When people buy smartphones and tablet computers they discover thousands of software applications (“apps,” for short) that make it easy to buy, find, read, watch and hear almost anything they want.
But there’s one thing they frequently can’t do with apps: Donate money to a favorite charity.
Non-profit organizations are “very interested (in mobile apps) and there’s a lot of experimentation — but it’s still in the baby steps mode,” says Marcia Stepanek, new media adviser at New York University’s Heyman Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising.
Charities are torn. They know that the next generation of volunteers and contributors organize their lives around wireless devices and social networks. But many are still struggling to figure out how they can fit into this new communications ecosystem.
Interest in mobile soared in January after the devastating earthquake in Haiti.
Cellphone users contributed more than $30 million to the American Red Cross. People sent text messages that authorized their wireless providers to pass along donations tacked on their monthly bill.
The hit talent show American Idol also employs texted donations for its “Idol Gives Back” charitable campaigns.
Yet, while the strategy works for emergencies and high-profile events, “we haven’t found that texting-to-donate works when you’re not in a crisis mode,” says Patricia Goldman, chief marketing officer for the March of Dimes.
That’s why there’s so much interest in apps that would make it easy for mobile users to make contributions.
“When we send out e-mails we know the biggest response will be within the first 24 to 48 hours,” Goldman says. “So if you’re sitting on a bus and get an e-mail and can act right away, that’s a lot more effective.”
But many groups are reluctant to invest $12,000 or more to create an app at a time when the soft economy has depressed charitable giving.
Seven out of 10 charities surveyed by…