A Direct Debit Authority - Leprosy Mission's Transition to Cheque-Free

Happy to share. I have attached:

• the Direct Debit Authority (DDA) which we called ‘One-Off’ as donor-centric language
• the FAQ which detailed how the DDA works
• the DDA wording for the appeal donation form

Since Kiwibank announced in May 2019 that cheques would stop we have been working on transitioning supporters to non-cheque donations including internet banking (doubled between 2019 and 2020), debit and credit cards via website, donation forms and phoning to office. There remains a core of supporters who will not change and the DDA provides a viable option for this group of supporters.

• The Direct Debit Authority was tested in the first appeal of 2021 – it was included in the mailing to anyone who had used a cheque in the last 2 years and their supporter number was printed just above the box for their name. 
• The Appeal is backed up by a communication plan including an external and internal phone calling campaign, targeted letters and follow-up phone conversations.
• The banks that have accepted this Authority to date include: ANZ, ASB, BNZ, Kiwibank, TSB, Westpac
• The Authority is a standard BNZ form, with the addition of the Leprosy Mission logo and commitment
• The current cheque giving cohort will include the early adopters to technology, the late adopters to technology and the very reluctant / no adoption of technology. Kiwibank research found about 40% of cheque users were in the latter group.
• This DDA option is for these hard-core cheques users who need a paper based ‘cheque like’ option.
• Security and trust building is very important. Having Ambassadors telling their story of making a change works.

The process:

• DDA received by LMNZ
• DDA copy saved in LMNZ database
• DDA sent to supporter’s bank
• LMNZ via DD internet banking system process a specified donation amount on a specific date detailed from the separate appeal donation form.

As I had advised in previous emails we wanted to make sure the process worked before sharing widely. We have now seen the process in action and without any logistic barriers with the major banks.