Eden Project

An integrated Direct Debit system transformed how this charity and popular visitor attraction was able to process donations and subscriptions.

The Eden Project is an educational charity, social enterprise and international visitor destination for all ages and interests, located in the heart of Cornwall. Nestled in a former clay pit, massive Biomes house the largest rainforest in captivity and a beautiful Mediterranean environment. Outside, there are acres of beautiful and contemporary gardens to explore.

Since it opened in 2000, it has welcomed close to 20 million visitors to enjoy its spectacular global gardens, dramatic and changing exhibits, and year-round programme of events, live music, performance and festivals.

Eden’s challenge

As a charity, the support of Members and donors helps Eden to deliver a range of transformational projects which make a real difference to people’s lives and to our planet. Thanks to its high profile in the region, they saw continued growth in their Membership and Locals’ Pass schemes, but managing them became an ever-greater task.

Obviously, raising and maintaining vital income is incredibly important for the Eden Project, but not something that they are able to spend days or weeks administering.

The solution

We worked with the Eden Project to design and implement a Direct Debit solution that would allow them to streamline the donations and payments from their supporters and consume less of their staff’s time. It’s very important for them that donations can be collected accurately and on time, with no mistakes.

We sat down with them to examine the various scenarios and analyse all the payment data so we could map out exactly what would be needed from the new collections platform. Whether their supporters were giving monthly or annually, they needed a system that could operate at scale and have the flexibility to handle donations from single figures into the tens of thousands.

Once the platform was successfully delivered, we thoroughly tested the system prior to deployment to ensure it was all running smoothly. We had been in close contact with Eden ’s team throughout the process and provided their staff with the necessary training to get them familiar with the platform. They now have a dedicated account manager who they can always speak to for ongoing support.

The result

Having a payment collection system that is so hassle-free means the supporter experience is smooth, and staff can focus on delivering what their Members and donors want – whether that’s generating articles and ideas for their newsletters and magazines, or working out what events and offers will help supporters better understand the work of the organisation.

We’re pleased to have created a convenient and user-friendly experience for donors, customers and staff alike. Instead of spending a few days each month on the nitty-gritty of administering Direct Debits, staff now only spend a couple of hours, saving them a great deal of time and money.

As  Rose Cashman-Pugsley, Eden’s Membership Manager, says: “London & Zurich provide the Eden Project with a fast, reliable, safe and easy way of collecting Direct Debits that allows us to put our resources to best use.”

To discuss our Direct Debit services further, please get in touch with our expert consultants today by emailing info@landz.co.uk.