From Cash to Contactless - The Purple Elephant Project Teams Up with Give A Little

When The Purple Elephant Project began reviewing their fundraising tools, they knew their existing tap-to-donate system wasn’t enough. As Fundraising Manager Nina Bradburn explained, “We have  an iZettle in the cupboard… it literally just takes a donation and that’s it. I just thought that’s crazy. There must be something else where you can get a little bit more information on people.”

A simple Google search for contactless fundraising options led Nina to Give A Little. After exploring the platform, she quickly recognised its potential: the ability to gather Gift Aid, capture donor preferences, run multiple campaigns, and track ROI in a meaningful way. Nina shared, “I’ve been in fundraising a long time and this is literally the best thing out there. I love that you can set up campaigns and track everything… from an ROI perspective and planning for future years, it’s brilliant!”

For Nina and her team, Give A Little stood out because it delivered far more than just a card reader. It provided transparency, insight, and flexibility. Another big benefit was the improved safety aspect - cash collections had become more and more burdensome: counting money, meeting compliance standards, coordinating checks, and dealing with security concerns. Nina recalled one incident where a full collection tin went missing between management changes, saying, “People have given money in good faith… that’s really bad.” 

Moving away from cash felt like a relief: “For me, having that and not having to deal with cash… I much prefer the no-money situation.”

Gift Aid functionality was another decisive factor. Being able to quickly capture Gift Aid on the spot - or skip it when the event was busy - gave the team the flexibility they needed. Nina summed it up: “Tap it and go. If somebody’s talking to you, then you can say, ‘Are you eligible for Gift Aid?’… It worked really well. Absolutely.”

Since adopting Give A Little, The Purple Elephant Project has integrated it across a range of fundraising activities including at local fairs and community stalls, which are important for raising awareness and steady income. Nina now uses the Give A Little Champion App, which doesn’t require a separate card reader, and has enabled recurring monthly donations as well as one-off donations for a smooth, cashless experience. Corporate partnerships have also been strengthened. Dedicated campaigns for local businesses such as Benedict's Cafe, the Wharf and Ethos Skin and Laser allow staff and guests to take donations via their phones and QR codes displayed for customers to give easily. Separate campaigns help the charity clearly understand each partner’s impact.

The Give A Little Champion App also supports the charity with in-person fundraising events and challenges such as fun runs, pub nights, and rugby club stalls, where quick tap-to-donate giving is especially valuable. QR code donations have also become part of the charity’s strategy, with codes placed in partner venues, marketing materials, and community spaces generating consistent small donations and helpful insight into donor behaviour.

Looking ahead, The Purple Elephant Project has a busy year planned, including a corporate-supported London to Brighton Bike Ride and a major expansion into school fundraising. With 25 riders already signed up, Nina plans to use the Give A Little Champion App for individual and team fundraising, with the option of creating a campaign per rider, or using the Give A Little reporting to track individual income. 

Schools are another growing priority as more transition to cashless fundraising. Nina intends to set up Give A Little campaigns for each school to support initiatives like non-uniform days or sponsored physical challenges, enabling parents to donate quickly via QR code.

With its flexibility, ease of use, and strong data insights, Give A Little has become a key part of the charity’s fundraising strategy. As Nina put it: “It’s been really revolutionary… we’ll now be able to track everything going forward. I just think it’s great.”