A new online fundraising platform, which allows users to directly link data from apps such as Fitbit and Facebook with donating to charity, has launched today.

Birmingham based fundraising platform GivePenny, which has been a member of the Institute of Fundraising since July 2015, first registered as a company in October 2015. However, founder Lee Clark said “treat today as the first day that people can donate on GivePenny”.

“We launched the first version of our site very quietly in October,” he said. “After speaking to the first charities that signed up with us, we spent a few months tweaking the site and its functionality. We made some great steps forward and the website you see today is what we’re ready to shout about.

“We can’t wait to see the impact it will have on regular giving.”

Clark also said that the difference between GivePenny and other online fundraising platforms lies in its “directly linking the data from apps (currently Fitbit, Runkeeper and Facebook Check-In) with donations”.

That way, users can raised money for good causes just by going about their daily routine: “e.g. 50p per 10,000 steps, £1 for every 10 miles running or £5 for every Check-In at the local gym”.

GivePenny charges charity members a 5 per cent transaction fee on each donation and an annual membership fee of £120. The platform enables people to claim gift aid. 

Five Birmingham-based charities are currently signed up with GivePenny.