Following the earthquake in Haiti, the world learned the awesome power of mobile fundraising. The State Department partnered with mGive to allow individuals to quickly donate $10 to The Red Cross just by sending a text message with their mobile phones. With the help of extensive advertising, pledges totaled upwards of $30 million. Nonprofits rushed to setup their own mobile fundraising programs.
Unfortunately, for most nonprofit organizations, mobile fundraising can be a costly endeavor. Monthly fees can range from $400 to $1,500 or more just to maintain the account, plus additional per transaction fees. And without massive advertising campaigns, the likelihood of success is low. Also, the turnaround time for the nonprofit to actually receive donated funds is dependent on the mobile billing cycle (usually at 30-90 days).
While this crisis did show that the public is willing and capable of making donations through their cell phones, further research reveals a lot of room for improvement. That’s where Twitpay can help!
Twitpay’s “RT Keyword” function allows a nonprofit organization to setup a free keyword – similar to a mobile shortcode. When you ask a supporter to make a donation, they can simply type “RT yourkeyword” in their Twitter stream (on their computer OR their mobile phone – by texting 40404 or within their favorite Twitter app) to make a donation and to spread the word to all of their followers! While additional advertising and publicity are certainly recommended, the real exposure to your RT Keyword comes from your donors – for free! Proceeds are deposited in the organization’s bank account within 2-3 days and there is no cost to have and keep an account, just a small per transaction processing fee.
If you would like more information on setting up an RT Keyword account, or if you’d like to make a donation to your favorite charity, visit us at http://RT2Give.com or give us a call at 1-877-RETWEET! And, of course, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Twitpay!
Sources:
http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_Haiti_text2help_faqs#Q8
http://www.mgive.com/Pricing.aspx
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34850532/ns/technology_and_science-wireless/
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