Introduction

Thank you for your interest in participating in the Oxfam Australia If Then Give pilot. This research is part of a partnership between Oxfam Australia, Lancaster University and the University of Edinburgh.

Who we are, and why we are doing the research

We, the researchers from Lancaster University and the University of Edinburgh, are a group of interdisciplinary experts in designing and developing new technologies and studying the ways people use them in real-world contexts. We have worked with Oxfam Australia to explore more direct, accountable and transparent ways of giving to charitable causes, enabling donors to better control their pledges to causes they support in a secure and trusting environment.

As part of a previous stage of our research, we conducted an initial pilot, focussing on the exploration of novel power dynamics between NGOs and donors and the value of conditionality in charitable giving. As part of this next phase, we aim to get broad and honest feedback from current and potential donors about the If Then Give concept and app, as it relates to Oxfam Australia campaigns. In addition, we aim to monitor and understand longitudinal effects of its usage in relation to traditional fundraising engagement.

The If Then Give study

This research aims to involve a large number of participants to use the If Then Give App until 1st September 2022. By enabling a wide range of people to try this app in everyday situations, we aim to explore the potential of the If Then Give app. This research will enable us to:

• Gain feedback from current and potential donors about our concept, app, and specific campaigns
• Monitor the longitudinal effects of using the app in relation to traditional fundraising engagement
• Develop understanding of how the platform could be tailored to specific future fundraising products, thematic areas of Oxfam Australia’s programs and towards specific audiences.
• Test the technical robustness of the If Then Give platform and mobile app through an ‘in-the-wild’ trial with real-world users.
• Gain insight into the expectations, assumptions and challenges of donors when using programmable pledges for charitable giving, helping us to refine the design of the app and the technology behind it.
• Understand the feasibility and appeal or programmable donations for different kinds of donors.