The State Dept: More than $20 million raised by SMS to help Haiti

The numbers are changing by the hour. As of Sunday evening EST, the State dept says more than $20 million has been raised by text messaging to come in aid of Haiti.

[via Mashable]

Americans Pledge Millions, but Cash Flow Takes Weeks

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced Friday that the donations to Haiti have surpassed $10 million, and still counting. Erictric reports.

Unfortunately, it was being reported that the money donated through SMS wouldn’t be available until after 90 days because, according to the WSJ, "no money moves until a person pays their cellphone bill to cover the pledge". Luckily and thankfully, many companies have pledged to give the money right away. For instance, Verizon announced that it has already given the $2,987,560 collected so far to the American Red Cross.

Sprint, on the other hand, announced that it would immediately give 80% of the funds collected.

In case you still want to make a donation via SMS, click here for the campaings and their respective numbers.

From the White House: Thoughts, Prayers and SMS donation appeal for earth shaken Haiti

President Barack Obama made the following statement last night following Haiti's 7.0-magnitude earthquake which left the Haitian capital in a shambles:

"My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been affected by this earthquake. We are closely monitoring the situation and we stand ready to assist the people of Haiti.”

The State Department has a post up as well, with remarks from Secretary Clinton and ways to help, including how to make a text donation:

For those interesting in helping immediately, simply text "HAITI" to "90999" and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill.

[via twitter.com/jack - Jack Dorsey, CEO Twitter]

Salvation Army Canada lauches Xmas fund raising campaign by SMS

The Canadian Salvation Army is launching a national text messaging fund raising campaign on Saturday, reports Winnipeg News and Media

Donors can text the word HOPE to 45678 from any Rogers Wireless or Bell Mobility mobile phone to make a $5.00 contribution to The Salvation Army’s Christmas Campaign. Money raised will directly support the more than 1.5 million people The Salvation Army serves year-round.

Press release

Last year: - Salvation Army tries text messages to raise funds

Over $315,000 raised for flood victims through SMS

Vietnam's Ministry of Information and Communication raised over 5.7 billion dong for flood victims in the central region via mobile text messages. Vietnamnet reports.

Some people sent hundreds of messages each, worth several million dong to help flood victims.

The SMS month in support of flood victims lasted from October 10 to November 11.

Stadium text-messaging campaign nets $8,550

You read about fund raising campaigns by text messaging, but it's not often you that you get actual feedback on what they brought in.

ABC's2The Advocate reports that following a plea to Tiger fans - made during a timeout on Saturday - to make a $5 donation by sending a text message, raised $8,550 from more than 2,558 text messages sent (which were added to the sender’s mobile phone bill or deducted from a prepaid balance).

Canadian Wireless Carriers Enable Charitable Donations via SMS

Canadians have a new way to support charities via their mobile phones, thanks to a partnership between the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) and the recently-established Mobile Giving Foundation. Telecommunications Industry News reports.

Users will initially be able to support Plan Canada, the Children’s Wish Foundation, Best Buddies, and Jays Care Foundation.

“We thought this was a way to help new donors be charitable. In some cases people, can only give small gifts,” explained Bernard Lord, head of the CWTA. “They don’t know how to do it and they don’t want to write a cheque for $5 or $10, but they can give $5 or $10 through their cellphone. We think it will reach mostly a younger generation, the new generation coming up, the 20s or 30s, but it could be anybody.”

The CWTA assures users than 100% of the money donated will go to the respective charity. Donations will show up on a customer’s wireless bill and tax receipts will be made available.

Related: - UK text donations will be VAT free

UK text donations will be VAT free

Good news. According to Velti, consumers in Britain who choose to donate money to charity via text will no longer be required to pay VAT.

Mobile operators have agreed to set up designated short codes in response to moves by the Mobile Data Association to waive the tax on donating to good causes.

NY Philharmonic to Raise Funds Via Text Message

PC Mag reports that The New York Philharmonic will introduce a new 'Mobile Giving' program at its 2009 Concerts in the Parks, which makes it the first U.S. orchestra to fund-raise using text messaging.

Audience members can send in $5 donations by SMS, which will then appear on the donor's cell phone bill. Each audience member can send up to $25 total, by way of five $5 donations, per monthly billing cycle. In addition, fans can download a Mobile Giving Widget at nyphil.org/give, which they can then add to personal Web sites or social networking pages.

Donors send 18 mln euro for Italy quake victims via SMS

Around 18 million euros has been collected by mobile phone operators through text messaging to help victims of the deadly earthquake in the central Italian region of Abruzzo. Nearly 300 people were killed in the quake that occurred on 6 April and thousands of others have been left homeless. Adnkronos International reports.

The fundraising service which was set up right after the earthquake and accessible for all phone operators, collected 18 million euros ($25.6m), 11 million ($15.6,) of that by Telecom Italia," said Oscar Cichetti, a domestic market executive in an interview with Italy's state radio RAI.

He added that the money was collected "on behalf of Italy's department of civil protection" and that the telecommunications companies did not charge any fees for the charity service.

Previously: - Italians Text Help to Earthquake Victims

Italians Text Help to Earthquake Victims

After the worst earthquake in 30 years struck L’Aquila killing 250 and leaving thousands homeless, Italians are text messaging donations to help, reports Zoomata.

Italian mobile operators, Wind, Tre and Vodafone, made a single number available for SMS donations to earthquake victims. Cell phone users send a blank text to 48580. They’re charged one euro for each text, cell phone companies promise to donate the entire amount of each message.

Texters are sent a confirmation that says, “Thank you. With this message you’re helping people in Abruzzo who have been hit by the earthquake.”

Thumb tribes have been sending in support in Italy since 2002, when another earthquake in Southern Italy prompted the first cell-phone fund drive.

Image courtesy of Marca_Passos on flickr

Fee Free SMS Boosts Red Nose Day

Of the over 65 million pounds raised for charity Red Nose Day this year nearly 8 million was raised by SMS - and for the first time all the money raised by text went to charity. 160characters.org reports.

This year £7.8 ($11.4) million was raised for Red Nose Day through £1 ($1.45) and £5 ($7.30) text donations – contributing to the £65.7 million ($96 million) raised so far. It was the first time the public had been able to text knowing that every penny would go to Comic Relief, thanks to mobile operators waiving their usual fees and the Treasury confirming that because of this no VAT will be charged on these donations.

Read full article.

SMS campaign to save Venice

Venice is continuing its drive to help save the city's art heritage by receiving SMS and Internet funding, reports Ansa.it.

The campaign, launched last year, is dubbed SMS, which also stands for Save St Mark's.

Visitors to the www.venezia.net website can click on a 'digital' tile of Palazzo Ducale to contribute to the city's upkeep.

This year's goals are to restore the city's famed Rialto Bridge and three historic churches: San Giorgio Maggiore, San Giuseppe and the Chiesa dei Gesuiti, as well as the Scuola di San Rocco with its famed Tintoretto paintings.

Last year, SMS saw concerts by Momix, Joan Baez and Elton John, who has a house in Venice. The high spot of this year's SMS campaign will be a Simple Minds concert in St Mark's in July, organisers said Friday.

Nelson Mandela Foundation received $85,863 from SMS competition

Zain Group, the leading mobile telecommunications operator in the Middle East and Africa, is proud to announce that they have donated $85,863 to the Nelson Mandela Foundation from funds raised in a SMS competition held last year. The competition formed part of a global SMS birthday wishes campaign prior to the ’46664 Concert Honouring Nelson Mandela at 90’ held in June at Hyde Park in London.

[ArtZone]

Related: - Nelson Mandela Charities Launch International SMS Campaign

American Red Cross "Text 2HELP" campaign raised $190,000

You read about text messaging campaign to raise money, but it's nice to get feedback, like here from the Red Cross, via MarketWatch.

The American Red Crosss, VeriSign Messaging and Mobile Media, a division of VeriSign, Inc. and The Wireless Foundation announced today that U.S. wireless subscribers pledged more than $190,000 since September to help the victims of disasters like Hurricane Gustav and Ike through a unique Text 2HELP campaign.

Salvation Army tries text messages to raise funds

The Salvation Army's ubiquitous holiday bell ringers will have a new tool as they try to raise funds through the holidays — text messaging. Cellular News reports.

Atlanta-area Salvation Army officials are introducing a program that lets donors give $5 to the charitable organization by sending a text message to a specified number.

Beginning in two weeks, cell phone users in the Atlanta area can text message "TSA" — which stands for "The Salvation Army" — to 90999 and a $5 donation will be added to their phone bill.

The number will be posted on signs alongside the familiar shiny red kettles outside 297 locations in the 13-county metro Atlanta region.

Republicans, Obama ask supporters to text hurricane relief

Republican National Convention leaders have asked convention attendees to pledge donations to hurricane relief funds via text to the code 2HELP, using the keyword GIVE.

... Barack Obama's campaign could not leave it up to the Republican camp to harness technology for the betterment of the Gulf Coast. The Democratic presidential candidate contacted his cadre of supporters who receive text messages from the campaign, with a text that read, "Barack asks that you give to the Red Cross: give 5 dollars by texting GIVE to 24357 or give more by calling 1-800-435-7669 or at redcross.org/donate. Please fwd."

[via News.com]

Nokia: exclusivity for charity

Adverblog reports on a new sales approach from Nokia that mixes charity and exclusivity.

"Face the task allows consumers to put their hands on an exclusive limited edition version of the Nokia N96 one month before the phone hits the market.

There are two ways to get it: either by taking part to a quiz and then entering a draw, or directly paying an amount of 759 Euros ($1,200) that will directly go into the dedicated WWF account for the Red Panda conservation."

SMS Scores A Goal4Africa

A celebrity football match in Germany that will be broadcast on TV around the world will benefit Nelson Mandela’s "46664" Foundation using SMS shortcodes in 16 countries. 160characters.org reports.

"Under the slogan "Goal4Africa", a benefit soccer match with the world’s top players will take place on July 12 in Munich’s Allianz Arena in Germany.

... During the game, the charity campaign will be prominently advertised by the broadcast partners. When texting a keyword to a local short code the viewer receives a mobile phone wallpaper. The proceeds go to the Mandela "46664" Foundation, which supports HIV positive and AIDS infected people,.

Baseball Team Tests Texting For Charity Program

Washington Nationals fans soon will be able to text in charity donations during a game, thanks to a partnership between the team, MLB.com, and the Mobile Giving Foundation.

During the July 13 game against the Houston Astros, fans will be invited to text the word "NATS" to 90999 to give $5 to support the work of the Children's National Medical Center to fight pediatric diabetes.

[via Information Week]

Why SMS is not used more for fundraising

Fundraising by text message has long been considered a missed opportunity for charities, because mobile phone usage is so ubiquitous nowadays. Latest figures from the Mobile Data Association shows that Brits send more than one billion texts every week, with volumes growing by 40 per cent year-on-year. Professional Fundraising reports.

But there are several problems preventing UK charities from making greater use of SMS to raise money, not least of which is the fact that the mobile phone companies and the Treasury take a large chunk of each donation. VAT and operator commission can amount to 55p ($1) on a £1.50 gift ($3), making the cost of offering this service to donors prohibitively high, especially for small charities.

... Last December, the debate was temporarily revived when Liberal Democrat MP Mark Oaten lodged an early day motion calling on the Chancellor to abolish VAT on text message donations, but after attracting 57 signatures, this too appears to have stalled."

Click here for examples of fundraising by SMS.

Nelson Mandela Charities Launch International SMS Campaign

To celebrate the 90th birthday of Nelson Mandela, his charitable organisations have come together to launch an international premium SMS service, allowing millions to text their own birthday message to the former South African president.

A mixture of shared and dedicated PSMS codes have been set up in over 20 countries around the world including the U.S., U.K., South Africa, Australia, Spain and Germany as well as many African nations making this one of the biggest premium SMS fundraising initiatives to be staged.

Well wishers text their own message to their specific short code in country, receive a return thank you message complete with unique PIN allowing them to view their message securely online at www.happybirthdaymandela.com/frontHome.seam.

[via Cellular News]

On a smaller scale, in 2003, Telekom South Africa offered the world the opportunity to send voice and text messages to celebrate Nelson Mandela's brithday. All proceeds generated from the voice and text messages were to be donated to the Nelson Mandela Foundation for children's rights.

A blind call. Accidental charity

Every cell phone user has done it: forgot to lock their phone's keypad and accidentally called the first person in the contact list. Usually some unlucky person by the name of Aaron or Abigail.

Belgian ad agency Duval Guillaume came up with a clever campaign that turns accidental calls into accidental donations to the Belgian League for the Blind. They're asking people to add 'A Blind Call' to their list of contacts.

Every time the number is called, A Blind Call is given a cut of the call's proceeds. Calls are cut off after 30 seconds, and the cost to the dialler is never more than EUR 0.75 ($1.10)

[via Springwise]

Indian TV SMS campaign to help deprived children

Indian Amrita TV has launched a public service initiative ‘Send an SMS.Save a Child’ to help the underprivileged children. [via SMSTextNews]

"The entire SMS revenue garnered by the viewer’s votes on the reality shows of the channel will be donated for the education, shelter and health care of underprivileged children, stated an official release."

SMS campaign to help out California fire victims

The Wireless Foundation and the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund have joined forces to help California wildfire victims through a fund raising text message campaign.

Subscribers of participating wireless carriers can donate $5 to relief efforts simply by text messaging keyword "GIVE" to "2HELP" (24357).

The donations will appear on customers' monthly bills or be debited from prepaid account balances.

[Press release]

SMS for Lunch

Meir Panim, an organization that runs a network of soup kitchens in Israel, recently ran a promotional campaign called SMS for Lunch. [via World Changing]

It's a participatory campaign that allows individuals to experience the good-feeling reward of charitable giving as instant gratification. As described at the social advertising site, Houtlust:

The idea was to set up a 'meeting' with one child, and provide an immediate feedback to the action (your donation). A unique platform, integrating web and mobile technologies, enabled such meeting: A boy is seen, facing an empty plate, looking like waiting for something to happen. The copy invites you to donate, through SMS. The moment the system receives your SMS - the banner changes immediately: the plate fills and the boy smiles. Each sms covers the cost of one meal.

SMS campaigns to help fund search for Missing Madeleine

In an article on Internet scammers trying to cash on Madeleine through bogus websites asking for credit card numbers, Techshout mentions some legitimate SMS campaigns to help fund the search.

Madeleine McCann is a four-year old British girl who disappeared while on holiday with her parents in southern Portugal and her search has gained world-wide sympathy attention and attention.

"Multinational companies, including British Petroleum, Shell, Esso, Texaco and Total have launched a massive poster and text messaging campaign as millions have been poured into a fund to help the search.

Telecoms companies including Vodafone, O2 and Spain’s Telefonica are among those backing the phone text campaign. "

Monk to launch SMS fund raising campaign

A Bulgarian monk, who used to be a financial stock broker on Wall Street, is planning on launching an SMS fund raising campaig to renovate a Monastery.

According to Sofia News Agency, "Father Nikanor from the village of Giginzi is collecting money through text messages to save the monastery of Saints Kozma and Damyan, one of the oldest monasteries in the Pernik region near Sofia, Standart daily Newspaper reported."

[via SMSTextNews]

Heroes Have iPhone's (?)

MySuperFly, a Heroes fan thinks that several of the characters (Matt Parkman and Nathan Petrelli) were using iPhones in last night's episode.

[via digg]

Send One SMS to save One Life in Darfur

Because millions are dying in Darfur, a Turkish association called Kimse Yok Mu is calling out for mobile user to reach out by sending a single SMS message and a small donation.

According to Today's Zaman, "a YTL 5 donation (or $3.70 - I initially got the conversion wrong, sorra bout that) - to the Kimse Yok Mu Darfur campaign can be made by sending an SMS reading "DARFUR" to the number 5777, through mobile operators Turkcell, Vodafone or Avea. For donations other than YTL 5, the association can be reached at (216) 521 80 80."

Right now you can't participate by text message if you're not a mobile subscriber in Turkey. But the idea should be widely picked up, or Kimse Yok Mu should make the campaign international. It's such a good idea.