What is Mobile Giving?
Alicia Keys appeared earlier this year on American Idol to promote Keep a Child Alive, the charity she co-founded to provide health care and housing to children with HIV/AIDS in Africa and India. Keys asked the TV audience of millions to text the word "ALIVE" if they desired to donate $5 via their mobile phones. The astounding result was $450,000 for the charity from more than 90,000 mobile donors.The Idol appearance was one of a series of events and concerts Keys has used to fundraise for Keep a Child Alive. Keys has said of the "Give $5 Text ALIVE" campaign, "Texting can provide a way to give at that instant when we are moved, rather than later when life takes over."
Spurred by the Millennial Generation (born 1982-2002), mobile giving has taken off and is now an accepted and widely used fundraising technique for charities that include the American Red Cross, the ASPCA, Feed the Children, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The technology has advanced to a simple system, and the largest providers of cell phone service have agreed to include these small donations (usually $5 or $10) on their customers’ cell phone bills without any additional charge.
Why Are the Millennials Such a Good Target for Mobile Giving?
We asked that of Jessie Newburn, a consultant on social media. She replied, “Because they carry their cell phones all the time...they check their email only occasionally, but they check their cell phones every couple of minutes. Mobile giving is therefore very relevant to this group. GenXers [born 1961-1981] can't live without email; Millennials can't live without their mobile phones.”Millennials are also drawn to social causes because, says Newburn, “They are the ‘hero' generation....they believe that they are going to correct the problems of the adult world. They are drawn toward social causes as a group….They are happy upbeat soldiers marching toward a goal together.”
But Millennials aren’t the only ones who can get swept up in group action. Mark Miller, Director of Philanthropic Marketing and Communication for Children’s National Medical Center in D.C., told us how the Center partnered with the Mobile Giving Foundation, the Washington Nationals, and MLB to raise funds at a baseball game. Here is how it worked:
Fans at the game were asked to contribute to a $5 million pediatric diabetes care complex to which the Nationals had already committed $2 million. Donors sent the keyword “NATS” to a number (known as a "short code") on their cell phones. The donors received a text message asking them to confirm the donation. Then they received a confirmation message, and the $5 donation was added to the their cell phone bill.
Five percent of each donation is a processing fee that goes to the Mobile Giving Foundation, and the Medical Center receives 95%.
Miller said, "We were excited to give fans a simple way to be part of this important cause. At this stage, text-giving is still being tested, and we hope that our experiment will help improve and spread the use of text-giving to support causes of all types."
What Kinds of Campaigns Work Well For Mobile Giving?
We asked Stephen W. Joos, Director of Campaigns at Mobile Accord, a mobile application service provider, whose signature program is mGive, to tell us what campaigns work best in this channel.Joos said, "Since mobile giving is made up of micro-donations, a mass marketing appeal is the best. We’ve found the most effective uses of mobile giving are for television campaigns, pledge drives, concerts, and sporting events. At a large event, we have found that 8-12% of people donate right on the spot, and expect that number to rise significantly as mobile donations become the norm.
"Mobile donations are extremely effective for impulse and emotional calls to action. With the 2004 Tsunami, carriers in the U.S. and around the world ran mobile donation campaigns. They were able to raise millions of dollars. Soon, organizations will be able to set up monthly recurring donations at $5 or $10. This will allow a nonprofit to set up a solid mobile donor base."
Small Organizations Can Make Use of Mobile Giving Too
Joos says that local organizations can make mobile giving work for them too. Announcements at a high school football game, a pancake breakfast, a city festival, or local concerts could all work. Adding the text "call to action" anywhere they would normally promote their website address and adding a mobile donation option to a website or social networking sites can be effective.Opt-In Is Mandatory for Mobile Giving Campaigns
Cell phone carriers mandate that a person must opt-in to your mobile campaign before you can send him or her a single message. People can opt in through a form on a website or by sending a text message to your short code. You must also provide a way to opt out in every message that you send.Social media consultant, Newburn, says that opt-in is especially important to media-savvy young people. "They have to have a choice," says Newburn. Sharing is also very important to Millennials, according to Newburn, as is friendly, peer-based competition. Newburn suggests providing a way for young people to share a giving opportunity with their peers and "…to enjoy a happy competition within their peer group that will propel them to the goal."
Getting Started With Mobile Giving
Right now a nonprofit cannot (cost effectively) set up their own mobile giving campaign outside of the Mobile Giving Foundation, experts say. The easiest route is to work with a mobile application vendor that specializes in nonprofit work. Vendors can get a new campaign going within 4-6 weeks, build proprietary systems for handling incoming and outgoing messages, and, if you need a customized campaign, they can work with you to provide it. You’ll get support, tracking, and advice.Typically, vendors charge for setup, monthly usage, and per-message usage. You can learn more about mobile giving at the Mobile Giving Foundation and mGive. The Mobile Marketing Association, while not specific to nonprofits, provides case studies and best practices.
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