How Nonprofits Are Using Mobile to Attract Young Donors

As the Detroit Zoological Society prepared to build its new penguin center, the zoo's development staff considered whether to place "text to give" signs near the construction area.

After talking to other institutions and a handful of tech vendors, the zoo staff decided against the requests. Response rates at other zoos to such signs "was close to zero" and the technology works better when there's an audience at an event or lecture, said Jane Alessandrini, the zoo's chief development officer.

The Detroit Zoo moved into mobile fundraising in another way: It redesigned its website last year to make it mobile-friendly and changed platforms to offer easier information and donations via smartphones.