Mobile Donations: The Future of Giving

For some nonprofits, utilizing mobile donations or text-to-give as a part of their overall marketing plan can be a little intimidating—and we totally understand. After all, there was a time when this method of donating was just not a viable solution for most small nonprofits.

The Early Days

The ability to make a mobile donation really took front and center stage following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Through text-to-give, the American Red Cross was able to raise about $43 million dollars to help the victims of that devastating disaster.

Unfortunately, this method of giving had its drawbacks at the time. For one, it was extremely costly for nonprofits to use them. Secondly, organizations weren’t able to collect the money right away. Finally, donors also had to go through their phone carriers.

Today, the process is much more direct and comes with fewer limitations. Using a mobile device, supporters of any organization, big or small, can simply text a keyword and donation amount, and voilà, they’re done! They can also log onto a nonprofit’s site from their tablet or smartphone to quickly make a monetary donation. Either way, whether it’s for an annual campaign or a specific fund, they offer a convenient way to receive and send money in today’s tech-savvy world.

Don’t Miss Out!

If you have yet to utilize today’s modern fundraising techniques, you are definitely getting left behind. We already use our phones for pretty much everything nowadays, so why not for donations, too? It just doesn’t make practical sense not to.

 

If you’re still not convinced, consider this. Texting is presently the most widely used and frequently used app on a smartphone, with 97% of Americans using it at least once a day, according to the Pew Research Center. Over 6 billion text messages are also sent in the U.S. each day. Bottom line, as Americans, we are clearly “text-obsessed.” That’s why text messaging is a powerful way for donors to connect with nonprofits.

This holds true for any type of mobile giving. Now more than ever, people use only their mobile devices to access the web. According to Stastica.com, more than 43.6 percent of all website traffic worldwide was generated through mobile phones last year, up from 35.1 percent in the previous year. Mobile currently also accounts for half of all global web pages served. Considering the numbers, it’s a no-brainer that your nonprofit should be making the move toward mobile giving, right?

Distinguishing the Difference

For some nonprofits, they may be a little apprehensive to move toward more current ways of receiving donations because they just don’t understand the lingo. Establishing the differences between mobile giving, online giving, or text-to-give can be challenging. Below, we’ve broken down the terms for you to make it easy to understand—and less intimidating.

  1. Mobile Giving
    Whenever a donation is made through a phone or tablet, this is considered mobile giving. There are three basic types of mobile giving. Each of them is explained below:
    Type 1: Through the mobile version of your nonprofit’s website, supporters can give money through your donation page.
    Type 2: Through a mobile app (either a third party or your own), supporters can log onto it to make a donation.
    Type 3: Through an Internet-based or cloud-based service, supporters can easily make a donation using the text-to-give method. To successfully make a payment, the donor must text a keyword to a number.
  1. Online Giving
    This method of giving has actually been around for a while now. It offers a convenient way for your supporters to make a financial contribution to your nonprofit from a computer. The donation can either be made by logging onto your organization’s homepage and clicking on the “donation button” or through a third party’s site like GoFundMe.
  2.  Text-to-Give
    A facet of mobile fundraising, this method allows for a donor’s payment to be instantly processed through a mobile payment processor. It’s just like shopping online — only way more charitable!

 

How to Get Started

Providing your donors with multiple giving options will result in more donations because it enables your donors to choose their own involvement. If you offer it, trust us, they will come. But first, you have to have a plan. Here’s how to get started:

  1. Clean-up your list
    Segment your donors into those that have given substantially in the last two years. Don’t waste a lot of effort on names of individuals who haven’t been very active (if at all) with your fundraising efforts. Time is money.
  2. Enlist the help of influencers
    Seek out well-known people in your community to help get the word out about your mobile giving campaign. These trusted voices can be a huge help to your fundraising campaign by driving the conversation and action within the area your nonprofit serves.
  3. Set realistic goals for each campaign
    You’re only going to get out of your mobile fundraiser what you put into. You can’t simply create a mobile campaign and hope for the best. People have to know about it. That’s where social media, word of mouth, and community influencers come into play.
  4. Market your plans at live events
    Whether it’s your own or not, events offer the perfect opportunity to meet lots of people who otherwise may not have known about your cause.
  5. Use social media to boost a mobile fundraiser
    Never underestimate the power of social media. It plays an enormous role in an organization’s ability to reach the masses and gain support for their cause. If you’re overwhelmed by all the different platforms out there, you can never go wrong with Facebook.
  6. Always track and improve
    If you don’t track your mobile giving performance, you can’t possibly expect to improve. Make sure you pay close attention and analyze things like participation rate, conversion rate, average gift size, email opt-out rate, donor growth, donor retention, etc.

Mobile raising platforms we like

Some of the platforms we’ve listed below can send out reminders, announcements, updates, and surveys and allow you to have a two-way conversation with individuals. A few of them, however, require a monthly fee, while some only take a percentage when someone gives. There are also a lot of additional features available depending on how much you want to spend. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, so you need to see what works for your budget and integration needs. Some offer flat fees, and some ask for a present of your transaction.

  • Gnosis Media Group Affordable text-to-donate service (Vet Discount Available!). No minimum annual revenue requirement. Easy to use. No contracts or lengthy applications.
  • Qgive platform is affordable, which makes it accessible for nonprofits of all sizes. Collect donations, set up events, and more with a suite of products that you can customize to suit your needs.
  • @Pay is a mobile fundraising provider that specializes in text-to-give software (that doesn’t place caps on donation amounts!), email donation buttons, fundraising thermometers, and branded online and mobile donation pages.
  • Text.Gives pricing is simple, transparent, and all-inclusive. There are no hidden fees or extra charges. Keep your campaign running all year or just use it to capitalize on an issue or to leverage your event.
  • MoGiv is a cool option because its pricing model has no setup fees, no subscription fees, and no support fees.
  • MobileCause various services, including their text-to-give tool, are simple and effective for nonprofits of all sizes. Their text-to-give tool not only enables donors to give to their favorite organization but it also allows your nonprofit to send out event invitations, reminders, and more.

Consider giving these programs a shot if you are interested in trying out a mobile fundraising strategy involving text messaging. They can help you bring in extra funds this giving season.

Do You Need Our Help?

How is your nonprofit currently using mobile giving and marketing?
Does your nonprofit need help navigating your mobile giving options? If so, give us a call or email us today. We are here to help!

 


Alizah Epstein is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer at the Epstein Creative Group. As a passionate, creative thinker and problem-solver, she is the driving force behind the branding and marketing design studio. What makes this firm different is that it focuses on branding and marketing for mission-driven organizations that benefit women and children. Through strategic branding and marketing efforts, they secure more donors and build awareness so these organizations can continue the good work that they do. To learn more, visit epsteincreative.com. Design with purpose.