Charities need to accept the decline of cash and focus on developing contactless payment systems to maximise donations, a procurement specialist has claimed.

Matrix head of innovation Matthew Morgan said charities must accept the decline of cash, digitise their learning and start optimising campaigns in order to fully maximise the level of donations.

Speaking to Charity Times, Morgan said: “Contactless donation is a first step for charities combatting the decline of cash, but there’s still a long way to go. The solution can be found in the world of digital technology – looking at how we can digitise, connect, and leverage data.”

Morgan noted how many charities still have a functioning donation box “sitting in every corner shop in England”. “They’re plastic-y, uncompelling and hardly inspire trust. And yet every charity still uses them,” he said.

He suggested charities instead look towards a display screen that takes contactless payments, and is connected to the internet, in place of a box. At what he claimed would be a relatively low cost, he said charities would be able to “start thinking much more digitally about giving”.

“By connecting these new smart boxes, they can start deploying strategies at both a macro or micro level. For example, straight after a natural disaster, messaging could be pushed out with a real-time feed of progress vs a target,” Morgan explained.

“But importantly, this would allow charities to address the decline of cash, digitise their learning and start optimising campaigns to maximise donations.

“The fact is, we live in the most charitable country in Europe. The giving intent is there, and the technologies are available, now we just need charities to make the jump.”

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