Mobile firms urged to make text messaging cheaper for charity fundraising

22/05/09

.Mobile phone operators should reduce the charges levied for text message donations to encourage more use of the technology in charity fundraising, a leading organisation claims.

According to Third Sector, charity think tank nfpSynergy is currently lobbying the major mobile firms to make it cheaper for organisations to use text massage donations.

The firm recently published a report which revealed that 72 per cent of charities point to mobile charges as the primary obstacle to them using the technology.

Despite this, the study also indicated that 78 per cent of charities log mobile phone numbers of their contacts, while 71 per cent see the possibility of mobile technology for fundraising.

Joe Saxton, co-founder of nfpSynergy, told the website that charities can also use text in their campaigning work, such as offering wallpaper or ringtones for branding. 

'But they're too easily put off by the thought of charges that apply only to donations,'he explained.

'A lot of fundraising departments have online campaign specialists; they should appoint texting champions to come up with new campaign strategies.'

Meanwhile, the Royal National Institute for the Deaf has suggested that text messages would be a good way to connect deaf people with vital emergency lines since many are unable to use telephones.

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