Virgin Money Giving and Holly Branson help Charities use Technology to Boost Donations
Virgin Money Giving has teamed up with Holly Branson to launch its new mobile website, designed in partnership with Usablenet, which will allow charities of all sizes take advantage of digital technology to boost donations in difficult economic circumstances. This comes as charitable donations are reported to be at their lowest in real terms since 2004-5.
Virgin Money Giving, the not-for-profit online donation service, is partnering with its patron Holly Branson to launch its mobile website. The newly optimised site, created in partnership with mobile and multichannel leader, Usablenet, will support fundraisers by providing a greater choice for donating ahead of the Virgin London Marathon and for other charitable fundraising events.
The new site will streamline the donation process helping charities capitalise on the rise of mobile giving. Donors will now be able to give on-the-go with Virgin Money Giving, with just a few clicks – or taps – of their device, making it easier than ever to donate to charity.
Difficult economic circumstances have already forced 50% of charities to take steps to reduce salary costs, while the demand for their services increases. Charities can use Virgin Money Giving’s dedicated mobile site to create campaign pages and direct traffic for appeals to maximise the reach to their target audience, saving the hassle of creating their own donation-enabled site.
In recent research commissioned by Virgin Money Giving, 80 per cent of charities surveyed said digital technology is the key to increasing future income. Yet 86 per cent of charities currently do not believe that they are making the most of digital and online fundraising and 76 per cent of charities do not have their own mobile friendly website.
Virgin Money Giving’s mobile site allows charities to focus funds and resources on helping those in need, rather than building online infrastructure or dealing with administration. The new Virgin Money Giving mobile site makes charity donations easier and simpler for everyone.
Holly Branson, patron of Virgin Money Giving, comments: “When I crossed the finish line of the Virgin London Marathon the feeling was something I wanted to bottle and share with everyone. It’s fantastic and exhausting but always worth the effort. It’s a particularly hard year for fundraisers and charities trying to raise money for fantastic causes so we need to do everything we can to make it easier for people to get involved. Like many people, lots of my family and friends are fundraising and I find it incredibly useful to be able to donate on the move. I also know from running my own charity, Big Change Charitable Trust, how important it is for people to be able to donate quickly, easily and efficiently. Often people donate ‘in the moment’ and via a mobile is the quickest and easiest way when you’re on the go.”
Carin Van Vuuren, chief marketing officer, Usablenet, comments: “Smartphones are becoming ubiquitous in our daily lives and it is important that charities can maximise this in reaching out to and engaging with donors. The mobile site demonstrates Virgin Money Giving’s commitment and understanding that if charities can make it easier and simpler for people to donate on their own terms they, and the causes they serve, will reap the rewards.”
Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)
