Fundraising in a digital era
Streamlining the collection of donations through open banking for the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Overview
As Ireland’s national charity, Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind plays a vital role in providing guide dogs to individuals with vision impairments and assistance dogs to families of children with autism, helping thousands of people annually.
Our connection to Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind runs deep, originating from a colleague’s personal experience with a visually impaired granddad and his two guide dogs. Inspired by his dedication to regular fundraising, we embarked on a mission to support the charity in a meaningful way.
Over the past few years, we have assisted the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind in implementing QR codes for donations across all volunteer fundraising branches and transitioning from card payments to open banking payments, providing donors with a seamless and cost-effective way to support their cause.
The Challenge
Traditional fundraising methods may be becoming less effective in the face of digital technology and a cashless society.
Accepting credit card payments can result in high costs. Additionally, maintaining and updating payment processing systems may involve investing in hardware and ensuring software updates for compatibility with industry standards.
Open banking payment acceptance enables charities to broaden their outreach and efficiently gather donations from a wider audience, eliminating the necessity for maintaining an expensive card infrastructure. Additionally, younger generations, who are increasingly supportive of charitable causes, are inclined towards digital fundraising methods due to their familiarity with online platforms and digital payments.
The solution
Recognising the challenges of fundraising in a digital era, we collaborated closely with members of the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind finance and fundraising teams. What started as a Proof of Concept for Guide Dog Day 2021 evolved into a broader collaboration. In the past couple of years, they introduced QR codes for donations across all volunteer fundraising branches. Choosing open banking payments over cards proved to be beneficial, offering donors a seamless and cost-effective way to support their cause.
The Results
- Cost-effective solution for charitiesCard costs cover scheme interchange, acquirer margin, gateway & processing fees, all of which can add up as there are several stakeholders. With fewer intermediaries, open banking payments are more cost-effective, ensuring more funds reach for Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind.
- Campaign-specific QR codesQR code payment links help businesses test what works best by allowing them to create two different designs, each with its own QR code. By tracking which code gets more scans, they can improve their marketing strategy.
- Streamlined donation processAccount-to-account payments offer a better customer experience for receiving donations. They’re faster and more secure than card payments, with a digital-first design that boosts payment success rates.
"Fire is an excellent organisation to work with. As a charity, Fire has allowed us to have a digital offering for many of our major events including our annual Mizen2Malin Challenge. The ease with which reliable QR codes can be created and used across a wide range of print and digital material is excellent. We are extremely happy with Fire and will continue to make use of the system in the future."
Tim O'Mahony, CEO of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind
Q&A with Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind
- How easy is it to use Fire's platform and how well it serves your purpose?
Creating QR codes for various fundraising payment streams could not be easier and can be achieved with the minimum of clicks and at a level where anyone can easily be taught to do so even with the bare minimum of IT training.
- How has your experience with Fire's customer service been so far?
Fire’s customer service is quick and responsive, and they understand the charity experience regarding fundraising.
- How using Fire improved your operations?
The customer (donor) experience with Fire has been overwhelmingly positive with people commenting on the ease of processing and the ability to use a range of payment options.
Contact us to start your open banking journey today.