I hadn’t heard of Ploink until I came across it today. Now I know that Ploink is a new website that gives people the chance to donate small amounts of change to charities of their choice. It seems to be an ‘ICT equivalent’ of a jar you put 1p or 2p coins in. We are currently seeing politicians turning to digital ways of getting their message across in an attempt to win every vote in the forthcoming elections. Likewise charities are moving with the times and increasingly using the website as an easy way for people to make donations to causes they would willingly support but perhaps haven’t thought of doing so. I am not sure whether this electronic version is any easier for the donor than putting coins in a jar – or whether it is better for the charity - but for charities that can make a difference with ‘small amounts of change’ and benefit from spreading their message in a way that only the world wide web can do, perhaps Ploink is a good idea.
I am reminded that whilst my standing order to sponsor a child through Project Mala is a simple way for me to regularly contribute to work that makes a difference, one-off donations to Project Mala can make a difference too. Individual expenses such as a school bag costing 63p and a school uniform at just £4.50 for a child for a year could soon be achieved through putting 1p or 2p coins in a jar…. whether it’s the modern ploink version or the traditional glass version!
