Stop being so horrible to older donors
“To the designers of charity websites – THE WIDOW’S MITE (BIBLICAL TALE OF THE POOR WOMAN WHO MADE THE BEST CONTRIBUTION SHE COULD). Every New Year I choose charities for a donation, some regular, some new for me. This year I have chosen seven to receive £50 each.
“I feel many charities may be missing out because older folk like me do not do any finance online.
“Is a cheque for £50 plus Gift Aid too small to process? Most charity websites do not advise on this option, presumably because a cheque does indeed have to be processed. Sometimes the information is in there but hard to find.
“Hey Charity Treasurers, there are a lot of possible donors out there who have good pensions, no rent or mortgage to pay, but do not do online transactions! For myself, I retired from an IT consultancy role some years ago and had seen enough to make me wary of IT weaknesses in company security, and the scammers who are always ahead of the game.”
It goes without saying that charities need every penny they can get - so they shouldn’t ignore or indeed disrespect those who want to pay by cheque. Which is what many charities, perhaps the majority, are doing at the moment on their websites.
When you think of the importance of the older segment of the population as donors to charities and the increasing effort by charities and their communication advisers being put into websites achieving more donations, it is extraordinary that charity websites appear to deliberately or carelessly deter or exclude cheque donations sent by post. In so doing they are in reality slamming the door on older visitors to their websites who wish to make one-off or single donations by cheque (whether one-time or for the first time).
Embrace older donors
This article is a plea for charities and their marketing advisers to embrace older donors visiting charity websites by assisting them to make payments by cheque. The latter part of the article consists of an analysis of a sample of charity websites to show the way many charities are operating this reality of deterrence and exclusion of older donors. On the other hand we also show how some charities are proactively facilitating cheque payments and are delighted to give them full credit for this.
Charities are being urged by all sorts of communication experts to increase the potency of their websites – often with the ultimate aim of attracting new donors. Indeed we have been running such articles in this magazine and do so in the current issue. These articles are usually within the overall context of digital marketing. But the focus tends to be on attracting younger donors who are particularly amenable to digital communication, with the consequence that older donors take second, third or even fourth place in strategies for new donor acquisition.
Fair enough if that is where it is thought new potential lies. But it isn’t fair enough if this is leading to continued older donor deterrence and exclusion. Of course, charities do specifically target, or include in their targeting, older people in other fundraising activity, e.g. direct mail. And there are the charity commercials on television channels with older audiences.
It is just that with undertaking digital communication expansion which takes in website enhancement many charities and those who advise them are leaving cheque payers out of their thinking.
Older consumers donate more
So why not include older donors by cheque in their thinking? A cheque will often produce a larger donation than a digital one. As Mintel’s UK Charitable Giving Market Report 2022 points out, older consumers donate more and they stick to traditional methods. Charity Aid Foundation’s 2022 UK Giving Survey (using 2021 figures) states that charity donations amounted to £10.7 billion. CAF’s latest figures, using 2022 statistics, show that cheques accounted for 2.74% of charitable giving.
(Source: information from CAF’s UK Giving Survey. It shows the average percentage of donors who donated via the method listed during 2022. (Please note it is survey data and reflects all the methods used by respondents so sums will add up to more than 100%.)
Sizeable sum of money
This 2.4% is not to be sneezed at despite looking small. Even if some of the figure includes cheques from philanthropists and companies (it doesn’t include fundraising events), and taking into account any reduction in the overall donation amount, this 2.74% must still represent somewhere in the region of £290 million. Thus in monetary terms older people paying by cheque should be regarded as a sizeable source of money. Rather than, in effect, ignoring them in view of the small percentage, they should be seen as a source with growth potential.
When an older donor wants to make a single payment to a charity they haven’t donated to before or do a repeat donation and they want to do so by cheque, they go onto their chosen charity’s website to find out how they can do it. They are looking for immediately accessible instructions, including a donation form to print out with Gift Aid. At the very least they want to quickly find an address to send their cheque. It is amazing how many charity websites make it difficult to find just that.
Take the situation of an older donor who receives a charity leaflet inserted into their weekend colour supplement or as a direct mailshot and puts it to one side to deal with later, and then accidently throws it out. So they go on the internet to find the charity’s website to ascertain how to pay a cheque, but they perceive they are being forced to pay by card, PayPal or other digital and they can’t even quickly find the postal address. It’s marketing madness. Charities should understand that online and offline can go hand in hand when it comes to payment information and implementation.
Offline methods of donation
As Sam Wright, head of media planning at data company Sagacity Solutions, says: “It remains vital for charities to continue to offer multiple offline methods of donation, both to respect the choice of the supporter in how they wish to donate, but also to maximise the response and ROI from their campaign activity.”
Naturally, charities wish their marketing methods to be as cost effective as possible and will tend to offer payment facilities which they think most people want. Small charities in particular don’t want to cut the margins on donations received, especially if incoming cheques are less convenient to process. And to some extent it is a case of each to their own. For instance, there is the situation of Lagans Foundation, a charity based in Bolton which provides home health care and respite for families and children living with complex needs.
Carren Bell, CEO of Lagans Foundation, says: “ In the past year we have had four cheque donations sent to us, totalling around £1,500, which is around 3% of total donations. These have all been from group organisations/groups as opposed to individual giving.
“Most of our donations tend to come from known donors who we meet at events, networking or through our newsletter or socials. For this we tend to have our CAF link which is linked to our bank account. We don’t deliberately not advertise taking cheque donations; we just find most of our donors find donating online more convenient and quicker.”
Cheque handling technology
Yes, but out there exist lots of older donors considering other charities, like Barbara Sanders who inspired this article, who don’t want to donate online, and the practicalities of handling their cheques doesn’t have to be such a negative. Just as individuals can now pay in cheques via their mobiles and small traders now use such technology for cheque paying customers, cheque handling doesn’t have to be difficult for charities of whatever size. The disappearance of a large number of bank branches no longer poses the inconvenience it did.
Many charities already receive cheques anyway, e.g. from direct mail shots, so having an increased volume as a result of website information shouldn’t be an overwhelming problem. Craig Naylor-Smith, CEO of document, financial and payment processing company Parseq, explains: “A 2022 Pay.UK report into cheque use found that 95% of charities are receiving cheques, with 78% of these for donations.
“It’s clear that donors want to pay by cheque, as well as by card or bank transfer, and charities will need to be able to receive cheque payments as part of their wider payments mix. The challenge is overcoming the administrative cost that handling and processing a physical cheque can bring. The good news is that there is technology which reduces this admin burden, and can even remove the need to process a physical cheque at all.
“For example, banks have increasingly been investing in remote deposit capture solutions. With these, a charity’s finance team can simply take a picture of a cheque they receive and deposit it digitally on the same day, without having to go to a bank branch. For larger volumes, automated cheque processing solutions could be helpful. These involve a third-party partner receiving paper cheques or their digitised information on a charity’s behalf, and then using intelligent automation and artificial intelligence to quickly and securely manage the process through clearing.”
Observes Naylor-Smith: “These systems connect seamlessly with charities’ finance systems; cut the cost of processing cheques – as much as, say, 65% as has been the case; and mean charities don’t have to invest in any bulk cheque handling tools themselves. Ultimately, investing in cheque acceptance and handling allows charities to maximise revenue.”
Inclusion and diversity
This article’s protest against the discrimination by charity websites against cheque payers and hence older people comes within the context of inclusiveness and diversity which of course charities are signed up to. The thoughtless or deliberate disrespecting of older people in this way, now it is being brought to the sector’s attention, should be banned. The various authorities – Fundraising Regulator, Charity Commission, Equality and Human Rights Commission – should now be considering the matter- and making it clear that offending charity websites must be changed.
HOW CHARITY WEBSITES TREAT WOULD-BE CHEQUE PAYERS
The other thoughtless or deliberate practice of many charity websites is to make would-be cheque donors hunt through the website for a postal address, sometimes to no avail. Rather reprehensible really.
Cancer charities
CANCER RESEARCH UK. At first, in terms of payment by cheque and postal address given all looks really good. When you press the Donate button top right on the Home page you eventually get to a single donation form which you can use to pay a cheque. There is a Contact us button top which gives a postal address and if you scroll right down you get a Your common questions prominently displayed eventually leading to the single donation form to pay by cheque.
So no complaints here unless you press another Donate button which is part of the donation display dominating the top part of the Home page where the process annoyingly makes you fill in various details with the end result being only options to pay by card, PayPal or GooglePay – i.e. no cheque options. So if you went for that Donate button first you would be forgiven for not trying the other Donate button.
BREAST CANCER NOW. Gives the option first to make a single donation. So one is hopeful but after filling in details the only payment option is card or PayPal. But at least the details were not too demanding. Via the Donate page and About us is a postal address.
GUY’S CANCER CHARITY. A big Donate now block dominates the Home page with first option a One-off donation. But Direct Debit, PayPal, card, GPay and Apple Pay. Get in touch offers no postal address. Registered office address is small at bottom of screen.
TOMMY’S. Huge donation monetary amounts dominates Home page. There are absolutely no other Donate instructions or any other buttons along the top of the screen so you automatically think going via this huge donation block is your only option. With this Donate now you have to fill in details and then are led to a GoCardless form.
There is an address via a Contact us link at the bottom, but only after a lot of other text and only in the context of visiting. What is weird though is if you somehow by accident quite separately go onto the About us page via the link at the top, a Donate button comes up at the top right with an Other ways to donate link, and then Donate by post instructions appear but require you to write a letter! No form or reference to Gift Aid.
PROSTATE CANCER UK. Prominent Donate button top right. Seemingly only a monthly donation option. Card and digital payments only. American Express – this is rare but not unique. However, if you take the trouble to scroll down on the Home page, i.e. after your annoyance about about what you have just seen, after quite a lot of other material you will find Donate by post and a donation form to print out. So if you get there, great.
LYMPHOMA OUT ALOUD. Initial impression card only. About us and then Get in touch offers no postal address.
MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT. Immediate choice of single donation is really good but don’t get bogged down proceeding through that because you will end up completing all the details and be left just with card and digital payment options. One hopes you would cast your eyes down to the less obvious Ways to donate link and then eventually find Post your donation with a Personal donation form. Then you should be a happy bunny.
CLIC SARGENT CANCER CARE FOR CHILDREN (YOUNG LIVES VERSUS CANCER). Donate button and then PayPal, card and digital donation only. No indication until you have filled in all the details that there is no cheque option. Only the registered charity address at the bottom of screen as a postal address. There is a Contact us link towards the bottom of the screen eventually taking you to For postal enquiries.
MARIE CURIE. Donate button top right. Single payment option first. Paypal and card. But there is a Donate now button further down on the Home page. And the option of Other ways to donate. But disappointment: only the options to Sponsor a Marie Curie Nurse, A gift in your Wlll or Visit the Marie Curie shop. Remember, you only want to make a one-off donation by cheque. No obvious link to a postal address.
HEAD AND NECK CANCER FOUNDATION. Donate button takes one to different payment options including Donate by post – with Gift Aid form to print out. Excellent.
HEAD AND NECK CANCER UK (HANCUCK). Bank transfer, digital payment, card or PayPal (via JustGiving). Postal address via About and Contact us at bottom of Home page.
ROY CASTLE LUNG FOUNDATION. Credit card and PayPal only. Is a simple Donation Form which you can print out and no doubt send a cheque with. But the only way of finding out the address appears to be a registered address in very small print at the bottom of the screen.
LEUKAEMIA UK. Card and digital. Postal address via Contact us.
TEENAGE CANCER TRUST. Donate button top right gets you to a Single Donation first but only card and PayPal. Toward bottom of Donate page is Contact Us but no postal address. Is a large message Donate Today which gets you to the same card and PayPal options. But if you have the persistence to scroll down past a large picture and a message with a link, you will see a prominent Other ways to donate message which offers you By post and a Money return form. So if you are lucky enough to hit the right Donate button you will get there in the end, if you are patient.
Other illness charities
MND ASSOCIATION. Donate top right. When you click Single Gift, Donate via PayPal appears next to Donate now. Could be that you can only donate by PayPal. Let’s scroll down the Home page and look at all the donating stuff towards the bottom and click on Donate now, and yes after filling in all the details you only then find out you can pay by card as well as PayPal. A shame because you wanted to post a cheque off. No obvious contact details until you get to a Contact us link at the bottom of the page which does give you a postal address, but you have given up by then.
PARKINSON’S UK. Donate top right button. Immediately given single donation option, indeed no regular option which is unusual. Ultimately credit card and PayPal. On Home page dominating the top half is a donation plea with monetary options, and indicating PayPal and cards, including American Express. About us will yield Contact us and then eventually a UK address. Is an address at the bottom of the screen.
MS SOCIETY. Donate now top right offers various cards – including American Express, PayPal and digital. Same options when click onto various Donate buttons which are part of a major display on the Home page promoting an appeal. No postal address except registered charity address at bottom of the screen.
ALZHEIMER’S SOCIETY. Big Donate now top right. Card and digital payment shown, but underneath easily visible is Other ways to donate, and Donate by post, then donations form plus specific reference to cheques. Bravo.
However, a big Donate now appeal dominating the Home page flags up donation options prominently displaying cards (including American Express) PayPal and digital. So it really depends on which donate button you choose and if you pick one without a cheque option you are unlikely to seek another donate button. But Contact us button top centre right will eventually take you to How do I pay in money, and you will get Postal donation information and a donation form. So bravo again.
Animal charities
RSPCA. Donate button right of centre. PayPal and card only. But there is a Ways to give link at the top of the Home page. So the cheque payer is really looking forward to seeing the details. You click onto View all Ways to give and the first stand out message is Donate today. So if you click on that with the one-off payment option you just see card payment and PayPal options.
Let’s say you somehow go back to the View all Ways to give link page past the Donate today button, there are various messages about methods of giving but not one-off payments by post. There is a Contact us link towards the bottom of the page, and after a lot of text there is an address for writing to. There is no registered charity address at the bottom of the Home page.
DOGS TRUST. Strong Donate button top right in sole position along the top line of the Home page. Unusually offers Single donation as first option, which is encouraging. However, when you fill in the details you only get card, PayPal and GPay options. You could instead try the Support us button second row at the top of the Home page and then eventually get to More ways to give, so maybe this could be the cheque option – but no such luck. Various opportunities are given with a final Ways to give, so this could really be it. But no, only card, PayPal and GPay options.
Oh dear. Well let’s try the Contact button at the top of the screen or the link at the bottom, and yes there is an address. But it is under Location which suggests a visit rather than encouraging postal contact.
CATS PROTECTION. Donate button unusually top centre. PayPal and cards but at least you could scroll down before filling in your details and see there is no cheque option. Find us at top right of Home page on second row will bring you to an address.
BATTERSEA DOGS AND CATS HOME. Prominent Donate button top right of Home page, solely occupying top row. No other Donate direction on the page. Well, at least you get quickly to the fact that for a one-off donation there are only GPay, PayPal and card options.
However, the site does redeem itself to some extent in that if you go onto the Support us button at the top of the Home page second row, thinking that it might offer details of postal donations, you will find an Other ways to give link. When you go onto that you will find two rows of options with pictures (so a lot to scroll down) and on the third row you will find Donate by post, which when clicked on will offer you a donation form to print out and instructions. So success for the very persistent would-be donor by cheque.
PDSA. Donate top right hand side. One-off is first option. But after filling in all the details there is the usual frustration of finding only card, PayPal and digital payment options. On the Home page there is a big Donate to PDSA presentation, but you still end up with the same payment options result. There is a Contact us link at the bottom of the Home page which takes you to a Need help with something? link, and the drop down Get in touch/other enquiries which gives you a postal address. Needless to say this is the last contact information.
DONKEY SANCTUARY. Donate button far right of screen but not top button. Immediately shown are card, PayPal and Direct Debit options, so no wearisome form filling first before you realise no cheque option. Something to be grateful for. No registered address at the bottom of the screen.
However, Contact us at top of Home page gives you an immediate postal address. Underneath that there is Got a question to ask? And under FAQs after a bit of content there is a Donations section which at last gives you the option of paying by cheque but with no further information, so you have to work that one out for yourself.
Surely this charity?
AGE UK. If there is one charity which would understand that some older people would like to pay by cheque and make things easy for them to do so, i.e. make it a prominent option with a donation form easily accessed, and of course the address spelt out, it surely would be this one. Let’s see if this natural expectation is to be rewarded positively. Read on.
Please donate button second row top right of Home page. After long filling in of details, before eventually getting to Choose a way to pay, you get to Keep in touch with Age UK, the second option being communications by post. You then find you can’t pay by post but are only given card and PayPal options. So, bizarrely, the charity would see communicating with you by post as one of their options, but deny you the opportunity to donate by post as one of your options.
There is a big Donate now display on the Home page but you have to go through the same performance only to find the same card and PayPal options. Hopefully you wouldn’t have flogged through this having got the message from the top right Please donate button. It would appear that the only way to find the charity’s address is in small type at the bottom of the Home page – no doubt hard reading for many older people. So all in all a big disappointment for older people who would like to make a one-off cheque donation by post to a charity they possibly identify with.
NOTE: This article was published on 12 February 2023. Since then there may have been changes to some charities’ websites which may have improved the situation discussed above. Sadly, there has been one unfortunate change for the worse. “Hero” charity Head and Neck Cancer Foundation which previously amply provided for single payments by cheque has now reduced but not removed that facility. The top right Donate button only provides for online donations, but luckily a large Donate by Post option to be found further down via the home page, as a final choice, does provide for cheque donations.
