I tap to buy my sandwich, I order books by asking Alexa, if I need cash then I have to raid my kids money boxes!
As more people become more used to paying electronically it is essential that small charities and community groups are able to collect money using cards and online. This is where the plethora of funding sites came in, all are different, all charge different amounts and it is important that you pick the one that best suits your needs. If, like us, you were signed up to BT Mydonate then you will have had the email that they are closing it, and you will need to find an alternative.
I have been inundated with options and adverts since complaining on Twitter that the closure would affect many small organisations
The closure of @BTGroup #BTMyDonate is a disaster for small organisations. Other platforms cost more or had higher fees and in our *unscientific* research MyDonate always came out as the best site. This will mean so much work for #smallcharities@NCVO @NAVCA @sccoalition @ACEVO
— Cambridge CVS (@CambridgeCVS) January 21, 2019
So here are the CCVS thoughts on choosing which site to use. There is no simple answer, you need to do some research. Have a look at the sites and see which have the features you want. This will depend on the type of fundraising you do, and how much you raise from the site. It will also depend on how much you get for any donation once fees, card fees and Gift Aid is taken into account. So shop around, we will not be recommending one site over another!
Luckily some people have done some comparisons.
Money saving Expert has done some analysis back in January
Third sector magazine did an article in July 2018
UK Fundraising did an article in Feb 2018
Charity Digital News did a comparison that includes a lot of the smaller sites as well
These all cover the main sites but there are hundreds out there. We advise caution about using the smaller ones without proper research. That said they may be exactly what you need.
It is worth noting that a number of platforms are offering specials in relation to the fact that people will be changing. These include reductions or waivers of setup or monthly platform costs. So do shop around, it could be that there are some good deals.
Still confused? We will be running a course on digital fundraising and crowd fundraising at the end of April 2019 so keep an eye on our training and events page.
If you found this article useful then do please donate here
(which is still our BT MyDonate page until we do our own exercise to decide where to change to).
ccvsblog 
Reblogged this on Cambridgeshire ACRE's Community Buildings Service.