# Just how useful are Smartphone apps (we already know they're huge fun!)

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/03/31/just-how-useful-are-smartphone-apps-we-already-know-they039re-huge-fun/
- Published: 2010-03-31T14:13:34+01:00
- Author: Kevin Baughen

Just exactly how useful are smartphone apps (applications) to people at work?  According
to social media experts at [Mashable](http://mashable.com/2010/01/03/iphone-apps-2010),
there are now over 100,000 apps on the iTunes store.  Whilst there are other platforms,
iPhone is still the dominant player offering apps for seemingly everything our modern
lives demand.

There are huge numbers of apps to entertain and educate but there is also an increasing
number designed to support us in our working lives.  Has the popularity of this 
technology really bridged the gap between work and social lives in a way that Microsoft
Word can only dream about?

To find an answer I’ve been researching examples of apps designed specifically to
support charity fundraising along with general management and communications apps
for both charities and businesses.  So far I’ve discovered numerous options for:

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– image editing
– document sharing and management– accounting– currency conversion–
time management– emailing– business travel– keeping up to date with business or 
sector news etc.

There are also some great examples of charities using apps to deliver their services
and raise awareness such as 
[BullyingUK’s highly-rated app](http://www.bullying.co.uk/index.php/20100111729/blog/uk-news/download-free-bullying-uk-iphone-app.html)
which offers advice on countering bullying.  I have found some clever approaches
to using apps for fundraising like [Comic Relief’s over-arching programme with iPhone store](http://www.ctt.org/third_sector_news/fundraising/red_nose_day_uses_iphone_app_store_for_charity_fundraising/1587.asp)
itself and the hugely talented [11 year old lad](http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/01/19/11-year-old-writes-iphone-app-donates-proceeds-to-charity)
who is donating a proportion of sales from the painting app he designed and launched
to a children’s hospital in LA (very clever).

But I haven’t seen many examples of apps to actually help fundraisers fundraise 
or to help communicators communicate, marketers market and so on.  Therefore I’m
left wondering whether there is either a gap that these services have still to meet
or whether we just don’t perceive smartphone apps as a very direct working tool.

To this end, I’m conducting some simple primary research and would be grateful for
your thoughts.  If you could spare three minutes to [complete a quick survey](http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/J97MC9R),
I’d be grateful and will share the findings in a future blog for all.

Kevin is the Founder of bottom Line Ideas and a volunteer speaker for Make-A-Wish
Foundation

 * **[New edition of Guide to the Major Trusts published](https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/04/09/new-edition-guide-major-trusts-published/)**(
   9 April 2010)
 * **[DSC claims one third of applications to trusts are poorly targeted](https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/05/06/dsc-claims-one-third-applications-trusts-are-poorly-targeted/)**(
   6 May 2010)
 * **[Rapidata surveys online giving in the UK](https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/06/09/rapidata-surveys-online-giving-uk/)**(
   9 June 2010)