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Google finds its charitable side with One Today app

Google recently launched an Android mobile application called One Today that lets users donate $1 to charities.

After going through a limited test pilot, One Today is now available for all Android users. The app presents a new nonprofit project every day, and users can donate $1 to the project with one click.

?People want to give, and they want it to be easy,? said Cassie Bair, vice president of marketing at Mobile Accord, Denver, CO. ?With Google?s charity app, it puts the control into the hands of the donors, literally.

?Each day when they get a notification, they can see the need, decide if they want to help and make a small contribution,? she said. ?Google is doing what mGive [a Mobile Accord service] is doing, connecting the donor to the nonprofit with the most personal device.

?Whether it?s an app or its text-to-give you can help change something in the world with just a few simple clicks and then get back to your day.?

Ms. Bair is not affiliated with Google. She commented based on her expertise on the subject.

Google did not respond to press inquiries.

Dollar a day
One Today makes donating to nonprofits easy and simple. Consumers can browse through various projects, and they are limited to a $1 donation, so they do not have to worry about how much to give.

Users can explore projects by categories such as environment, humanitarian, animals, education and health.

One example of a project is ?Tigers & other wildlife need protection.?

To help protect wild tigers and support WWF?s conservation efforts, users can donate $1. Eight dollars will buy a flashlight and battery for an anti-poaching squad patrol.

Users can also share their donations via social media and ask friends to match their contributions.

It is also easy for nonprofits to enroll with One Today.

Members of Google for Nonprofits can register for One Today for free within minutes. Non-members can apply to Google for Nonprofits if they hold 501(c)(3) status.

Limiting charity
Ms. Bair points out that there are pros and cons of creating the $1 donation limit.

One dollar is a small enough amount that it does not require much thought, so hopefully more people will be incentivized to donate. Lots of donations can add up quickly.

Problems arise however when it comes down to processing the donations.

The question is whether or not $1 is enough of a donation to negate credit card fees associated with payment of Google Wallet. Google also has to make sure that the donations get to the nonprofits quickly and safely.

Additionally, mGive surveys show that mobile donors actually want to give more than one dollar. In mGive?s 2013 Text Donation Survey, a large number of people wanted to be able to make contributions of at least $50.

It would be interesting if Google gave its nonprofits the ability to reach out to the $1 donors to try to secure deeper, more-impactful relationships.

?Google cares about people too, and technology is bridging the gap,? Ms. Bair said.

?Just like you can use technology to talk to someone on the other side of the world, you can use that same technology to help someone on the other side of the world,? she said. ?Whether it?s a $1 donation through an app or a $5 or $10 donation through a text, technology can power social good.?

Final Take
Rebecca Borison is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York