Electronic Collection Box (2001)
Karen Knols
2001
Supervisory Team
Jan Jacobs
Dico Smit
Truus Wilmink
Stichting Bio Kinderrevalidatie
Willem van Tuyll van Serooskerken
Design a collection box for both cash and electronic donations, this was Karen Knols’ brief. Accepting debit or credit card donations would involve bank fees, plus high costs for mobile data. The Dutch Chipknip-system was the most affordable option, as donations could be retrieved at the end of each day.
Knols merged a card reader and box into one, and also took pains to arrange all the necessary components in such a way that the collection box was balanced for good portability. She also positioned the buttons and screen so as to be usable for both the collector and the donor. Once she’d finished her prototype, Knols took it out on the streets for a successful trial collection.
As the Netherlands’s biggest charities usually collect during consecutive weeks, Knols suggested charities could recoup their investment by sharing the easily customisable Electronic Collection Box.
Watch the interview:
(English subtitles available)
Bio Kinderrevalidatie was a charity offering respite holidays for families with disabled children. Known for its collections in cinemas, with the popularity of cash in decline, the charity noticed their donations dwindling back in 2001.
Chipknip was the electronic cash system used in the Netherlands up until 2015. Banking apps and contactless payments have since revolutionised the way we manage our money.
Easycollect Services’ Collecte 2.0 accepts cash and debit card donations, but the costs involved can be a barrier to smaller charities. Collection boxes combined with QR-codes are an emerging alternative and have already been used by some Dutch charities, like KWF.
