# Vodafone: now 90p for every £1 text donation goes to charity

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/02/26/vodafone-now-90p-every-1-text-donation-goes-charity/
- Published: 2010-02-26T12:09:51+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

![](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/files/images/news/vodafone_2010.gif)

From today, Vodafone UK is increasing the amount that charities will receive when
its customers make a donation via text message. Charities will now receive 90p of
every £1 donated by Vodafone customers when they give £1 or more via a five digit‘
short code’ number which starts 70.

“Donating by text message is an easy and simple way for customers to give to charity
and this change will make it more attractive,” said Libby Pritchard, Head of Corporate
Responsibility at Vodafone UK. “Research by nfpSynergy has shown that people understand
there may be a small charge how ever they chose to donate.”

Vodafone say that the 10p that is kept covers network and third party costs. VAT
is no longer payable on the donation itself and is passed to the charity.

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John Low, Chief Executive of the [Charities Aid Foundation](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/http;//www.cafonline.org)
said: “Vodafone are the UK’s second biggest mobile phone operator so this is a very
significant announcement… This is a huge step forward in the campaign to make text
donations a good way to give to charity and means that all charities benefit, not
just one off major appeals such as Comic Relief and BBC Children in Need when all
mobile phone companies have generously waived their fees”.

O2, the UK’s biggest mobile phone operator, reduced their rates in November 2009
to pass on 90% of each text donation.

Low added: “I hope other mobile operators will follow because giving by text is 
a great way to fundraise since it is easy and spontaneous for donors.”

Roger Craven, Director of mobile fundraising solutions provider [Vir2 Ltd](http://www.vir2.co.uk),
has supported the campaign to secure higher donations from texts, said: “Text donation
is a competitive option for small value payments on more and more networks. Text
is also more spontaneous, it appeals to a younger audience and unlike cheques, there
are no plans to phase it out by 2018.”

www.vodafone.com/index.GB.html

 * **[Sport Relief raises £3.4 million through text donations](https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/04/12/sport-relief-raises-34m-through-text-donations/)**(
   12 April 2010)
 * **[Orange cuts text donation charges to charities](https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/05/18/orange-cuts-text-donation-charges-charities/)**(
   18 May 2010)
 * **[SANE introduces text donation service](https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/05/21/sane-introduces-text-donation-service/)**(
   21 May 2010)