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Why every charity needs an SMS short code

The past few days have shown the power of SMS and common short codes to mobilize consumers with little notice to donate to disaster relief efforts in the wake of the Haiti earthquakes.

More than $30 million have been raised for Haiti disaster relief efforts through SMS calls to action, with the American Red Cross leading the pack of charities and non-governmental organizations working to send food, water and supplies to the ravaged Caribbean island.

This speedy response is typical of the American generosity in times of natural disasters. But what made this time different was the official sanction given to SMS from quarters as high as the White House to the Red Cross and Hollywood. These influencers got what is so obvious about mobile giving: speed and ease.

If nonprofits should learn anything from this exercise, it is that they must tap the medium most effective to donating with the least hassle and the most spontaneity. SMS does exactly that when outreach efforts are coordinated in close cooperation with wireless carriers.

However, it need not take disasters on the scale of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina or Haiti quakes to pay attention to the future of giving: mobile.

Crossed out
While this publication and others keep banging on about the benefits of working with carriers and organizations such as the Mobile Giving Foundation, the country?s legions of nonprofits must reconsider their donor outreach efforts in favor of a medium that is more cost-effective and germane to speedier response.

Direct mail has long been the staple for most charitable outreach. But the cost of paper, printing and postage make mail an expensive option compared with say, email, online or even mobile.

Moving donor appeal efforts to digital media such as online and mobile also acknowledges the channels where consumers are most comfortable communicating, shopping and transacting.

Of course, there is no denying that mail is a push medium and works for many nonprofits in drumming up donations. But mail?s marketing costs and the lack of interactivity may eventually convince charities and nonprofits that online and mobile is where it?s at.

It is no secret that falling average donations ? there was a study a few years ago that claimed it had slipped below $10 ? has worried smaller charities whose causes may not generate the media headlines as a natural disaster would.

The unfortunate truth is that the Red Cross happens to be the largest beneficiary of consumer largesse each time there is a natural disaster that grabs headlines from sleaze, scandal, economy or crime.

While consumers often feel they are done with their charitable deed of the year with that one-off donation to the Red Cross, other charities are left in the dust, wondering how they will make their cause as urgent in the donor?s eyes.

Charitable giving for research or cures relating to mental or physical conditions, or donations toward lobbying for the environment, education, poverty and hunger eradication, human rights or constitutional freedoms are as deserving as relief efforts.

Short cut to short codes
Top leaders and managers at the nation?s nonprofits and charities should seriously consider applying for short codes and work with mobile marketing firms or agencies to begin incorporating SMS into their multichannel donor outreach efforts.

These nonprofits can easily visit the Common Short Code Registry site at http://www.usshortcodes.com and apply for a regular five- or six-digit short code at $500 per month or a vanity number at double that cost. There are 897,000 short codes available out of the total 900,000 up for lease.

Alternatively, the nonprofits can work with organizations such as the Mobile Giving Foundation to ease them into mobile giving.

What makes mobile giving even more attractive is the role of the micro-donation and the carriers? unstinting cooperation in the entire giving process.

The response to the Haiti disaster was enabled only because carriers agreed to open their networks for free to mobile giving, transferring 100 percent of the donated amounts to the Red Cross, for instance. And for this, the nation owes its gratitude to Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile.

Establishing a relationship by text messaging opens up not just another donation channel. SMS is also the ideal cross-communication channel.

For example, this writer agreed to receive SMS alerts from the Red Cross after donating $5 to the Haiti relief efforts in the aftermath of the first earthquake.

At 2:09 p.m. ET yesterday, the Red Cross? 90999 short code sent this text message: ?Free Msg: New shipments just left Miami. 3 million Red Cross meals to Haiti this week thx to you. REPLY with your EMAIL ADDRESS to get updates from the ground.?

Charities enabling SMS donations
Here are the charities ? as listed on the Mobile Giving Foundation?s site at http://www.mobilegiving.org ? that are supporting Haiti relief efforts with short codes, keywords and donation amounts:

Charity - Keyword - Short code - Donation

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation
4SCORE 20222 $5

Africare
AFRICARE 85944 $5

ALS Foundation ? Florida Chapter
ALS 20222 $5

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre
AILEY5 20222 $5

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre
AILEY10 20222 $10

Alzheimer?s Foundation of America
AFA 50555 $5

America?s Second Harvest of Tampa Bay
HUNGER 50555 $5

American Cancer Society, California Division
HOPE 20222 $5

American Cancer Society, Great West Division
CVC 20222 $5

American Diabetes Association
ADA 25383 $5

American Heart Association
HEART 90999 $5

American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter
RED 52000 $10

American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter
RC 52000 $5

Amnesty International of the U.S.A.
RIGHTS 90999 $5

Andre Agassi Foundation
KIDS 20222 $5

Andre Agassi Foundation
ANDRE 20222 $10

Atlanta-Fulton County Zoo
PANDA 20222 $5

AWAIC, Inc. (Abused Women?s Aid in Crisis)
NODV 20222 $5

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
BIG 40579 $5

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City
BIG 20222 $5

Big Cat Rescue Corp.
TIGER 20222 $5

Blood:Water Mission
AFRICA 20222 $5

Boca Raton Museum of Art
BRMA 20222 $5

Boys and Girls Club of Edinburg Rio Grande Valley
CLUB 20222 $5

Call and Response
RESPOND 90999 $5

Causecast Foundation
FREEDOM 85944 $5

Chabad of California
CHABAD 90999 $5

Charity Global, Inc. dba Charity:Water
WELL 20222 $5

Charity Golbal, Inc. dba Charity:Water
WATER 20222 $10

Children Affected by AIDS Foundation
DREAM 90999 $5

Children?s Cancer Research Fund
FUND 90999 $5

Children?s Medical Ctr./Children?s Hospital Boston
4CHB 20222 $5

Children?s Miracle Network
MIRACLE 85944 $5

Choice Ministries, Inc.
OMC 20222 $5

Chronic Disease Fund
CDF 50555 $5

City of Hope
GIVEHOPE 90999 $5

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
ZOO 90999 $5

Crohn?s and Colitis Foundation of America
CCFA 90999 $5

CURE International
CUREGIVE 90999 $5

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
CURECF 90999 $5

Dana Farber Cancer Institute/The Jimmy Fund
JIMMY 20222 $5

Denver Rescue Mission
FOOD 40579 $5

Dikembe Mutombo Foundation
CONGO 90999 $5

Direct Marketing Educational Foundation
DMEF 20222 $5

Disabled American Veterans
THANKS 90999 $5

Doctors Without Borders
DOB 90999 $5

Dystonia Medical Research Foundation
DMRF 90999 $5

Entertainment Industry Foundation
SHOWME 20222 $5

Environmental Resource Center
ECO 90999 $5

Family Health International
ORPHANS 90999 $5

Family Violence Prevention Fund
RESPECT 41010 $5

Feed the Children, Inc.
FEED 90999 $5

Fellowship of Christian Athletes
FCA 20222 $5

Festivals DC LTD / Duke Ellington Jazz Festival
DJAZZ 20222 $5

Food Bank of the Rockies
FOOD 90999 $5

Food Lifeline
MEALS 20222 $5

Friends of the World Food Program
FRIENDS 90999 $5

Fundacion Teleton Mexamerica
TELETON 90999 $5

Giants Community Fund
GIANTS 40579 $5

Greater Chicago Food Depository
MEALS 90999 $5

Greenville Hospital System
GHS 90999 $5

Gwinnett Hospital System Foundation
HEART 52000 $5

Healing with CAARE, Inc.
HEALING 90999 $5

HELP Funding, Inc.
VETS 40579 $5

HoustonPBS (Association for Community Broadcasting)
KUHT 90999 $5

Human Rights Campaign Foundation
HRIGHTS 20222 $5

International Rescue Committee
RESCUE 25383 $5

Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
TEEN 90999 $5

Johnjay & Rich Care For Kids Foundation
CARE 90999 $5

Jumpstart for Young Children
READ 90999 $5

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
JDRF 40579 $5

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
GIVE 40579 $10

Keep a Child Alive
ALIVE 90999 $5

KRMA-Denver PBS
RMPBS 90999 $5

KSBJ Educational Foundation, Inc.
KSBJ 40579 $5

KSBJ Educational Foundation, In