Using mobile phones in fundraising

Howard Lake | 28 April 2000 | News

Finnish fundraising consultant Petteri Niskanen explains how mobile ‘phones can be used in fundraising.

Finnish fundraising consultant Petteri Niskanen has responded quickly to today’s UK Fundraising story on WAP phone fundraising. “Unfortunately your guess is wrong,” he said. “If you’re talking about fundraising using any mobile phones, then it has already been done some years ago in Finland and Sweden. Even if you’re talking only about WAP technology then you only have to wait for summer.”

Niskanen then shared some thoughts on fundraising using mobiles.

“How you can use ordinary GSM-phone in charity?” he asks. “Here are some examples.”

“First of course you can use premium rate telephone numbers. Of course they are used not only for mobile phones but also ordinary telephone. However, in mobile-technology you can combine premium rate telephone numbers, SMS text messaging and, if you want, the Internet.”

“It has already been used in some charity lotteries. You buy your lottery ticket using a premium number for around one or two pounds, and you get your code and password with a SMS text-message to your mobile phone. With this code and password your can play the game on the Internet and if you’re lucky you can win a new car. The benefit of this system is its low operating costs and real time information.”

“Secondly, you can replace a premium call with a premium SMS text-message. You can send a text message with your mobile phone to a particular number and receive something back, such as information, a joke or a lottery number. You are debited one pound or so which is credited to the charity. One very successful example is buying a charity logo for your mobile phone.”

“We shall be launching a Web site in May where you can see and download the logos of a range of Finnish charities. You can pick your favorite, and send the name of the logo with a SMS text message to our charity’s number 17234. A few seconds later you get a reply message on your mobile phone. The logo you receive then replaces your telephone operator’s logo in your phone. This will cost you about £2 which will appear on your next telephone bill.”

“Of course you can send a logo with a message to your friend and ask her/him to spread the message about this charity and the new method of supporting it. It will cost them the same price.”

“If your charity has a particular campaign melody, then you make it available for use as a ring-tone. With same systems you can pick it up with simple SMS text message.”

“Unfortunately, currently these models are possible only in NOKIA-phones, but in Finland about 80% of all mobile phones are NOKIA.”

“You are right with your supposition that mobile-based fundraising appeals will often involve a cross-promotion between the charity and the mobile phone companies. But it won’t be happening in the USA first, simply because the two biggest mobile phone brands are NOKIA from Finland and Eriksson from Sweden.”

“There are other ways of using mobile phones to fundraise. If your are running a charity auction online then your can send a message about new offers to all participants and they can do take up these offers with a mobile text message. In other words, they can participate without sitting at a PC.”

“Of course you can send charity postcards with your phone. You send the card number, the recipient’s name and address and your personal message. The recipient will the get a card the next day with her/his ordinary mail.”

“You can link radio appeals and GSM phones too. If you advertise your charity on local radio at rush-hour, for example, when people are sitting in their cars, you can also send a text message to all mobile phones in the receiving area at the same time. In the radio advert, just tell people that by pressing the call button they can donate £2 to your charity.”

“If you have a fundraising concert or radio telethon you can send messages with GSM phones to people who are involved, or you can invite them to participate. For example, you can ask people to vote by phone for their favourite songs which are then played on air.

I have done most of my mobile phone fundraising work with Sonera Zed Ltd but you should also visit Wapit.

About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale. He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.