Mobile helps Salvation Army boost online donations

The Salvation Army’s annual Christmas Campaign saw an uplift in online donations due to a focus on making it easier to give money via a mobile phone.

Online donations to the Salvation Army’s Christmas campaign are up 20% on the previous year, according to latest evaluation.

The charity says that the uplift in donations for its annual festive push is due to a stronger focus on targeting mobile phone users.

Along with its fundraising software firm iRaiser, the charity made sure that the online donations form it used for the campaign had an improved layout that was easier to use on mobile phones.

“The Salvation Army started working with iRaiser just as we launched our big Christmas fundraising campaign. By the end of the campaign our online donation income had increased by 20% year on year,” said Alex Wood, Head of Individual Giving at the charity.

“Amongst other factors, we believe the rise in online donations was thanks to the improved layout of the donation form. We designed this form in collaboration with iRaiser, using the wealth of knowledge they have amassed through extensive testing of online donation forms.”

Mobile friendly form

Wood added: “It is also thanks to the mobile friendly form. The experience of using the online donation form on a mobile is vastly superior to our previous donation platform and our online income has increased as a result.”

“With more and more people using mobiles to complete online transactions, it’s vital that we offer a donation experience which matches people’s expectations of giving online, and iRaiser’s solution helps us to achieve that.”

iRaiser took on The Salvation Army, as well as homelessness charity Shelter, late last year as part of an expansion into the UK charity market. The firm already operates across Europe and works with around 450 organisations including the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, Unicef and the Louvre.

Antoine Martel, iRaiser Group Chief Executive, said: “Expanding to the UK is a very important step in iRaiser’s journey. Although the UK is the most charitable country in Europe in terms of funds raised, there are not many one-stop solutions for fundraising organisations. Those that are available tend to take a percentage on donations.”