Everyclick expects that its online shopping scheme, Give as you Live, will raise £1.7m for charity in its next financial year, more than 20 times the amount the company was able to give to charity last year, when it reported a £1.29m loss.

Despite its loss, Everyclick – which traditionally raised funds for charity via activities such as search engine fundraising – donated £67,647 to charity in the year ending 31 December 2011, although this is less than the £72,028 donated in 2010. Everyclick however expects this to rise dramatically as a result of Give As You Live. Chief executive Polly Gowers told civilsociety.co.uk that the company’s budget shows it will raise £1.7m in the next financial year.  

Last year’s operating loss, however, was a significant improvement from the previous year for Everyclick and follows the launch of Give As You Live, at the end of 2010. Give As You Live raises money for charity by online shopping; users signed up to the scheme raise money for their designated charity when they shop at sites like iTunes and Sainsbury’s.

The company expects that Give As You Live will “drive significant growth and income streams” and will push it to profitability within a year.

Gowers said: “To date, over £4.4m has been spent with Give As You Live retailers since we launched the product in 2010. To put that figure into the context of growth, over £3.44m of that amount has been spent in the last eight months.”

The scheme, she said, is increasing its number of shoppers by between 20 and 50 per cent a month.

“What is even more pleasing is that although we are acquiring shoppers rapidly, we have more shoppers that have made more than five transactions than those that have made only one,” said Gowers. “This is a real proof point that, we believe, demonstrates Give As You Live technology can deliver a regular giving channel for all UK charities, through regular online-shopper activity.”

In 2011 the company secured equity capital of more than £1m, and since the end of last year has obtained a further £1.9m in new equity funds. The finance is secured on assets put up by the directors of the company who have agreed the finance until June 2013, when they expect the company to be in fine financial form.