Partner Article

How to set up Direct Debit software for your charity

You might have read the title of this article and be thinking, “But why would I want to use Direct Debit software – what’s in it for my charity?” Well, did you know that there has been a 4.5% year-on-year rise in the number of donations to charity by Direct Debit? In fact, in excess of £1 billion has been donated via the UK’s most popular payment method. In 2011, only 6% of the amount donated to charity came from Direct Debits; today the figure is closer to 31% and since 2010, Direct Debits have become the preferred method of donation for 36% of people in the UK, surpassed only by donations at charity shop counters.

Technology is the future

In order to stay strong and successful, charities of all sizes know the importance of good financial management. Many charities are taking a 21st-century approach and adding innovation to their most popular payment methods by utilising cloud-based technology in conjunction with Direct Debit collections. Donors love Direct Debits; why? Because they’re fast, simple and secure – but they also offer a number of benefits for charities!

How Direct Debits can benefit your charity

Set up Direct Debit software and you’ll experience a number of benefits; some may seem obvious whilst others may surprise you:

• Less paperwork – When payments are automated by Direct Debit, there’s less paperwork involved which means less administration (and lower overheads)
• Retained donors – Direct Debits make it easier for donors to manage their payments and strengthen your retention rates
• Save time – Don’t waste your time chasing pledges when you could simple receive regular Direct Debit payments
• Improve cash flow – Greater cash visibility can make all the difference when it comes to planning and forecasting
• Protect the planet – Not only do paperless Direct Debits save you money, they also help to reduce your carbon footprint!

Charities and the Cloud

The ‘cloud’ is simply remote-access computing – instead of wasting money on hardware and software for your office, you subscribe to a service and access the software you need remotely, which is stored in a secure, external location. Not only does this reduce physical office space requirements (a challenge for many charities), it also helps lower your costs. So what are the key benefits of using cloud technology?

• Reduce your admin costs – Rather than staff wasting time on IT processes, let The Cloud deal with management and maintenance and leave staff free to focus on charitable work
• Reduce or remove capital expenditure – There’s no need to buy or install anything and no time spent upgrading software or hardware
• Access anytime, anywhere – This is perhaps the biggest benefit; most reputable cloud providers will allow you access to your data from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. This makes it easier for staff to work remotely or from home and could reduce overheads
• No backup worries – Cloud vendors automate backups and built-in backup processes ensure all your data is still there if the worst happens!

The government’s spending policies have had a negative impact on 63% of charities and it’s more vital now than ever before that charities ‘work harder and smarter’ to reduce overheads, attract funds and retain donors, making Direct Debit software the smart choice for 21st-century charities. It’s the perfect time to set up online Direct Debit software.

How AccessPay can help

With AccessPay, collecting regular payments from your donors is simple, quick and secure. Our innovative Cloud-based technology is easy to use and affordable, so whether you’re a small charity or national organisation, it can help you collect Direct Debit donations on time, every time.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ali Moiyed .