Before Pressing Send, Giving and the Text Message Donation
Everyone has their excuse to not donate to the disaster relief funds that you see or to a favorite charity:
• We’re broke
• The donation process is much too complicated
• We lack the time to write and send the check
• So on, and so on, and so on
Mobile donation is the giving of money to an organization through text messaging. This is something that makes giving a lot easier but is it safe? Does it actually have a significant impact for the charity and the people that are in need?
Donation through cell phone is actually very quick and very easy. All you have to do is simply text a word to a number and a set amount is then charged to your cell phone bill. Your carrier will then deliver those funds to the charity.
The approach of the mobile donation has been around for years but it actually didn’t catch on that much until the earthquake in Haiti this year. More than $32 million was raised in just a month after the disaster through the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund. This is the most successful mobile campaign to date.
Advocates talk about the mobile donation as a very appealing option due to the fact that they offer instant gratification and they are very convenient. The system opens things up to those people that otherwise might never contribute. I’ll admit I’m part of that group. Sometimes it’s just too much trouble to worry about sending a check, yeah it’s not that much work but it’s so much of an inconvenience. Younger audiences, like me, for instance, appreciate the opportunity to be able to donate through text messaging. Don’t need to write a check and don’t have to worry about pulling out a credit card.
Avoiding Scams
One of the biggest worries is getting scammed. Before you start to text away you can make sure that you’re not getting scammed. If you’re unsure about the charity that you’re giving to you can look it up on Charity Watch. Just be sure of places or an organization that you’ve not heard of before. Just stick to the big named charities and you should be more than fine.
Also just make sure that you’re giving directly to the charity rather than a group that is soliciting on behalf of a charity. One of the reasons for this is that not only might it be a scam it takes portion of the proceeds to cover their costs which leaves less of your donation to the people that are actually in need.
You should make sure that the normal rates apply and that you’re giving just a onetime donation rather than a monthly one. It’s all going to depend on the charity in which you’re giving and the carrier that you’re with.
There aren’t really any faults with the text message donation. As you can see with all of the money that was raised for Haiti it can and does really make a difference. When you’re thinking that you don’t have enough time to donate simply pick up your phone and make a text message donation.
Related posts:
- Charities Making It Easier To Donate By Phone: Text Gifting
- Mobile Giving: Ways to Help Haiti with Your Cell Phone
- Mobile Phone Donations, a Game of Bait And Switch?
- Mobile Health, Helping Smokers Quit Through Text Message
- Cell Phone Bill with Text Message Ban Now Law
- Making a Difference, Recycling Your Old Cell Phone through Donation
- The Common Signs of Text Message Scams and the Steps to Take If You Get Hit
- Using Your Cell Phone to Donate to Your Favorite Charity
- Donate Your Old Cell Phone
- Americans Using Their Cell Phones More For Internet and Games
Tags: cell phone-laws, Cell Phones