How to Use QR Codes to Simplify Giving!
You want your financial ministry partners to give, and they are ready to give. Yet, sometimes the actual giving can be a frustrating and confusing process, so much so that it can actually turn away people who are prepared to give to you. You certainly don’t want that to be the experience of your financial partners!
One solution? QR Codes. They are everywhere - those little squares with the black and white square dots. They are called QR (which stands for Quick Response) Codes and they can be a very useful tool in fundraising.
They have been around since 1994, but the sudden increase in use is due to the incredible growth of smartphone usage. The impact of mobile devices cannot be ignored; nearly two-thirds of Americans are now smartphone owners, and for many these devices are a key tool to staying connected online.
So why, in a world of increasingly useful technology, would we expect users of new technology to give in an outdated way? Scanning one of these codes, using a barcode scanning app on a mobile phone, takes users directly to the URL that is associated with the QR Code. Imagine how much more quickly and easily financial partners can give when they don’t have to keep up with a pledge card, a checkbook, or log into a computer and click through several screens before actually arriving at your donation page?
You can easily create your own QR Code that links directly to your giving page on your organization’s website. There are multiple websites like this one, offering the service for free: http://www.qr-code-generator.com/.
Personalized codes added to pledge cards, prayer cards, and other fundraising materials are being used in fundraising with great success. QR codes can also be used to link partners to social media sites, blogs, videos, pictures and more. With so many people turning to their phones to access online services and information, providing donors with the ability to scan a QR Code makes their giving experience much less confusing, quick, and most importantly, easy.
Here’s the QR Code I created that will take you straight to the QR Code Generator website. It literally takes seconds to create and download a unique QR Code, so scan it to try it for your financial partners today!
Deb Evans, Fundraising Coach
Being a fundraising coach is exciting because I am able to meet with and help God’s ambassadors get to the field. Coaching also gives me the privilege of contributing to the Great Commission. When I’m not coaching or blogging, I’m surfing the web for new recipes to try on my family in Birmingham, AL. They are my Guinea pigs!