From sign up through to processing: Improving Gift Aid for Guildford Samaritans
Guildford Samaritans work to assist anyone who’s struggling to cope by offering listening and support to people and communities in times of need. The organisation answers a call for help every six seconds and their shops are a hugely important part of raising funds and ensuring that they have an ongoing presence within their community.
Rachael and Sue, shop managers at Guildford Samaritans, run a busy shop in the heart of Godalming high street. They wanted a more modern and affordable solution that would streamline their shop processes and make selling items, claiming Gift Aid, and creating reports much easier. Guildford Samaritans decided to replace their existing EPOS and Gift Aid solution with Wil-U in November 2019.
“We chose Wil-U because it was most suited to our organisation. Other suppliers were all very expensive and didn’t seem to be thinking about future-proofing,” said Rachael. “Wil-U is more forward thinking.”
Wil-U’s innovative Gift Aid system has significantly decreased admin for volunteers and supporters. It has completely removed the need for paper forms and made the process of signing people up for Gift Aid much quicker and more effective.
“We can keep an eye on things more easily with the Wil-U Control Centre and we have better access to our own database,” said Rachael. “This means we miss less repeat Gift Aid donors because if they’re not sure if they’re signed up, we can search for them on the system and either print more labels then or sign them up quickly in the shop. We can also update their details with no need for the donor to fill in another form. It’s really sped up Gift Aid in that regard,” said Rachael.
As well as helping to increase Gift Aid, the new system has seen Guildford Samaritans cut costs elsewhere by providing a more efficient process at a lower cost.
“Previously, we were paying twice as much for half as many Gift Aid stickers and many were wasted because we had to use a whole sheet of labels, even if they only donated a single book – so we’ve saved a lot of money there!” remarked Rachael.
“The costs are much cheaper for an infinitely better product.”
– Rachael | Shop Manager, Guildford Samaritans
As well as Gift Aid Sign Up and Gift Aid Processing, Guildford Samaritans also installed Wil-U POS, which automatically tracks sales on Gift Aided items and links it to the correct donor in the donor directory.
As they were moving from a more traditional POS system, Rachael and the team were initially apprehensive about adopting a tablet for the POS. Wil-U is very easy to use from the get-go and with a little support from the Wil-U team, they’ve found changing systems easy as pie.
“The volunteers were initially really scared about a change of system but they were fine when they started using it. We were up and running from day one.” explained Rachael. “The Wil-U support team have been really patient with us.”
When asked if there was anything about Wil-U that surprised them, Rachael said: “You guys were so confident and professional about the product and it was so simple and easy that it didn’t surprise us once we had it. It was a breeze to get going!”
We’re so happy to be supporting Guildford Samaritans in raising funds to support vulnerable people. We can’t wait to see what more benefits they will see over the coming months and years. Watch this space!
Contact us
Please note calls to this number are recorded for training and monitoring purposes.
About Us
Wil-U is part of the PXtech
family. PXtech have been
developing innovtive
technology solutions for
over 20 years.
Let's stay in touch...
Useful Links
01332 921 399
info@wil-u.com
50 Canal St, Derby, DE1 2RJ
Please note calls to this number are recorded for training and monitoring purposes.
Latest news, ideas and important information
How to turn over a new leaf and make your charity shop more sustainable
Our planet is facing an environmental crisis that demands immediate and collective action, and as a result, sustainable practices are unequivocally crucial in playing our part in safeguarding the environment. The Charity retail donation/purchase model is inherently...
How to turbocharge item donations for your charity
As the director of a small-scale or local UK charity, it’s easy to feel like a little fish in a big pond, continuously outcompeted for direct donations by large national charities (with proportionally larger fundraising and promotional budgets). In the face of this,...
Revitalising revenue: strategies for driving growth in charity retail with EPOS
During an economic downturn, when many charities witness a drop in individual giving donations, charity shops provide an increasingly crucial source of revenue, as supporters will often purchase goods from a charity shop even when scaling back on their direct...
How Wil-U can connect you with your volunteers, supporters, and donors
One of the biggest challenges that small charities face when operating a profitable charity shop is finding enough volunteers, supporters, and donors to make the initiative financially viable which is why the Wil-U charity EPOS ecosystem goes beyond the practicalities...
Unlock The Magic Of Membership: Why Joining The Wil-U Family Is A No-Brainer!
Wil-U provides a dedicated EPOS solution for Third Sector and charitable organisations that run charity shops, making it easier for you to increase your Gift Aid contributions, help manage stock elements, smooths the sales process, and access your sales data in...
Maximise Your Giving Power: 5 Reasons Retail Gift Aid Automation Is A Game-Changer!
Gift Aid is an extremely valuable tax relief that contributes millions worth of funds to Third Sector causes each year and is a crucial aspect of charity fundraising and retail in the UK. However, manually processing Gift Aid contributions is time-consuming and can be...
The Humble Beginnings Of Gift Aid: How This Genius Idea Changed The Charity Game Forever
Gift Aid is a UK tax incentive available to all registered charities, social enterprises, and Community Amateur Sports Clubs, allowing them to reclaim additional money from HMRC from eligible donations. The Gift Aid scheme was originally introduced under the Finance...
Help for Hospice retail shops: What Wil-U offer to help boost your sales!
At Wil-U, we provide customisable technology modules for Hospice charity shops and online sales outlets across the UK. Our tablet-based EPOS and Gift Aid automation solution helps your volunteers and staff, shop managers, and head office team to raise more money for...
How Charity EPOS Systems Can Transform Your Charity Shops
A charity shop EPOS system can transform your charity shop retail operation in numerous ways, improving efficiency, accessibility, and revenues. In this article, we look at how EPOS systems are used in charity retail and the benefits of adopting a digital automated...