Tapping Into Generosity - The Brathay Trust Partners with Give A Little

Like many charities, the Brathay Trust recognised the need to adapt to a world where fewer people carry cash. As Robyn Wynn, Marketing & Communications Lead, put it, “The easier we make it for them, the more likely they are to donate.”

The Brathay Trust found Give A Little through a simple Google search. Robyn explained their decision to join the Give A Little community: “We felt like we could test the water and dip our toes into contactless donations with Give A Little, without having to sign up to minimum contracts and make big investments upfront before knowing if it would even work for us.”

Their initial interaction with Give A Little played a significant role in their choice. Robyn remarked, “We felt like Give A Little really understood what we were trying to achieve and weren’t just trying to ‘sell.’ We felt really supported, and the team was so helpful. Speaking to people who clearly care, gave us the confidence of this being a great partnership.”

The backing of Give A Little’s parent company, Caution Your Blast Ltd., further reassured the Brathay Trust. Robyn highlighted the importance of Give A Little’s mission-led approach: “Not having shareholders to please and having the expertise behind Give A Little, as well as the very reason for starting the platform and being mission-led, felt like a great synergy and aligns with our own values.”

The Brathay Trust installed an affordable

in their hall, which hosts a variety of visitors attending programmes and events, as well as guests using their AirBnB. Using the template provided by Give A Little, they created an eye-catching wall mounted display with the Stripe WisePad 3, also benefiting from the 1.58% transaction fee with Give A Little Stripe.

Donors are given the option to contribute to either general donations or the Brathay Bursary fund using the platform’s campaign list feature. Feedback on the new point of donation has been positive. One trustee even described the experience as “fun and entertaining” and something “quite different”.

Additionally, the Brathay Trust uses a Give A Little web campaign linked directly from their website. This move from their previous web donation form has simplified the donor journey, enabling them to capture Gift Aid declarations and marketing opt-ins with far less administrative effort. It's a change that has also increased their Gift Aid uptake.

The finance team also appreciates the detailed reporting available through Give A Little’s admin account, which has made their tasks less time-consuming and more streamlined.

Reflecting on their journey, Robyn acknowledged there is still work to be done: “We’re still in the early stages of our journey, and we need to take some time to really look at how we’re getting on. I want to take some time to really look at our reporting and understand where the opportunity is. From a marketing perspective, the flexibility and affordability of Give A Little gives us the ability to do more when we want, it’s brilliant! We’re already thinking about adding the

feature for staff when we are out and about at community events”

Robyn’s advice to other charities is clear: “Dedicate some time to getting everything ready at the beginning. We were delayed in setting things up and felt we lost out on some donations as a result. Get all parts of the organisation involved and ‘on board.’ It was crucial for us that we had the backing of our IT and finance teams, and having this has made everything much easier. Everyone understands why we work with Give A Little and is benefitting from the platform.”

She also advised: “Set aside regular time to look at how you’re using Give A Little to see what’s happening. Make sure you’re making the most of all the features that are available.”

When asked if she would recommend Give A Little, Robyn enthusiastically responded: “Yes! Give A Little is fab, the mission-led approach speaks volumes to us. It’s great that we have the ability to test the water without huge risk and cost, the opportunity to grow and expand our contactless offering, and the support available is fantastic. It’s so nice to have a supportive team available for our many questions, and we don’t feel bad for asking! It’s a great platform for people who don’t have knowledge and previous skills in the contactless area, as we feel that Give A Little is genuinely here to help us.”