70 Nonprofit Trends for 2015

2. Beacon technology will dominate checkout charity. Love or hate them, offline checkout programs (pinups, roundups, donation boxes, etc.) will begin to be replaced by mobile programs using Beacon technology.

Beacon technology is “micro-location” as it’s designed to work in a physical location (like a store) with your phone — specifically your retail apps. With a Beacon transmitter, businesses can better interact with smartphone-toting consumers in or near their stores. Sure, they can push coupons to them when they walk in the door, but they can also give them one when they linger in a particular aisle or over a specific product. Companies can even push reminders to consumers. “Last time you were on our website you were searching for a blend of coffee that we now have in stock.”