Cancer Research UK will install a cloud-based electronic point-of-sale scheme to enable it to claim gift aid in its shops, in a bid to raise £18m over the next five years.
The charity has appointed e-commerce supplier Cybertill to install its system across the charity’s 555 shops by early 2012.
As well as automating much of the process of claiming gift aid the new system will also mean that the charity can manage bought-in goods and donated stock more effectively.
Sue Azzopardi, head of retail operations at the charity, said: “Cancer Research UK has some ambitious fundraising targets to meet in the coming years and our retail chain has a vital part to play in reaching that goal.”
Cancer Research UK came third in the civilsociety.co.uk annual Charity Shops Survey 2011 league table with an income of £68m and profit of £19m.
British Heart Foundation was first with an income of £133m and Oxfam came second with £88m.
Charity shops claiming gift aid
Charity shops can reclaim 25 per cent from HMRC from the sale of donated goods but to do so need to effectively track stock and confirm with the donor at the point of sale.
Almost three-quarters of respondents to this year’s Charity Shops Survey claimed gift aid which was an increase by almost half from 2010’s figure of 49 per cent.
Topping the gift aid league table was British Heart Foundation which raised £6.8m and had a conversion rate of 42 per cent, followed by Oxfam which raised £3m and had a conversion rate of 18 per cent.
