The Church of England has completed a three-year project to introduce contactless giving devices to more than 2,200 churches, which have so far raised almost £4 million in donations.
editorial
This content was selected, created and edited by the Finextra editorial team based on its relevance and interest to our community.
With cash consumption declining, the CofE launched pilot projects in 2021 to determine the best method for allocating contactless donation devices and to provide training for churches to enable people to donate via cards and mobile devices.
A £1.25 million investment from the Church Commissioners has funded the project, which has also given all churches access to free online and contactless giving software, whether they are part of the rollout or not.
Working with suppliers Give A Little, CollecTin, Payaz and GWD, churches were allocated free or subsidized equipment depending on their needs. Even churches without an internet connection were able to participate because some of the devices can store donations offline and later upload them to the internet.
Ralph Assheton, churchwarden of St Leonard’s, Downham in the Diocese of Blackburn, said: “As our church has no mobile phone coverage or WiFi, we assumed we would never be able to benefit from the world of contactless giving. ”
“The device supplied by the diocese was therefore a revelation. Even though we have only had the machine running for a few months, we have definitely made a profit of almost £900.”