How can the digital revolution be used for good and benefit the charity sector? A new report published by the House of Lords Select Committee on Charities outlines the role that digital technology can play in raising awareness, engaging donors and generating more efficient fundraising.
In terms of awareness digital technology and especially social media are seen as powerful new tools for charities to gain attention and promote their cause. David Skelton from Google suggest that the strongest benefit of digital is that charities can reach a bigger audience more quickly, more widely and in a more scalable way.
The Charities Aid Foundation research and Community Links Bromley experience show that there is an appetite for younger people to donate through apps and demonstrate support for causes via social media. Digital communication, with existing and new supporters, offers a direct way to engage with people and opens doors to a new world of opportunities, with lower cost compared to traditional media.
All this data alone got me thinking – if we as a society are already destined to be glued to our devices, why not spin part our digital time into something good, beneficial, and charitable?
So we decided to launch Wegiveit (www.wegiveit.co.uk), enabling organisations to reach and engage with people who want to donate, whilst giving those people a solid reason to watch advertising videos for good – a charitable good.
The user goes to www.wegiveit.co.uk, chooses his favourite charity, and a video ad plays. By simply watching the sponsors’ advert, the user viewing time is converted into real cash. The charity receives the donation, the sponsor promotes the brand, the user just watches.
By adding a layer for sharing, we enable users to tell their network how and why they donated to the cause, because relevant shares are the most effective way for creating an extremely valuable viral loop.
The journey to create a disruptive video platform in the charity sector has only just begun, but we have delivered great results and we are proudly partnered with 18 charities and close to 50 sponsors. We are actively working on a #mycharity campaign, designed to engage more users and encourage them to resonate with causes that mean something to them. And as a plus, the Wegiveit platform allows charities to tell their story and keep donors constantly interested with quality video content.
As a charity, it’s easy and free to become part of the platform. Write to us and we will set you up with your charity assets and help you drive traffic and donations. Find out more at www.wegiveit.co.uk or contact me at sara@wegiveit.co.uk.