The Pennies Foundation aims to create an "electronic charity box" that allows people to easily donate spare change from purchases by rounding up transactions or payments to the nearest pound. This could generate £80 million annually for existing UK charities helping those in need. Consumers express strong support for this type of effortless electronic giving, with over half of survey respondents saying they would donate this way. The Pennies Foundation believes this approach is well-suited to today's digital payment methods and could help address funding gaps faced by many UK charities during economic downturns.

1. What is The Pennies Foundation?The Pennies Foundation is making giving simple by creating the ‘electronic charity box’.At the touch of a button or the click of a mouse, you can help improve the lives of many people across the UK by giving your electronic change. Delivering new money to UK charities.

2. Is the electronic charity box worth creating?Yes! It could make a big contribution to existing UK charities.£80 million a year if...Half the UK’s card-holders gave just 34p once a month, or

3. If just three in every 100 card transactions was rounded up to the nearest pound, or

4. Nine in 100 of us rounded up regularly.Who will benefit?People in need all across the UK. Consumers’ pennies will go to existing registered charities. These charities work with:

5. children and young people

6. the sick and disabled

7. or give us the care we need in a crisis

8. A penny might not seem much, but added together your pennies can make a difference to someone’s life.

9. In the early days those who have made Pennies possible, the retailers and funders, will nominate the charities within these criteria to receive funds.

10. We never forget it’s the consumers money though and intend to build in a way for consumers to choose more directly as soon possible. Pennies. Improve lives at the touch of a button.

11. Do consumers want this?Consumers say YES!We’ve asked consumers twice, once in August 2008 and again in November 2009, through independent on-line surveys carried out by Opinion Matters. 57% say that they would give to charity this way.

12. This is up from 52% in August 2008.

13. This way of giving is particularly popular amongst the under 34’s.

14. 68% in this group say that they’d give to charity this way.How often would people give?Will the economic climate will make people less willing to give this way?

15. Actually no, this way of giving seems more popular now than a year ago.August 2008One in four consumers now say that they would round-up most or all of the time. 18%November 200925%What do they like?69%No commitment needed66%Giving pennies not pounds It’s quick and takes no personal time53%

16. Why Pennies, why now? There is funding gap to fill Many charities both large and small are finding fundraising harder:- 67% charities saw their income fall last year - and total donations in the UK dropped 11%

17. At the same time many consumers have tighter budgets.

18. As the Government tackles the budget deficit this perfect storm is likely to get worse.It chimes exactly with changes in the way we pay for things We use cards more and more – 7.5 billion card transactions a year.

19. More than 8 in 10 of us have and use cards.

20. About 20% of the goods we buy are over the internet and this is rising.

21. The opportunity to put change into a collecting box on the shop counter is reducing. It’s the right idea for today’s climate It’s about pennies not pounds.

22. It’s about choice not commitment.

23. Simple, affordable giving without pressure.

24. But giving that could make a big difference to those in need in the UK.