# Nearly 90% of a text donation now reaches charities

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/05/24/nearly-90-text-donation-now-reaches-charities/
- Published: 2010-05-24T14:01:02+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

On average 91% of a £5.00 text donation given through any major mobile operator 
now reaches the recipient charity, according to figures published today by the Text
Donation Campaign Group, supported by the Charities Aid Foundation, the Institute
of Fundraising and Vir2.

Over the past two years the group has worked with the mobile phone industry to raise
awareness of the fundraising potential of text donations and made the case for lower
charges.

Although some big campaigns such as Comic Relief have secured the waving of charges
by mobile phone companies, and some of the companies waive charges for selected 
carities, it has been harder for other charities to gain access to these higher 
rates. Nevertheless, O2 lowered their charges for all charities last year, Vodafone
followed in February this year and most recently Virgin Media and Orange have made
changes to pass on more of the donation.

## Advertisement

Joe Saxton who started the campaign to get mobile phone companies to reduce their
charges said: “The mobile phone companies and the industry body, the Mobile Data
Association have listened and made significant changes. VAT on text donations has
been waived, special charity short codes have been introduced and all of the mobile
phone companies have lowered their charges.

“Later this year we will carry out research amongst donors to see what they think
of these new rates. I hope that one day we will see a fixed fee for all donations.
This would make it easier for donors to understand how much of their donation reaches
the charity and build confidence in giving by text.”

Roger Craven, Director of Vir2 Ltd, the specialist provider of mobile fundraising
solutions, said: “Now that more money is getting through more charities are approaching
us about running text fundraising campaigns. We have charity clients who are raising
as much in one, or two days as all our clients put together used to raise in a whole
month. It’s spontaneous and easy and reaches a new younger audience.”

www.cafonline.org

 * **[Vodafone gives charities 100% of text donations](https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/07/09/vodafone-gives-charities-100-text-donations/)**(
   9 July 2010)
 * **[O2 to pass on 100% of text donations to charities](https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/07/26/o2-pass-100-text-donations-charities/)**(
   26 July 2010)
 * **[InstaGiv blogs on mobile fundraising](https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/07/27/instagiv-blogs-mobile-fundraising/)**(
   27 July 2010)