The Golden Season for Giving Just Got Easier with a Transformational Mobile Solution

Charities are able to capitalize on the crucial 'giving' impulse to make it easier than ever to donate

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Dec 29, 2014, 09:27 ET

NEW YORK, December 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

The last month of the year is considered the golden month for donations in charitable terms, while the final week of the year, often referred to as the "golden week" is when donations are at their highest. Statistics reflect the importance Americans place on donating to charitable organizations, with 68 per cent^[1], approximately 175 million Americans, having donated to charitable organizations in just a single month of 2014.

Following on from the extravagant spending spree in the run up to Christmas, consumers are often looking to give back during the rest of the holidays, with one example being Giving Tuesday, which saw its third and most successful year in 2014, establishing itself as the day to give during Christmas season. According to not-for-profit solutions firm Blackbaud, who specialize in the collation and distribution of donation data, $26m in online donations to 4,396^[2] not-for-profit organizations was processed in the U.S on this holiday. This is a 36 per cent boost from 2013, and an incredible 159 per cent increase from the inaugural Giving Tuesday holiday in 2012.

With so much of America's giving concentrated into such a short time, one of the biggest challenges facing charities in the US is the time which elapses once an appeal is first seen by a potential donor, either via email, printed ad, or on TV. With every second that goes by, the emotional impulse to donate diminishes.

Dan Wagner, CEO and founder of Powa Technologies, says: "Millions of dollars are donated to US charities on impulse, but every second that passes after a charity appeal is broadcast reduces the likelihood that a donation will be completed. Countless donations are lost as donors are unable to donate on the spot, or struggle with unnecessary delays in the payment system."

PowaTag offers an ideal solution for both charitable organizations, and willing donors. Wagner adds: "The donation process takes so long for them that they often lose interest halfway through. The golden moment is when an appeal is aired and donors need a way to give quickly - the Powa Tag platform allows charities across the US to convert the desire to give into instant action across multiple platforms, recapturing a huge amount of much-needed funding for charities."

PowaTag enables people to donate to a charity with two taps of their mobile device, using an array of triggers, including scanning print material, audio tags and social media. For the first time impassioned people can donate directly by utilizing a simple app on their phone, with donations finalized in just seconds using pre-entered payment information, generating a receipt for their records.

PowaTag is launching with charity organizations including Pink and Blue for Two, Stonewall Community Foundation and Skip of New York, who are looking to utilize the solution to maximize engagement with potential donors. Integrating the technology is entirely cost-free for all 501c3 organizations enabling all proceeds to go directly to the charity, with PowaTag donating all transaction fees for each of these good causes.

Jarrett Lucas, Executive Director at the Stonewall Community Foundation, says: "When technology leaps forward, many in the non-profit sector often get left behind. That makes Powa a game-changer. As a fundraising tool, it's innovative and visionary, and most importantly, it's easy to access. At Stonewall Community Foundation, our work centers on inspiring donors to give to LGBTQ causes; Powa will empower us to that more effectively. We couldn't be more excited to be part of the US launch.

Dan Wagner concludes: "Philanthropy is engrained within the American spirit - all they require is an easier way to donate. By enabling individuals to donate within seconds of an emotional plea, you are allowing them to donate at the height of their interest, ensuring that the impulse to give is followed by the action of donating."

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1. https://www.cafonline.org/pdf/CAF_WGI2014_Report_1555AWEBFinal.pdf

2. http://mashable.com/2014/12/03/giving-tuesday-stats-2014/

Notes to Editors

For the opportunity to meet the founder of the disruptive technology set to dominate the mobile agenda in 2015, and an exclusive look at how US household brands, retailers and charities are preparing to use the solution as it rolls out across America, please get in touch now.

Dan Wagner, veteran retail expert and CEO of Powa Technologies, will be in New York attending the 2015 NRF expo on the 13th and 14th of January. To book media interview slots at the show please call or email with the details below.

About Powa Technologies

Powa Technologies is an international commerce specialist that creates technologies that enable a seamless consumer experience across all purchase channels: online, offline and everywhere. With its next-generation solutions PowaTag, PowaPOS and PowaWeb, Powa removes the final barriers to instant global transactions through a revolutionary instant mobile payment technology, the first fully-integrated mobile POS platform, and advanced cloud-based ecommerce solutions. Significant investment capital has accelerated company growth, attracting the industry's finest subject matter experts to conceive, build and deploy innovative commerce technology at the heart of both merchants' and brands' future omni-channel selling strategies. Powa Technologies is headquartered in London, UK, with offices in New York, Atlanta, San Diego, Miami, Toronto, Paris, Madrid, Stockholm, Berlin, Amsterdam, Milan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Shanghai.