American Red Cross text message campaign raises more than $800,000
One text message at a time, the American Red Cross reports it has raised more than $800,000 through an online/text-messaging campaign to benefit disaster relief efforts in Haiti.
The Red Cross is one of several organizations that are doing text-message fundraising drives.
According to its Website: The public can also help by texting “Haiti” to 90999 to send a $10 donation to the Red Cross, through an effort backed by the U.S. State Department. Funds will go to support American Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti.
Mobile giving may be one of the technological hallmarks of this latest major disaster, and how successful such campaigns turn out to be could influence nonprofit fundraising in the future.
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Comments
According to their FB page, ARC says that as of 7:50 AM EST, that number is now $3M. Wow.
Posted by: Pete | January 14, 2010 9:04 AM
It is great that so much money has been raised for Haiti, but has anyone checked out the company that is running the mobile donations, mGive Foundation? http://www.mgive.org/default.aspx
They don't wire the money to the NPO (Red Cross,Yele Haiti foundation, etc...) for 90 days! You can donate directly to the Red Cross through their website and the money will be available immediately.
Posted by: Vicki | January 14, 2010 9:17 AM
Mgive's site says it will wire the proceeds to the charity "in" 90 days not "for" 90 days. Obviously, there are logistics in collecting, guaranteeing, and disseminating the funds.
Posted by: Mike | January 14, 2010 9:36 AM
honestly - don't do it. after mgive and the cell phone companies skim off the topof this money, only a fraction of it will get there. And it won't get there till April. it is the worst possible way to give. the worst. donate online at the red cross web site or send a check.
Posted by: Syam Buradagunta | January 14, 2010 10:29 AM
mgive stated that they're not collecting any fees for this disaster and theyre trying to get the money over to red cross sooner than the 90 days for this case
Posted by: priscilla | January 14, 2010 11:08 AM
AT&T and Verizon have both stated that customers will not be charged any fee and 100% of the money will go to the ARC.
http://www.cbsatlanta.com/news/22228320/detail.html
Posted by: Jennifer | January 14, 2010 12:17 PM
What good are all the donations if you aren't mobilized? How long does this take? Hasn't it been long enough? What's the holdup?
Posted by: Sheila | January 15, 2010 8:17 PM