Smartphone Program Lets U.K. Arts Patrons Give on the Spot
June 12, 2013 | Read Time: 1 minute
British cultural institutions, facing steep cutbacks in government funding for the arts, are turning to a digital initiative that allows museum and theater patrons to instantly make small donations for specific projects using their smartphones, writes The New York Times.
Thirteen arts organizations are now using the National Funding Scheme’s Donate program in appeals for specific restoration, renovation, or acquisition efforts, providing text-message codes for the instant gifts.
The program provides an alternative to traditional donation boxes by allowing people to digitally contribute as little as £1 as they stand before a particular artwork or object. “If we’re going to ask people to give, we must do it at a point of emotion, not at home when the moment has gone,” said William Makower of Panlogic, the digital consulting firm behind Donate.
