BT announces MyDonate free online giving service
Howard Lake | 6 April 2011 | News
BT has launched MyDonate, an online fundraising service that guarantees 100% of donations are passed to the charity, excluding credit or debit card charges. By not charging charities, donors, or fundraisers a subscription fee, set-up fee or commission, it competes directly with services such as JustGiving and Virgin Money Giving that do charge charities for their services.
BT says that the site is designed to grow the online donation market. Citing the Charities Aid Foundation’s UK Giving 2010 Report, BT points out that although UK adults donated an estimated £10.6 billion a year, only 7% of donors gave online.
A number of charities have helped BT in developing MyDonate, including Cancer Research UK, Changing Faces, KidsOut, NSPCC, Maggie Cancer Caring Centres, Mercy Ships, Ovarian Cancer Action, Paralympics GB, RNID, Unicef Women’s Aid.
BT has a long track record of providing secure online services to charities. Its online donation platforms have processed more than £160 million for charity telethons over the last nine years, including the BBC Children in Need and the DEC’s (Disasters Emergency Committee) Pakistan appeal. BT’s donation platforms are also supporting the Royal Wedding Charitable Gift Fund.
At the launch of MyDonate this morning, Ian Livingston, Chief Executive of BT, said: “We’ve launched MyDonate as we want to ensure that 100% of people’s fantastic fundraising efforts, and donations, go to the charity of their choice”. He explained that the site forms a key part of the company’s charitable programme.
BT is committed to investing a minimum of one per cent of its pre-tax profits in community and environmental programmes every year. In 2010 this was worth over £26 million in money, time and in-kind contributions.
Nick Hurd, the Minister for Civil Society, said: “This initiative is a great example of how business can play its part in building the Big Society. BT has shown real leadership by using their expertise to make it easier for people to do their bit for their community”.
Editor’s update 21 January 2019
BT Group plc today announced that BT MyDonate will close on 30 June 2019.
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.