New SMS fundraising service launched
Howard Lake | 29 April 2003 | News
Smstextgiving is a new service offering to handle donations by text message for charities and community groups across Northern Ireland, the UK and Ireland.
Mobile phone users will be able to send a one-off text message instruction to a dedicated number managed by smstextgiving on behalf of a particular charity.
Smstextgiving say that the technology can handle single donations and regular giving by the supporters of each charity that subscribes to the service. The service can handle Gift Aid donations as well.
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Due to current Oftel regulations, the maximum single donation is restricted to £1.50 per text message sent by the service. Pending any change in the Oftel rules it is possible for donors to subscribe to give donations in multiples of £1.50. Donations will appear on the donor’s mobile phone bill.
The system uses SMS reverse billing. This is an opt-in service governed by The Telecommunications Act and monitored by Oftel, so donors must personally opt in and can opt out at any time without penalty.
The company, established as a not-for-profit business, says that it does not charge set-up or other management fees to any organisation using the service. It is oping to secure sponsorship to cover its admin charges.
Smstextgiving has been founded and privately funded by Steve Whitfield, the former COO of BlueChip Technologies, and Graham Burrough, CEO of Malin Holdings. Burrough said: “It provides an always-on donation mechanism which supports and complements other giving routes. It can be integrated into all fundraising campaigns including sponsored activities, music festivals, sporting events, and other one-off charity promotions.”
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.