Mobile Giving: The Next Revolution

And fundraising will never be the same. Imagine:

• A 15-year-old girl who jumps rope for five hours to raise money for the American Heart Association no longer needs to cajole her friends’ parents for their donation checks. She attaches her Square card reader to the audio jack of her iPhone and — instantly — the donations are registered at the association’s headquarters in Dallas and receipts are sent to the donors electronically.
• A development officer with an international NGO plays a round of golf with a corporate executive interested in helping bring clean water to a poor community in Tanzania. Over lunch in the clubhouse, the executive agrees to a five-year commitment of $50,000 and hands his golf partner a credit card. Barely 20 seconds later, the first $10,000 donation is recorded on a handheld device, and dates are set for the remaining four payments.
• A Red Cross volunteer working the aisles during intermission at a benefit rock concert meets an individual who has Square Register, an app on his mobile device. In the time it takes to type “Red Cross” and a few other key pieces of information, the charity receives a one-time $100 donation.

The financial burdens all nonprofits face — overhead and fundraising costs — could soon diminish significantly. Rather than spending 25 cents to 50 cents or more to raise one dollar, many charities, especially those engaging volunteers effectively, will spend 3 cents to 5 cents.