Mobile Donating Expands Reach of Fundraising Services
Emerging technologies and the influence of social media has resulted in much change in the accessibility and delivery of non-profit fundraising services. There are now additional web-based and mobile platforms non-profits can incorporate into their existing mail, telephone or online fundraising campaigns to complement their efforts. We have previously written about several of these online platforms such as Jumo, CovergeUS, Razoo, Crowd Rise, Give2gether, Kickstarter, Kiva City, Givmo, Broadcause, Startsomegood and Donorschoose and about how they combine technological and social media resources in a way that levels the playing field for both small and large charitable organizations.
image courtesy of healthlets.com
We have also recently spotlighted the success of the Mobile Giving Foundation (MGF) and its extensive reach and accessibility with the evolution of cell phones and the growing popularity of smart phones. Today we continue to explore this concept of mobile fundraising services and how they connect non-profits, mobile carriers and mobile donors to facilitate mobile giving here in Canada. Although each of these mobile fundraising service provider platforms spotlighted here today are MGF certified, each boasts its own tools, experience and specialities. As with the new online platforms, they are not all the same.
Founded in 2002 as a division of OLSON, MyThum was one of the first companies to be given access to multiple carrier networks in North America. MyThum acts as a direct point of contact to non-profits throughout the lifespan of each fundraising campaign. Having managed millions of transactions each month in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors, their fundraising accomplishments include facilitating more than $65,000 in donations for Haiti earthquake relief. Other nonprofits that have benefited from their mobile fundraising services include: Children’s Make A Wish Foundation and the Toronto General Hospital. In May 2010 they launched the wireless AMBER Alerts program, which helps spread the news of abducted children across Canada.
TextToCharity
Aimed at serving Canadian non-profits and charities exclusively, TextToCharity operated by Ooober, has provided organizations several mobile fundraising and other services since 2004. TextToCharity services include volunteering alerts and donor drives. Currently boasting over 23 million mobile donors, Ooober’s texting tools make running a mobile giving fundraising campaign easy with a strong call-to-action message. TextToCharity has over 30 years in mobile technology experience and is connected to major mobile carriers across North America and the Middle East.
Having worked with non-profits before MGF was introduced into Canada, ZipGive (a division of ZipStripe) connects donors with non-profits, making the act of giving very easy. ZipGive provides all the tools necessary to run a cohesive fundraising campaign that can be integrated into the charities overall marketing and fundraising strategies including building a mobile database, detailed reporting and Facebook integratation. ZipGive currently supports over 110 active fundraising campaigns with robust and comprehensive mobile fundraising services.
As mentioned, MyTum, TextToCharity and ZipGive are vetted by the Mobile Giving Foundation and therefore meet compliance standards eliminating that concern for non-profits decision-making. However non-profits still need to do their homework when deciding on their mobile fundraising service vendor. Ultimately, the service provider a non-profit decides to hire to help them manage their mobile fundraising campaigns, will largely depend on several factors including pricing, rapport with the vendors representatives and the services that are offered. It’s important that before engaging the fundraising services of any vendor, non-profits ensure the vendor will best represent the values and mission of the organization as well as share a common definition and vision of campaign success.
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Miratel Solutions is a Toronto call centre, eBusiness, and letter shop mail house specializing in professional fundraising services including telephone fundraising, online fundraising, lottery services, donation caging, donation processing and other donor management services. We are committed to our CSR business values and advancing the missions of the non-profits we proudly serve.
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