# CAF creates online Direct Debit platform for smaller charities

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/06/26/caf-creates-online-direct-debit-platform-smaller-charities/
- Published: 2014-06-26T11:45:22+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) has created a new online giving platform to help
small and medium sized charities process donations online and offline, and make 
it easier for them to accept regular donations by Direct Debit.

CAF Donate will simply charge charities a small amount for each transaction. It 
will not charge a set-up fee or regular monthly charge.

## Accepting Direct Debit donations

Only a small minority of charities accept Direct Debit donations. [According to the Payments Council](http://www.paymentscouncil.org.uk/resources_and_publications/publications/statistics/#anchor8),**
91% of charities do not accept Direct Debits**, whether online or offline.

## Advertisement

Chris Allwood, Senior Product Developer at the Charities Aid Foundation, said:

> “Too often charities are put off setting up online giving because of the perceived
> cost, both in terms of processing fees and administrative costs. We’ve set up 
> CAF Donate to make it easier for these charities to accept donations and fundraise”.

Whether or not they choose to use the Direct Debit option, charities using CAF Donate
will be able to process other donations, whether received by post, phone or online,
all within the one system. Offline donation data can be uploaded to CAF Donate.

## Two versions

Charities can choose a basic CAF Donate profile or the full service.

The basic profile provides charities that do not have their own website an online
page to help with their fundraising efforts. The full service gives charities the
tools to fundraise through their own website and via mobile phones and Facebook.
It also offers charities a widget to allow supporters to donate to them without 
leaving the charity’s website.

The full service also automatically includes Gift Aid reclamation to make every 
donation go that bit further.

 

**Editor’s note:** _the video previously embedded here (https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=8W4Cq7laD1Q) is no longer available._

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