Published on the 11/05/2016 | Written by Clare Coulson

The people behind WooHoo NZ Tax Refunds have launched an app that makes it easier to donate to charity and get your tax back, but has it missed a trick?…

Apparently we Kiwis have big hearts when it comes to donations but our cashless society gets in the way of our giving, says Cilla Hegarty, EasyGiving and WooHoo NZ Tax Refunds CEO.

“Kiwis are a generous lot and there are so many wonderful causes out there making a difference in our communities each and every day. In the digital age, we have seen an opportunity to make it easier for individuals to donate to their favourite charity.”

WooHoo’s research shows the biggest barriers to giving were the complexity, the time it took and the fact that people often had no cash in their wallets. “How many times have you seen something on TV and wanted to donate but it was too hard or the minimum amount was too big for the effort. You just wanted to give a couple of dollars. Well now you can, straight from the couch via the mobile app.”

The app is called EasyGiving and charity-minded individuals can download it from Android and iOS stores. It’s easy to create an account and start giving. There are nearly 20 charities already registered to receive donations and, because WooHoo is an authorised tax agent, the app will keep your digital receipts in its digital vault until the end of the tax year when you will see a third of your total donations returned to you. Of course, the how-to section in the app doesn’t miss the opportunity to suggest you use that returned money to go towards another favourite charity. Neither does Hegarty (she wouldn’t be doing her job otherwise), who explained: “If you want to donate $100, then $33 can be claimed back in your pocket or passed back to the charity.” The tax-back rule applies to any donations of more than $5, which, conveniently is the minimum donation option on the app.

“How many times have you seen something on TV and wanted to donate but it was too hard or the minimum amount was too big for the effort. You just wanted to give a couple of dollars. Well now you can, straight from the couch via the mobile app.”

It’s a slick system to be sure, but it does seem to rely on Kiwis actively downloading the app with the specific desire to donate to charity. iStart wondered if that will really provide the same ‘shaking donation tin’ moment that on-the-street collection campaigns can create. Hegarty suggests that it will do better. While users will have to download the app initially, she says charities will be able to notify EasyGiving donors of new campaigns they have running and contact them through email, SMS or push notifications (when it comes online).

“This gives them a ‘shaking tin’ moment that will have a far greater cut through than the current traditional methods. Charities will be able to target specific demographics and profiles of EasyGiving donors to ensure they get a good response,” she said.

When asked if the EasyGiving app integrates with WooHoo NZ Tax Refunds so that when people get their tax refund, it prompt them to make a donation via the app, (after all it’s ‘free’ money that people weren’t necessarily expecting to have) Hegarty said: “EasyGiving is acting in partnership and is powered by the tax knowledge behind WooHoo. WooHoo will be educating its customers about donation tax credits and also about EasyGiving as a donations platform. The partnership between the two companies gives a unique ability for EasyGiving donors to access a full service tax agent where they can donate and claim their donations tax credits easily. They can donate further without having to hunt out paper receipts and fill out IRD forms.” So, no, it doesn’t sound like there is a seamless integration available, but perhaps that will be in version 2.0, or on the web version.

“This gives them a ‘shaking tin’ moment that will have a far greater cut through than the current traditional methods. Charities will be able to target specific demographics and profiles of EasyGiving donors to ensure they get a good response.”

Charities that have signed up include; Kiwis for kiwi, Lifeline, Paralympics, Plunket, Rainbow YOUTH, Save the Children, St John, Surf Life Saving New Zealand, The Asthma & Respiratory Foundation and The Neonatal Trust. Initially donations can be made by the mobile app only, but a seamless donation mechanism will be available on the easygiving.co.nz website soon.