Is Mobile Fundraising the Next Frontier for Charities?

In America, the most visible and widely publicized campaigns have been so-called premium SMS (text messaging) campaigns for disaster relief, notably after the Asian tsunami, hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the California wildfires. Customers of participating mobile carriers could send a text message to the short code “2HELP” (24357) containing the keyword “Help” to make a tax-deductible donation to American Red Cross relief efforts. Short codes often are referred to as the “mobile URL” — short, five-digit codes or even vanity codes that customers can text to receive information or participate in a campaign.