# RNLI to accept donations in Bitcoin

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/07/31/rnli-accept-donations-bitcoin/
- Published: 2014-07-31T11:46:02+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is to test accepting donations by Bitcoin,
the digital currency. It claims to be “the first major charity in the UK or Ireland
to accept Bitcoin”.**

The test involves creating a dedicated [Bitcoin online donation](http://RNLI.org/Bitcoin)
page. If it proves successful, then the charity might integrate it into its standard
donation pages. There is, however, no budgeted target income.

Leesa Harwood, RNLI Deputy Director of Fundraising and Communications, explained
that she believed that “accepting Bitcoin will result in donations we may not otherwise
receive, as well as connecting us with new types of supporters.”

## Advertisement

 

[⌊Leesa Harwood, RNLI Deputy Director of Fundraising and Communications⌉⌊Leesa Harwood,
RNLI Deputy Director of Fundraising and Communications⌉[

Leesa Harwood, RNLI Deputy Director of Fundraising and Communications

 

She added:

> “From our research into future trends, it looked likely that we would receive 
> digital currency as a donation or as part of a legacy at some point and we wanted
> to be prepared for that eventuality. So a project team was founded to look at 
> the feasibility of accepting Bitcoin, which has led to the pilot scheme we are
> launching today”.

Bitcoin has certainly had some difficulties in being accepted, notably the [collapse of the Tokyo-based exchange Mt Gox](http://www.coindesk.com/japan-police-launch-investigation-missing-mt-gox-bitcoin/).
However, RNLI conducted considerable research into the currency, looking at providers,
price volatility, technical integration and security risks.

Harwood said:

> “We want to lead the way in accepting and benefiting from all forms of digital
> currency, so we’re running this scheme to allow our supporters to donate Bitcoins
> through a secure online system. We’ve chosen Bitcoin as it is an established and
> widely recognised digital currency”.

She put this in the context of the RNLI’s history of innovation in fundraising, 
claiming that the charity held the first street collection in 1891.

The trial is on the RNLI’s main website only. There are no plans at present to accept
Bitcoin in any RNLI shops, museums, online at RNLIshop.org or at the RNLI college.

## Wikimedia Foundation accepts Bitcoins

RNLI’s announcement came the day afterThe Wikimedia Foundation announced that it
was [accepting donations in Bitcoin](https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Ways_to_Give).
It is using the Bitcoin exchange Coinbase to accept Bitcoin. It will then convert
the currency into dollars, rather than hold it in Bitcoin format.

## Bitcoin and donations

Bitcoin is a software-based online payment system, introduced in 2009. It uses peer-
to-peer technology to operate with no central authority or banks. It is described
as a ‘crytocurrency’.

Many different organisations already accept Bitcoin for payment, including Expedia,
Dell, and Cumbria University.

 

_Photo: [Bitcoin logo](http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-166883648/stock-photo-white-d-bitcoin-symbol-on-orange-background.html)
by Mom91 on Shutterstock.com_

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