It is getting easier than ever to be good. Next time you feel that charitable itch, no need to get out your checkbook and stamp an envelope. No need even to visit a Website and make a donation with a credit card.
According to Kristi Heim of the Seattle Times, in this brave new world of instant and brief communications, all you need to do is a send a text message.
For example, texting 2HELP allowed you to donate a set amount instantly to the American Red Cross in last year’s campaign that raised $190,000. Those who text a code attached to a certain campaign get a return message seeking confirmation of the gift, which users can reply to by sending back a “yes.” Another return message brings them a thank-you note and a contact for inquiries. The donation amount is added to the donor’s next cell phone bill.
Couldn’t be easier. And the amounts donors give this way are very small — often $5 — which enables those who don’t have much to easily help.
The system is the brainchild of Jim Manis, a former mobile-marketing executive who founded the Seattle-area Mobile Giving Foundation. The Foundation sets up fundraising campaigns around certain words — for example, THANKS for Disabled American Veterans or DOB for Doctors Without Borders — for which it serves as middle-man between mobile companies and charities. The Foundation manages mobile communications to donors and coordinates billing with cell companies.
Next time you have your phone handy and an extra $5 in your account, text one of the keywords to the shortcodes on this handy chart to instantly help a worthy cause.
Image courtesy of stock.xchang.