Today on Giving Tuesday, The Salvation Army Canada and Rogers Communications announced a new and innovative touchless digital giving option for Canadians to safely donate to the annual Christmas Kettles Campaign. Powered by the Rogers LTE-M network, The Salvation Army’s signature holiday campaign will now see hundreds of Christmas kettles equipped with touchless giving™ technology, allowing Canadians to “tap to give” using a credit card or smartphone to donate to the kettle.
During COVID-19, the transition to a cash-lite society has accelerated, impacting everything from tip jars to charity donations. At the kettles this year, Canadians will see a pre-set amount to donate $5 with an option to tap up to 10 times on the same unit to increase their donation if desired. Kettles will be outfitted with technology by Canadian start-up tiptap, so donations can be made on the spot with touchless giving.
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Rogers for Business collaborated with tiptap during product development of its touchless giving units, in support of a new technology solution that securely bridges the gap between organizations in need and donors no longer carrying cash and coins. Smaller than a deck of cards, each tap unit has its own wireless receiver that provides a simple, secure way to process touchless donations, and with instant confirmation and acceptance of credit cards, debit cards or mobile wallets, all powered by the Rogers LTE-M network.
The Salvation Army Canada Christmas kettle has been a symbol of help and hope during the holiday season since 1891, raising critical funds to support individuals and families in 400 communities across Canada. From substance-use recovery, jobs and skills training, homeless and women’s shelters, food insecurity, emergency disaster services and more, these programs and services restore hope and dignity to two million vulnerable Canadians each year. The rollout of digital donations is expected to boost fundraising through the coming weeks until the campaign ends on December 24. In parts of the country where kettles will not be in communities due to public health safety restrictions, Canadians can donate virtually through The Salvation Army Canada website.
Throughout the pandemic, Rogers has leaned in as a technology leader to provide connectivity, digital lifelines and financial support to help some of the most vulnerable Canadians, like women fleeing domestic violence, LGBTQ2S+ communities, providing Wi-Fi in homeless shelters, and in support of youth education. Efforts included creating the country’s largest food pantry that saw food hampers packed with 8 million meals for food banks across Canada.