CYBER CHARITY AT CHRISTMAS

How digital technology is helping charities this season – Ruwandi Perera

Christmas is near and almost here. By default, this is the season when hearts tend to warm up – more so than during the rest of the year. Charity and Christmas are closely associated, and giving back to those you love – and more importantly, giving to those less fortunate – is on many a seasonal bucket list.

And as with all other aspects of our lives, digital technology and social media have sneaked into the realm of how we engage in charity… and it’s looking quite easy!

Whether it’s a global charity, local religious organisation or neighbourhood fundraiser, there is much to gain from jumping on the digital bandwagon to collect donations for those who need them the most.

While one can argue that there’s no stronger push to get people to donate to charity than a face-to-face ‘charity pitch,’ the pull of digital is less costly, more impactful and easier to monitor. Charity organisations that harness the power of digital are looking at sharing powerful stories, achieving quicker conversions and collecting larger donations.

There is not much that can combat the power of storytelling through videos.

From 15 second clips to full 20 minute videos, the allure of audiovisual communications through social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube is unlike any other. Whether you’re using real life actors or computer graphics, a powerful video story will work wonders to get those donations flowing in.

Faster conversions need immaculate timing. And when it comes to getting digital technologies to work for charity, timing is crucial and an integral part of the process.

According to the Christmas Giving Insights 2023 report by Enthuse, 21 December will be the best performing day for donations this year – as it was last year.

The report adds that email campaigns and social media posts must be scheduled between 10 and 11 o’clock in the morning – i.e. between breakfast and lunch – to yield the best results. It is also said that charity organisations should refrain from trying to reach donors before 8 a.m. and after 2 p.m. when the probability of making a contribution is very low.

With digital technology, timing your social media posts or direct mails is simple, unlike when you were using manual methods. And you can monitor the response rate in real time to fix any issue or reconsider your strategy if it doesn’t play out.

Digital technologies are also making it easier and faster for donors to give, which leads to more donations. It doesn’t necessarily mean that individual donors are giving more; rather, the donor pool has increased, resulting in many albeit smaller donations.

And unlike traditional aid organisations, digital charities don’t have geographic limitations. A community-based Christmas charity in a village in India can easily attract donations from a highschool teacher located in Chicago. Accessibility is a given when it comes to digital technologies and the charity pitch need not be restricted to a particular locale.

While traditional donations will involve cheques and en­velopes, digital donations can use novel payment methods such as PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay and other digital wallets. There is less time between the charity pitch and actual act of giving, ir­respective of whether you’re using credit cards, bank transfers or mobile wallets.

Going one step beyond, we’re seeing cryptocurrencies being used for donations today; and this helps donors overcome traditional barriers such as delays in funds disbursement, high transaction costs and other red tape.

Donations are made possible across national borders and with increased transparency in technologies such as blockchain (which is the base for many cryptocurrencies), donors will also have visibility about how their donations are used.

However, like any profit making organisation, charities are also exposed to cyberattacks such as phishing, which is where prospective donors are scammed with genuine looking emails and other content that invite donations. Apart from stealing money under false pretences, donors’ personal, contact and banking information are also at risk.

Cybersecurity is an essential requirement for any charity drive or organisation today but sadly, not all of them pay attention to this growing issue.

Powerful stories, faster conversions and more charity… it really does seem that digital donations have revolutionised how we help those in need.