The National Funding Scheme has launched a new initiative in London that enables people to make donations to cultural institutions via digital channels.

The initiative, to be known as Donate, lets people pay via text/SMS, credit or debit card, or PayPal.

Insitutions involved include Almeida Theatre BALTIC; Holburne Museum; Kala Sangam; National Portrait Gallery; National Trust; Octagon Theatre; Phoenix Dance Theatre; Science Museum; Southbank Centre; and Victoria and Albert Museum.

It's hoped to be rolled out nationwide at the end of the year.

Users can identify what causes and campaigns they want to donate to, which range from the National Portrait Gallery's restoration of its Naval Officers of World War I painting to the restoration of the Royal Festival Hall organ at the Southbank Centre.

The technology allows donors to give right after attending a performance, exhibition or heritage site - a time that, according to research, is when people are at their most generous.

According to the National Funding Scheme, Donate allows many small donations to be collected from lots of people, breaks down the barriers to giving and allows institutions to know who made the donation and build a relationship with them.

Interim chair of the National Funding Scheme Robert Dufton said: "We believe the scheme will deliver incremental income to institutions at t time when the cultural sector feels the pain of an ongoing recession and funding cuts."