The Hawk and Owl Trust take flight with Give A Little Contactless Donations

The CollecTin contactless donation box was initially stationed at the Peregrine watchpoint, a temporary but fixed location at Norwich cathedral where the Trust operated three days a week for two months. This innovative approach allowed them to accept donations from visitors and local enthusiasts who came to observe the peregrine falcons.

Having a portable device is particularly useful for the charity as it provides the Trust with the flexibility to move the contactless donation box to different locations, maximising its fundraising potential.

Libby Wells, Conservation and Outreach Ranger from the Trust elaborates, "After the two month period at the Peregrine watch point, the CollecTin will be used to collect contactless donations at events and on the reserve at Sculthorpe Moor."

Providing a cashless donation option is essential for the Hawk and Owl Trust. Libby emphasises, "It gives choice to our donors. Some people don’t carry cash on them and without a contactless donation box, we would miss out on those donations. It also means we may get a higher donation than if someone was giving us cash." 

Donors have responded enthusiastically to the new cashless technologies. Libby observes, "The CollecTin More and Give A Little are so easy to use." 

The Trust is looking forward to finding ways to encourage even more donor participation through features like Gift Aid, which can be enabled when creating  Give A Little campaigns.  

Although the Trust has just begun exploring the possibilities offered by Give A Little campaigns, they have exciting plans for the future to enhance donor engagement and potentially increase contributions. Libby shares, "We’re thinking about setting up a list of campaigns and allowing the donors to choose what they want to donate towards. This will  be helpful when we organise events with different focuses." 

The Trust has gained valuable insights along their cashless fundraising journey. The Trust anticipates that actively creating inspiring Give A little campaigns that tell a story, and encouraging Gift Aid participation in future events will boost their income.

Libby highlights the importance of generating funding for their outreach programs, stating, "Operating a charity that provides outreach programs requires funding. While we do not impose charges for the services we offer, any contribution, regardless of size, is crucial in allowing us to maintain our efforts." 

Introducing cashless giving has been a positive experience for the Trust. Libby notes, "People have adapted well to using the CollecTin More and Give A Little, and it’s been great to see how quickly they have embraced the technology. The overall response has been very encouraging, and donors have seamlessly integrated this new way of giving with very few needing guidance.”

Looking ahead, the Hawk and Owl Trust plans to expand their use of the CollecTin contactless donation box to other events and reserves. Libby is currently designing some Give a Little campaigns, featuring bespoke branding and messaging,  to use on the CollecTin as It will be next placed within one of their hides at their Sculthorpe Moor reserve.

The Trust is delighted with the positive public reception of this initiative and suggests that other charities explore using Give a Little. Adopting digital fundraising tools is essential for every organisation and offers our supporters a cashless way to donate. Working with Give A Little has been an excellent experience to date. The platform is remarkably user-friendly, and the Give A Little team is consistently on hand to offer advice and assistance.

The Hawk and Owl Trust is just beginning their journey with Give A Little and we’re excited to follow their success!