# Pandemic’s height saw over £2 million raised through Donr text giving platform

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2020/10/13/pandemics-height-saw-over-2m-raised-through-donrs-text-giving-platform/
- Published: 2020-10-13T08:30:05+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**Just over 2,000 charities raised a total of £2 million through Donr’s text giving
platform between March and July.**

[Donr](https://www.donr.com/) saw a 653% year-on-year increase in funds raised for
this time period due to charities organising emergency appeals, virtual events and
using text giving as an alternative to cash donations. It now has over 3,000 charities
now registered on the platform.

The pandemic has seen many charities using text to give for emergency appeals, including
Chester Zoo, which launched the ‘Save Our Zoo’ appeal to offset a funding gap caused
by forced closure during lockdown.

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Fundraising Manager, Julie Platt said:

> “Donors are looking for simple ways that they can quickly and safely donate to
> their favourite causes. Text to donate is still a really popular way to give, 
> so it’s great to be signed up and using it.”

Several charities, including Keech Hospice Care used text giving during a series
of quizzes streamed online, while National Theatre and Barn Theatre have used text
giving to ask for donations during broadcasts of performances, raising funds from
supporters unable to visit the theatre in person. Other charities, such as Tottenham
Foodbank, have used text giving as an alternative to donations of cash or physical
items.

A Tottenham Foodbank spokesperson explained:

>  “People want to donate food to us, but they often can’t because – they can’t 
> make it during our opening times, they are self-isolating, they are avoiding public
> places during lockdown or they simply cannot find anything on the supermarket 
> shelves. Texting is the most immediate thing they can do to help.”

A total of 250,469 charity supporters made donations through Donr’s platform between
March and July.

The platform allows charities to receive one-off or regular donations at a cost 
of 5% plus VAT. Due to the pandemic however, it has made two features free for the
rest of 2020: the option to send an additional text message to request donors complete
a Gift Aid declaration, and to send a conversion message to encourage a one-off 
donation to be turned into a regular gift.

 

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