SMS the New Way to Fund Charity?
The idea of text fundraising might be quite a new one, but it’s starting to see a massive explosion in its use that could see it overtaking much more established methods of donating to a charity, especially during a crisis situation.
After the devastating earthquakes hit Haiti earlier this month the American Red Cross launched its campaign within hours. Citizens were able to donate money through the regular methods of cheques and credit cards, but they were also given the option of sending a text message, the amount of donation in the message would then be added onto the user’s telephone bill.
Mobile operators waived the standard charge of sending a message and the news of the new way of donating spread through online communities such as Facebook and Twitter incredibly quickly.
Director of MobileActive.org, Katrin Verclas explains the concept in more detail:
“They text, and in this case the key word ‘Haiti,’ to a short code which is a five-digit number. And then they will be asked essentially to confirm the $5 or $10 dollar contribution.
And then at the end of the month when they receive their bill, there will be a charge in the amount of $5 or $10 dollars that the customer pays as part of their regular phone bill.”
It’s not the first time SMS messaging has been used for this purpose, but it is one of the first times it has been successfully used by US aid groups. European aid agencies had turned to SMS for donations long before, during the Indian Ocean tsunami five years ago.
What do you think? Does using your phone bill and messaging encourage you to donate or would you do it regardless of the method used? Does using your phone make you feel differently about donating or change the amount you would donate?
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