Screwfix & Go Outdoors sign up to micro-donations
By Jon Whiteaker - 10:34AM - Thu 24th November 2011
Pennies, the micro-donations charity, announced this week that retailers Screwfix and Go Outdoors had signed up to implement its EPOS giving system in their stores.
The Kingfisher owned DIY trader has joined toys retailer The Entertainer and a number of restaurant chains in providing the option on their card payment handsets to round up purchases to whole pounds and donate the difference to selected charities.
Meanwhile, the outdoor equipment and clothing specialist Go Outdoor has added the option to donate to Pennies using its online payment system.
Just a year after launching, Pennies has received more the one million donations raising over £250,000 for 20 different UK charities, and it hopes its new partnerships will ensure it helps many other good causes going forward.
New agreements with payments providers Commidea and Ingenico will spread the availability of the Pennies solution and Mobile Money Network has also confirmed this week that it has integrated the system into its Simple Tap mobile application, allowing consumer to donate on the move whoever they are shopping with.
Alison Hutchinson, CEO of The Pennies Foundation, thanked all of those who had helped make the charity’s first year such a success at an anniversary celebration at BAFTA in London on Tuesday morning (November 22nd 2011), but was keen to stress that this was only the start of the story for the organisation.
“Pennies has collected over one million donations in just a year, through five retail partners so far, supporting more than 20 charities. With a run rate of two million consumer donations per annum, we are truly starting to witness the ‘power of pennies’,” she explained.
“Today we are announcing more retailers and technology organisations that are joining the Pennies movement as we head towards 2012, bringing the option to donate via Pennies to even more UK consumers. Clearly its early days, but we believe that 2012 could prove a real turning point for micro-donations.”
The crowd at the birthday celebrations heard some impressive first-hand experiences of using the Pennies system, with some traders reporting complete implementation in just two weeks, while The Entertainer revealed that over half of all its customers last month opted to donate their pennies when paying by card.
A local initiative to attract smaller independent retailers has also been launched recently, with 50 businesses already signed up in a trial scheme in Grimsby.
Hutchinson added: “One million donations in the first year? Let’s make it millions more next year!
“We believe that 2012 could mark a real step forward in micro-donations, adding to the British public’s overall giving by providing the option of donating their virtual ‘loose change’ in shops and restaurants, online and by mobiles.
“We are encouraging all retailers, technology companies, charities and consumers to join the Pennies movement!”