TheGivingMachine (TGM) is an online donation platform that converts sales commissions from customers’ online purchases into free donations for charities. Through the website and associated apps, users can make donations through everyday purchases with over 2,300 retailers at no extra cost. Users can support up to four organisations from a choice of over 7,000 and have so far created over £1.5 million worth of donations across the UK, many to small community groups that have less access to fundraising.
Project Need
Set up in 2006, TheGivingMachine had an annual growth of 7%, with minimal resources to leverage the platform to increase the rate of growth beyond organic growth. TGM sought to drive the growth rate of the site to 20%+ per annum and increase turnover to maximise social engagement, impact and donations to causes, and to achieve a sustainable surplus for the organisation. To achieve this, TGM required a more robust business model that attracted more users, increased the activity of current users and encouraged causes to market the concept to their supporters.
Outcomes
Eastside Primetimers helped TheGivingMachine secure £100,000 of growth finance from social investor FSE under the Access Reach Fund, an investment readiness grant fund. The grant was used to help TGM become investment ready by:
- Developing a marketing plan
- Developing a business model that showed the scale of TGM’s ability to repay social finance
- Commissioning an assessment of the technical architecture of the website, key business processes and admin systems to demonstrate their robustness and ability to handle growth
Solution
Eastside Primetimers’ assigned consultant, Howard Sharman, and business analyst, Emma Steele, helped deliver an investment readiness plan and sustainable business model that:
- Refined the cost base
- Modelled the impact of varying growth scenarios
- Understood the scope for taking on social finance
- Developed a marketing plan to improve messaging, methods and channels
- Validated the technological architecture with a review and report on the management information systems, database and business processes
Eastside Primetimers’ consultancy work has helped TGM become investment ready through better understanding and, crucially, better articulation of their social impact needs. A robust business plan and financial model ultimately helped TGM to initiate talks with and secure investment from funders.
How can we help you?
If you would like to learn more about this project or talk to us about how we could help your organisation, contact us now on 020 7250 8334 or at dawn@ep-uk.org to arrange a conversation with one of our specialists.