With regards to transparent donations boxes, take a lesson from an old
bartenders trick - seed the box in the morning with a few bills.  It might
take a bit of trial and error to find the best combination, perhaps a couple
of ones, fives and a ten.  I think you'll see an increase in donations.
 People tend to give comparable amounts to what they see in the box.

I am of the opinion that all donation boxes should be clear acrylic.