Posted on 24th November 2011
Fundraising scheme Pennies has received its one millionth micro-donation in just 12 months, raising over £250,000. The scheme known as an electronic charity box asks consumers to round up their bills when they pay by card.
Domino’s Pizza, Travelodge, Zizzi, The Entertainer and the Rugby Football Union, have already signed up to Pennies, allowing customers to give quickly and securely. Retailers can now use the Pennies technology in stores as well as for online and mobile purchases.
A wide range of new organisations have confirmed that they intend to go live with Pennies by early 2012, including trade tools supplier Screwfix, homeless charity Shelter, new London restaurant Meatballs and outdoor retailer GO Outdoors.
Retailers nominate the charities they wish the majority of the funds they raise to go to, while 25% goes to a list of 10 charities approved by the Pennies Foundation trustee board to make sure a breadth of charitiable causes are supported.
The Pennies Foundation chief executive Alison Hutchinson said: “Pennies has collected over one million donations in just a year, through five retail partners so far, supporting more than 20 charities. Clearly it’s early days, but we believe that 2012 could prove a real turning point for micro-donations.”
Hutchinson says if every one of the 43 million cardholders in the UK gave once a month at an average of 30p (equivalent to a penny a day), they would raise more than £150m a year. The Foundation gives the money it collects to other charities. It particularly gives to those working with children and young people, the elderly, people who are sick or disabled, the homeless or those who have been diagnosed with cancer.
Pennies is working with provider of point of sale card processing solutions Cardsave to enable smaller retailers to switch on Pennies to support charities in their local area.
