# BBC Children in Need raises £1.75 million via mobile donations

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/11/25/bbc-children-need-raises-175m-mobile-donations/
- Published: 2009-11-25T10:10:26+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

BBC Children in Need has raised £1.75 million in SMS donations since 26 October.
Mobile network operators waived their usual fees and the Treasury confirmed that
there were no VAT charges due, so the full donation has been received by the charity.

 

Donors were also offered the opportunity to make a Gift Aid declaration, making 
each qualifying £5 donation worth an additional £1.40.

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Children in Need’s SMS donations service was developed and run by Mobile Interactive
Technology (MIT) using its MIDAS platform, with digital agency Jigsaw designing,
building and hosting the BBC Children in Need Gift Aid website, and mobile internet
publishing business Kilrush designing, building and hosting the mobile internet 
site enabling supporters to add Gift Aid to their donation.

 

In the four weeks before the telethon on 20 November, viewers of ‘The One Show’ 
were invited to text a keyword (based on the presenter’s name) to support the presenter
they wanted to participate in the latest challenge. Each interaction donated £5 
with donations capped at a maximum of seven per day.

 

The Children in Need Rocks the Royal Albert Hall, broadcast on 19 November, featured
invitations to viewers to text keyword ‘DONATE’ to shortcode 70077 to donate £5.

 

Rob Weisz, Commercial Director, MIT said: “MIT has a proven track record for enabling
donations for large scale broadcast events and BBC Children in Need’s success really
underpins an appetite for viewers to interact and participate via mobile.

 

“With the addition of Gift Aid via the mobile internet, as well as the traditional
internet, the channel has really optimised donations. It’s key for charities to 
diversify into multiple donations channels for wider reach and appeal.”

 

Anna Bennett, Director of Operations and Finance, BBC Children in Need said: “This
is the first time BBC Children in Need has used SMS to interact with our supporters.
The donation mechanic has made it easy for our supporters to donate and has helped
us to reach a wider audience.”

 

The £1.75m income from 376,568 mobile interactions was the position at 23 November,
and final figures will be calculated at close of campaign on 30 November 2009.

 

www.migcan.com

 

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