place so that eligible gifts from UK taxpayers carry the extra twenty-five per cent that can be reclaimed from HM Revenue and Customs at no cost to the donor.
The third week: install and test
When the device arrives, position it at a sensible height and within easy reach, where a seated visitor as well as a standing one can use it, and where nothing blocks the approach. Connect it, switch it on, and test the whole journey yourself, from the first screen to a real tap, so you know exactly what a donor will experience. Check that it recovers cleanly if the power is interrupted and that it stays locked to its single task.
The fourth week: go live and watch
Now switch your campaign on and let the device do its work. In the first days, keep an eye on the reporting to confirm gifts are coming through and the average gift looks healthy. A point worth knowing is whether the device is actually online and taking money at any moment, which the management layer will tell you, so a unit that goes quiet is noticed rather than discovered late.
After the first couple of weeks live, review what you have learned. If the average gift is lower than you hoped, adjust your preset amounts. If a spot is quieter than expected, consider moving the device. Small changes guided by the reporting tend to lift results more than anything else, and once your first device is settled and earning, adding a second is far easier than the first.
Ready to launch your first device? Compare the range on our comparison chart, set up your campaign through the Give A Little page, or talk it through with us via the contact page.