A couple of weeks ago I had a conversation with a colleague at work about using mobile fundraising for the library. It is an easy way for patrons to support the library. Send a text message donate $5 or $10 whatever. No need to go home and get the checkbook or get online and enter your credit card information. Even better its instant, no worry that they’ll forget before they get a chance to make that donation.
Last week I came across How Text is Changing Philanthropy and it seemed like a good time to revisit the issue. Of course the best and most recent example of text fund-raising is the situation in Haiti. The Red Cross raised over 30 million from texts alone.
Why can’t libraries use this? Hang a sign in the library, put a message on the home page, but a link on the OPACs, its fast, its easy its simple. It might reach a whole different demographic than our tradition fundraising methods, people who might never have donated otherwise.
Text-based fundraising is all about immediacy. You don’t need to wait until you get home and turn on the computer. Simply enter a five or six-digit code into your cell phone, along with a single word in the body of the text, such as “Haiti.” You don’t even need to plug-in your credit-card info — the donation amount is simply added to your next phone bill. It’s all so quick and convenient, you can give in the moment. There’s no chance of you forgetting to do it later. – Time
Some other institutions are already doing it, Susan G Komen Foundation and St. Jude’s among them. And one library, the Brooklyn Library has already started a campaign. (go Brooklyn!)
Read more:
- Mosio Launches Mobile Donations Initiative for Libraries
- Donating by Text – Time
- 2010 Susan G. Komen Southern Nevada Race for the Cure
- Donations for Vacaville’s Save Our Schools can now be texted
- Students stay up all night for charity
- 4-H Announces New Fundraising Program Using Social Media
- Brooklyn Surfs Giving-by-SMS Trend; Mosio Launches Mobile Donations Initiative
I’m not vouching for any of these companies but here are a few options
- Mobile Giving – mentioned in Time
- Give on the Go – mentioned in Time
- mgive
- Give by Cell
- Mobile Cause
CC image used courtesy of JonJon2k8 on flickr
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