How to Collect Cash Donations at a Food Bank

When you think of soup kitchens, food banks, and pantries, you probably think about donating cans of food or giving your time to help.

But, Feeding America and others have made good points that cash can often be a better way to support these organizations than canned goods.

Why is cash one of the best ways to donate to food banks?

Donated dollars turn into more meals. On top of that, many food banks do not have the capacity for large food donations.

Cash donations allow organizations to be able to serve the community more consistently.

Here's the hard part though: cash can get complicated.

You need to collect it, provide a receipt for donors, and then deposit it into a bank account.

Also, many donors would prefer to use their credit cards to give and have a digital receipt emailed to them.

There is a solution for this dilemma though.

Receive cash donations at a food bank with QR codes

The best way to collect gifts at a food bank or soup kitchen is by utilizing a QR code.

→ To learn more about QR codes, check out our blog post: How Do QR Codes Work?

To get started with using QR codes to collect donations, sign up for a fundraising platform that supports QR codes. Then, create a donation page and download the QR code.

Once you have the QR code, you can use Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud Express, or another platform to design a simple flyer to encourage supporters to donate to your organization.

On the flyer, make sure to include reasons why someone should give to your organization.

For example, you can talk about the impact of a $10 donation and how it can help someone.

You should also explain that scanning the QR code on the flyer will take them directly to your giving page where they can donate with a credit card.

After you design the flyer, print it out and place it in prominent areas where potential donors would frequent. This will make sure the potential donor is likely to engage with the flyer.

By the way, you don't have to spend a lot of money on this. This can be as simple as printing it on office paper and taping it to a wall, window, or table.

Pro-tip: Try printing the flyer on unique-shaped pieces of paper, or try using bold colors in your flyer. This will make your flyer stand out from the rest!

You can also use similar flyers in local businesses, government buildings, and other areas where a lot of people visit. But first, make sure to get permission to advertise at these locations.

When looking for locations to place your flyers, try asking your local businesses first! Local businesses, like barbershops and diners, often support local nonprofits that do good work in the community.

If you want to take your QR codes to the next level, you can set up a Google Analytics tracker on them. That way, if you want to set up multiple pages for different initiatives, you can track how many people are utilizing your QR code and giving based on the locations you are placing your flyers.

Closing thoughts

The good news is that this strategy to raise money for your organization isn't expensive!

At Anedot, we have a free QR code generator built into our product. And, you can set up recurring giving and create an unlimited number of donation pages at no extra cost.

Hopefully, this tip will help you grow the number of people you can help in your community!