Mobile donating
Encyclopedia
Mobile donating refers to donating to an organization through a mobile device. The primary means for mobile donating is through SMS
. Mobile donating can also refer to consumers donating their old phones to a cause for recycling and reuse of the device.
, is the primary means of mobile giving. Cell phone users can make donations by texting a keyword to a specific short code
. Keywords are determined by the fundraising organization, and usually pertain to the organization’s cause or purpose. Donation amounts are predetermined, commonly at $5 or $10, and users often have a limit of how many micro-donations
they can send via sms to a single campaign in one month. After donating, users receive a confirmation text message and the donation amount is added to their monthly phone bill. Donations can take up to 90 days to be processed.
WAP Donations: Mobile giving can also occur through a mobile WAP
website. Cell phone users can access WAP donation pages by sending a specific text message to a designated keyword and receiving a link to the page in response, or by navigating to the page from a referring site. Upon reaching the WAP donation page, users are prompted to enter their cell phone numbers. Donations are confirmed with a text message sent to the donor’s mobile phone, and the donation is added to the donor’s monthly phone bill.
, in collaboration with the Wireless Foundation, has raised over 190,000USD through 38,091 text messages to provide relief for victims of natural disasters like Hurricane Gustav
and Hurricane Ike
. In South Africa, Nelson Mandela
’s charity raised $85,000 USD in July 2008 with the cooperation of Zain, a South African mobile operator, using Mandela’s 90th birthday as the ‘call to give’; well-wishers from around the world could text in a birthday wish and make a donation at the same time.
However, high carrier charges and legislative obstacles can hinder the success of a SMS donation campaign. In some cases, up to 50% of a donation would go to the mobile service provider, an unacceptable amount to most charities. On the other side, in Spain the law only allows a maximum donation of 1.20 euros per SMS, a threshold established to protect mobile users in case of other money transactions. This could explain partially why in 2005, the Spanish branch of the Red Cross raised eight million euros for the tsunami
relief efforts in Southeast Asia, a much lower figure in comparison to the disaster in Haiti.
The hitherto most successful mobile donating campaign has been organized in support of the relief efforts for the 2010 Haiti earthquake
. The American Red Cross has raised over $32 million dollars within one month after the disaster, and has demonstrated the unprecedented potential for small text-message donations.
has warned that there are some pitfalls to cell phone giving, including concerns that service providers may charge fees or take a cut of the donations. AIP also warns that it can take as long as 120 days for a charity to actually receive a text donation and that wireless carriers may limit the number of times per month a user can donate via text. The watchdog group cautions, “A charity will generally receive your donation faster if you mail a check or donate directly to the charity online using its secure web site."
Mobile Cause
CauseCast
Give by Cell
G8wave
iLoop Mobile
Mobile Commons
Mobile Giving Foundation
Mobile Giving
Text a Day
Short message service
Short Message Service is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices...
. Mobile donating can also refer to consumers donating their old phones to a cause for recycling and reuse of the device.
Mobile Fundraising Service Providers
Direct mobile donations can only be made to organizations that have live mobile fundraising campaigns. In order to launch such a campaign, an organization can partner with a provider, such as atom technologies, mGive, mCommons, Wireless Factory, Wireless Foundation, Distributive Networks or MobileCause.Mobile Giving Process
Premium SMS Donations: Text messaging, or SMSSMS
SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
, is the primary means of mobile giving. Cell phone users can make donations by texting a keyword to a specific short code
Short code
Short codes are special telephone numbers, significantly shorter than full telephone numbers, that can be used to address SMS and MMS messages from certain service provider's mobile phones or fixed phones...
. Keywords are determined by the fundraising organization, and usually pertain to the organization’s cause or purpose. Donation amounts are predetermined, commonly at $5 or $10, and users often have a limit of how many micro-donations
Micro-donations
Micro-donations are a form of charitable donations that are small in the donated amount. In the past, they have been used most effectively by companies collecting spare change at registers and checkouts...
they can send via sms to a single campaign in one month. After donating, users receive a confirmation text message and the donation amount is added to their monthly phone bill. Donations can take up to 90 days to be processed.
WAP Donations: Mobile giving can also occur through a mobile WAP
Wireless Application Protocol
Wireless Application Protocol is a technical standard for accessing information over a mobile wireless network.A WAP browser is a web browser for mobile devices such as mobile phones that uses the protocol.Before the introduction of WAP, mobile service providers had limited opportunities to offer...
website. Cell phone users can access WAP donation pages by sending a specific text message to a designated keyword and receiving a link to the page in response, or by navigating to the page from a referring site. Upon reaching the WAP donation page, users are prompted to enter their cell phone numbers. Donations are confirmed with a text message sent to the donor’s mobile phone, and the donation is added to the donor’s monthly phone bill.
Mobile Fundraising Campaigns
In the 2008 Text 2HELP campaign, the American Red CrossAmerican Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
, in collaboration with the Wireless Foundation, has raised over 190,000USD through 38,091 text messages to provide relief for victims of natural disasters like Hurricane Gustav
Hurricane Gustav
The name Gustav has been used for five tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean:* 1984's Tropical Storm Gustav - Spent most of its existence as a tropical depression hovering over Bermuda, no major damage was reported....
and Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...
. In South Africa, Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
’s charity raised $85,000 USD in July 2008 with the cooperation of Zain, a South African mobile operator, using Mandela’s 90th birthday as the ‘call to give’; well-wishers from around the world could text in a birthday wish and make a donation at the same time.
However, high carrier charges and legislative obstacles can hinder the success of a SMS donation campaign. In some cases, up to 50% of a donation would go to the mobile service provider, an unacceptable amount to most charities. On the other side, in Spain the law only allows a maximum donation of 1.20 euros per SMS, a threshold established to protect mobile users in case of other money transactions. This could explain partially why in 2005, the Spanish branch of the Red Cross raised eight million euros for the tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
relief efforts in Southeast Asia, a much lower figure in comparison to the disaster in Haiti.
The hitherto most successful mobile donating campaign has been organized in support of the relief efforts for the 2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
. The American Red Cross has raised over $32 million dollars within one month after the disaster, and has demonstrated the unprecedented potential for small text-message donations.
Drawbacks to Mobile Giving
Mobile giving can be a convenient way to donate to charity, but charity watchdog group the American Institute of PhilanthropyAmerican Institute of Philanthropy
The American Institute of Philanthropy is a 501 nonprofit organization, created in the United States by Daniel Borochoff in 1992, to provide information about charities' financial efficiency, accountability, governance, and fundraising. Its official website is known as...
has warned that there are some pitfalls to cell phone giving, including concerns that service providers may charge fees or take a cut of the donations. AIP also warns that it can take as long as 120 days for a charity to actually receive a text donation and that wireless carriers may limit the number of times per month a user can donate via text. The watchdog group cautions, “A charity will generally receive your donation faster if you mail a check or donate directly to the charity online using its secure web site."
US Mobile Giving Providers
mGiveMobile Cause
CauseCast
Give by Cell
G8wave
iLoop Mobile
Mobile Commons
Mobile Giving Foundation
Mobile Giving
Text a Day