The Digital Revolution Shakes Up How We Give To Charity

San Diego, Calif. (September 18, 2017) — As we evolve into a cashless society, how do we make up the giving gap of collected spare change that so many charities have come to depend on? Historically, nonprofits like Ronald McDonald House, March of Dimes, UNICEF, and others have accumulated millions of dollars in donated pennies, dimes, quarters. In 2012, passersby tossed $148 million into Salvation Army’s red kettles, but a year later the collection total dropped 10%.  Many charities are also realizing the need for ongoing monthly donations to sustain their missions throughout the year.  In this rapidly evolving, mobile-centric culture, many nonprofits are searching for ways to stay relevant and for platforms that allow them to consistently connect with their donors.  

New technology solutions are finally popping up at various points of customer contact to vie for that incremental level of charitable giving.  Point of sale platforms allow customers to “round up” their purchases or “Give $1” at the end of their shopping experience and donate to a charity selected by the retailer.  Companies such as Google, Lyft, and Amazon offer unique donation models through their platforms, including “Give $1 a Day”, “Round Up & Donate Your Fare”, and “Giving a % of Your Purchase to Charity”.  Crowdfunding and other one-time donation platforms such as GoFundMe and Crowdrise, are yet more examples of the digital revolution taking place in the world of philanthropy.

Another new platform invites donors to give on a recurring monthly basis to a cause they are passionate about, while receiving tax credit for their donations. Coin Up (www.coinupapp.com), is an innovative social impact app, enabling users to “round up and donate” their everyday credit or debit card transactions, until reaching a self designated monthly goal.  Users select their cause from an “in app” list of nonprofit partners that are pre-qualified to meet basic efficiency standards.  They also receive a “Monthly Donation Snapshot” which reflects the individual impact they make for their chosen cause. For example, at participating nonprofits such as Miracle Foundation, $1 provides an entire toiletry kit to a child at an orphanage in India; at Fairy Tail Endings, $5 protects a dog from deadly heartworm disease for 5 days; and at Challenged Athletes Foundation, a $30 contribution will provide a monthly gym membership for an athlete with disabilities. Finding a preferred cause or charity is easy through Coin Up’s search by name, category or zip code feature. At the end of the year, donors receive an individual tax donation receipt for the full amount of their annual giving, allowing them to track and verify their Coin Up donations.

The great  news for charities and donors alike? Leena Patidar, Co-Founder of Coin Up, says “There are increasingly more digital options avaiable for incremental, convenient and cashless giving to continue supporting our communities. Whether it is a one time at point of sale or monthly donation, every contribution counts and somewhere, someone’s world becomes a little bit brighter!”

About Coin Up: Coin Up is an innovative mobile app that provides a platform for donors to give to their favorite charitable causes effortlessly. Once downloaded and registered, the app will round up everyday credit or debit card purchases to the nearest dollar and send the “spare change” directly to the user’s chosen charity each month.  Coin Up's mission is to create a society that engages in charitable giving through the convenience of everyday transactions. Co-Founder, Leena Patidar created one of the first mobile donation apps to easily connect donors and their causes.  For more information on Coin Up, visit the site at: https://www.coinupapp.com or contact Leena Patidar at hollerback@coinupapp.com.  YOUR CHANGE. YOUR IMPACT @CoinUpApp.