In today’s tough economic times everyone is feeling the pinch, and charity and non-profit organisations are no exception. From large organisations like the Red Cross and Unicef to local church and civic groups, charity organisations have always relied on the generosity of others to help those in need. Since the collapse of the housing market and the resulting recession, those people who may otherwise have been active supporters of non-profit groups may not have the means or even the time to donate. This has left many organisations with the best of intentions short on resources.
One trend that has emerged may be a light at the end of the tunnel for some charity organisations. Thanks to advances in mobile technology and the proliferation of mobile devices, text donations have shown themselves to be a fast and extremely effective way to raise donations. With over 270 million mobile phones in the United States alone and more mobile devices emerging all time, text donations can literally reach millions of people in a matter of minutes. The ease of use of the text donation system is its best feature, making it simple and quick to make a minor donation of five to ten dollars in most cases. Users can text a short code like ‘GIVE’ to a five digit number and make a donation right then and there when they are moved to help, instead of having to remember contact information and deal with transaction processes. This also allows users to remain anonymous and caters to impulse donations.
Text donations can be a real life saver for all charity events and organisations, specifically those organisations that have been struggling during the recession. There are many ways to set up a text donation service, from basic text messaging to internet and social networking sites, the best solution for your particular situation is dependent on your means and needs.
Most charities find it much easier and more economically viable to partner with other organisations and campaigns to extend their reach as far as possible, as opposed to setting up their own service. Recent disasters and trying times have shown that people still want to help, and if you can reach out to them directly with an easy and fast donation process, the amount of donations can be amazing.
