When the first lockdown hit in March 2020, the effects of the pandemic on the charity sector were already clear to see. With demand increasing for charity services, and the ability to fundraise restricted by social distancing measures, charities became some of the hardest hit by the crisis.
Which is why, we at Giant Digital were keen to offer our support. Having worked with charities and ethical brands for over 10 years, we knew that the best way to help would be by offering our digital expertise for free. We launched a £20,000 grant, to be shared between four worthy causes, to help bring much-needed fundraising activities or service provision online.
Grassroots was one of the four organisations shortlisted and we are delighted to have been able to deliver a digital solution that will not only support them now, but in the future also. Michael Jarvis, Development Manager at Grassroots suicide prevention charity explains why the development of a bespoke donation platform has made such an impact for the cause.
As one of the four causes fortunate enough to receive a grant, we were excited. Being a small team, we have to spend most of our resources on core activities - keeping people safe from suicide. This grant was an opportunity to add a substantial and valuable tool to the charity that would improve our resilience without compromising our core work.
After a helpful first meeting with Giant, we chose to build a bespoke donation platform on our website. This would give us greater control over the donor experience, resulting in happier supporters and more funds. Our existing solution was clunky, time-consuming and unprofessional, and gave us little opportunity to connect with our donors, which we knew needed to be addressed.
We launched the platform at the end of November 2020, which was perfect timing for our donation calendar. We had a strong first month, bringing in more one-off donations than the previous December. Donors were also able to share their reasons for donating, which meant we could connect with them on a more personal level.
Through our bespoke donation platform, we can now provide a welcoming donor experience which communicates our values and the difference our donors make. Ultimately, we hope to further increase donations and engage donors with other parts of our work, such as suicide prevention training and the StayAlive app.
For anyone thinking of putting in place a donation platform, my advice would be to go for it. There are plenty of things to consider such as the supporter journey plan, content, imagery and administrative elements, not to mention the promotion of the page, however, I would most definitely say don’t be put off - it's absolutely worth it.
We have had an excellent experience with Giant. From project conception to delivery, they have been communicative, reliable, and helpful. Moreover, they didn’t stop when they delivered a minimum viable product. They moved straight on to plans for upgrades, which we are working on together. We couldn’t be happier with their service or more grateful for this opportunity to improve our online presence".
Grassroots provides communities, organisations and individuals across the UK with the skills and confidence they need to save lives. Their approach is simple: get people talking openly and effectively about suicide. Formed in 2006, Grassroots have helped keep thousands of people safe from suicide.
The Grassroots donation platform is now live to view and available for donations should anyone wish to do so.
