Digital help centre

• Contactless devices

GiveStar contactless devices are great for in-person events such as church collections. They work by connecting with your smartphone to allow others to make donations by card or their own phones.

We offer these for free to churches and groups fundraising for us. You can also use these for fundraising for your own church.

• Collecting online?

GIveStar offers an online giving platform to collect donations for virtual events, sponsored challenges and more. Sign up for both the device and the platform

• QR codes

GiveStar supports these. Whenever you set up a page, there'll always be a QR code on the dashboard that you can right click and copy or save to your computer

• Guides and contact details for GiveStar

GiveStar have lots of guides and videos you can look through to get the most out of your chosen methods of collecting donations.

You can also call them on 0203 375 9041 or email support@givestar.zohodesk.eu 

How do I set up an e-envelope? 

There are just three easy steps to setting up your e-envelope: 

1. Create your fundraising page at envelope.christianaid.org.uk

Upload a photo or create a personalised video and use our message template to tell your church, family and friends why you are supporting Christian Aid. Encourage them to join you and share with their friends too. 

2. Share with your church, family and friends

Preview your message, check you’re happy with how it looks and you’re ready to send your e-Envelope. You can choose to send via email, share on Twitter, Facebook or WhatsApp, or share the link in your church service or newsletter.  

3. Fundraise with your e-envelope 

Together with you and your friends we can achieve incredible things for some of the poorest people in the world. Each e-envelope shared gives us a greater chance of raising vital funds to help those who are most in need. 

How can I see how much money I have raised via my e-envelope? 

If you set a fundraising target when you set up your e-envelope, you can see what you’ve raised against it by looking at your e-envelope page. You will also get a link within an email on set up so you can check back easily and updates on your fundraising progress. 

How can I link my e-envelope with my church or Christian Aid group? 

When you set up your page, you will be asked if you are fundraising as an individual, or on behalf of a church or Christian Aid Group. Chose the second option, then search for your church/ group using either your OR reference number or the church postcode. If you’ve forgotten your OR reference, contact us and we’ll let you know what it is. 

Top tips for your social media  

• Find your voice  

Find your own way to do, say and share content.  Avoiding jargon helps you be more real and connect with your audience. Being authentic is key, and as Oscar Wilde says: ‘Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.’  

• Keep it informal  

Studies show that learning is 80% informal, and it suggests that we need to support natural connections between people. Write as you speak and avoid complicated terms and expressions.  It will definitely make your posts more accessible.   

• Focus your message  

Don’t try to pack too much in one post. Remember you can always split your message between multiple posts. Keep it to the point as it will help your audience to understand your message and avoid distractions.   

• Be consistent  

If you use more than one social media channel, you will need to adapt the message to each social media, but still be consistent. Consistency across all channels is key, so you don’t share conflicting messages.    

• Interaction and connection  

Social Media is all about connection. Remember: it is a social space. Connect with people, engage with them, and nurture the relationships created.   

• Trial and error  

Keep an eye on what is working and what is not to help you improve. It is all about trial and error, so learn from your mistakes, don’t beat yourself up, and move on.   

• Plan your content  

Plan what you want to say. An easy way to do it is creating a calendar. A content calendar will help you to keep track of your posts and make sure that you haven’t forgotten anything. You can also schedule posts, to make it even easier for you.   

• Pictures  

A picture says a thousand words! Use photos on your posts to attract more attention. On your fundraising page, fundraisers with pictures or videos on their page raise 14% more per photo. A perfect excuse for a #selfie.  

• Use emoji  s

Emojis are a good way to add an extra flavour to your message, as they are a step between a text and an image. But don’t add too many!  

• Spread the word   

Use all the contacts in your email address book to spread the word. Also, encourage your friends and contacts to share your posts and events with their friends. This way your posts will reach even more people.   

Tips for specific social media channels   

• Facebook – Join the community  

1. Encourage interactions: ask questions, ask for pictures, engage in the conversation, and have fun.   
2. Share something genuinely interesting. Think about what your Facebook friends want to see and add it there.   
3. Share photos and videos to your timeline, these are the most shared types of content.  
4. Host a live event on Facebook. You have the chance it to engage with many more people.   
5. How often: 1 post per day.   

• Twitter – Join the conversation  

1. Twitter is all about short and sweet. Be concise and straight to the point in your tweets. You only have 240 characters. So, stick to the point!  
2. Use #hastags appropriately. It will help to get your posts noticed. But #do #not #over #do #it. It can be #distracting.  
3. Include a picture and it will be more likely that people will share your content.  
4. Don’t ignore people, even if it is negative feedback. Take the time to reply, and remember it is a conversation.  
5. Make it personal. If people follow you, they are interested in what you are doing. They would like to know what you are doing, and especially why.   
6. How often: 15 tweets per day  

• WhatsApp  

1. Add pictures and text to your status and tailor to every occasion. It's a nice way to share some updates.   
2. Elevate your conversations using stickers. They offer a fun alternative to emojis if you want to jazz up your conversations.  
3. WhatsApp groups are a great way to interact with multiple people and is like a chat room where people can see each others' details. 
4. Broadcast lists are like a one-way street where only the admin can send messages, and the recipients cannot interact or check each others' details. You can repeatedly send broadcast messages without having to select them each time.   
   On iPhone: Go to WhatsApp > Chats > Broadcast lists.
   On Android: Go to WhatsApp > More options > New broadcast.  
5. You can send PDFs, documents, spreadsheets, slideshows and more on WhatsApp, without the hassle of email or file-sharing apps.  

• Instagram

1. Make it original and make it yours by putting your stamp to your pictures.    
2. Use #hastags appropriately. They are a great way to tag your content  
3. Use your profile text to post relevant links. Also, mention on your posts that the link is available there.  
4. Make your images more interesting using the filter. Play with them. That is what they are there for.   
5. Create a series of related images or videos and share them with your followers. This keeps engagement levels high as people want to know what happens next.  
6. How often: 1 post per day  

• Local media   

1. Get in touch with your local newspaper and tell them what is happening in your area.   
2. Your story needs a local angle to it. This is exactly what regional press want and is about. Do not be afraid to emphasis it if appropriate.   
3. If your story is part of a nationwide fundraising initiative/campaign, is it possible to factor any national activity/wider campaign into your release?  
4. Did you know we have a Promotional Toolkit for Christian Aid Week? There you will find magazine articles, pictures, and other bits and pieces.   

Tag Christian Aid in your posts so we can share your posts and events:

• Facebook: @christianaid   
• Twitter: @christian_aid   
• Instagram: @christianaiduk