Disclaimer: This post is reflective of our company while under the name Pledgeling and the listed information may be outdated. Please refer to our main company website on Pledge for current information and resources.
On March 16th, Pledgeling became the first US-based social enterprise and third-party platform to launch Apple Pay for donations, during a live fundraiser event.
The event was the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region’s Centennial Humanitarian Ball held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. As the Red Cross celebrated 100 years of service in Los Angeles, Pledge enabled donations to the Red Cross for the first time via Apple Pay with just the touch of a finger to engage a live audience toward their $100,000 fundraising goal.
Combining Pledgeling text-to-donate capabilities with the new Apple Pay integration, along with the more traditional forms of in-venue donating like donation cards and checks, the Red Cross engaged a wider network of donors and provided more options for them to donate than years past.
And although a small handful of handwritten checks and donation forms with credit card numbers were collected throughout the night, the vast majority of the donations (86% of transactions) originated via Pledgeling's text-to-donate service. Donations made via Apple Pay accounted for 31% of the mobile transactions.
This year's Humanitarian Ball was a resounding success for the Red Cross and an exciting opportunity for Pledgeling to introduce Apple Pay for donations. By giving donors more options, and by enabling Apple Pay to reduce donation friction, the Red Cross was able to engage their audience and generate the donations we hope will help guide them through the next 100 years - and beyond.
Click here to learn how you can start using Apple Pay for donations.
Read more in our press release on PR Newswire.
“Pledgeling's expertise and capabilities have made it easy for us to adapt to a new fundraising era of mobile-first donations and engagement with our supporters. As the second largest Red Cross region in the US with over 100 years of service in LA, our success has depended largely on our trusted partners like Pledgeling to offer the best-in-class technology services to help us achieve our goals. Their ability to provide Apple Pay for donations at our Humanitarian Ball made it easier than ever before to convert guests into donors to support the next 100 years of our work.”
Jarrett Barrios CEO, American Red Cross Los Angeles Region