- What is the purpose of the Mobile Giving Foundation?
The Foundation was created to combine the incredible scope and capabilities of the
US wireless industry with a need for charitable organizations to find a new class
of donors and newer, more intuitive methods of facilitating contributions. Specifically,
MGF is working with US wireless carriers to create a "Mobile Giving Channel," a
single channel available to wireless subscribers of all US wireless carriers by
which users can instantaneously respond to charitable solicitations by a text message.
- What is its status at present (January 2009)?
In 2008, the MGF enabled nearly 150 non-profits to raise funds in the U.S. through
mobile giving. In the MGF's first year of operation, total mobile giving exceeded
US $400,000.00 across all campaigns using a $5 price point. The MGF forecasts that
more than US $1 million per month will be raised through mobile giving campaigns
in the U.S. market by the end of 2009. This represents more than what was raised
on-line during its first year of availability.
- Who is behind MGF?
The Foundation was launched in August, 2007 by Jim Manis and Jenifer Snyder. Jim
was a founder of mobile content aggregator M-Qube since sold to VeriSign, and was
instrumental in launching some of the wireless industry's first "text to give" campaigns
following Hurricane Katrina and the Indonesian tsunami. Jenifer, a founder of a
leading mobile content provider, 9 Squared, Inc., has been involved in the wireless
industry since 2001 and currently serves as General Counsel of the foundation.
- How is the MGF funded?
The MGF has initiated a Founders Capital Campaign planned to raise $1 million each
year for the next two years to cover initial start-up expenses including technology
acquisition and additional professional staff. QUALCOMM, the Entertainment Industry
Foundation, the U.N. Foundation and Motorola have been leaders in this campaign
with founding sponsorship. Additional sponsors include, Acta Wireless, Mobile Accord,
Hook Mobile, 1024 Wireless Services, VeriSign and Acision. Plans call for the MGF
to be self-sustainable once it achieves scale.
- How is the MGF Governed?
The MGF is governed according to accepted non-profit foundation standards. In addition
to Mr. Manis and a Board of Directors (currently undergoing expansion), an Advisory
Board of wireless industry and foundation executives is in place and operating.
- How does the Mobile Giving Channel work?
MGF serves as the link between a charitable giving campaign, the wireless industry
and the 250 million wireless users in the US. We vet all NPOs who use the mobile
channel, certify all mobile giving programs, provide industry-wide guidance for
charitable campaigns and establish, with industry-wide input, the guidelines and
standards for mobile giving. Additionally, we facilitate the text messages through
our platform, help NPOs market their campaigns, collect funds generated through
mobile giving campaigns from the carriers and then distribute the collected funds
to NPOs.
- Isn't charitable giving in the US already well established?
In a way, yes. Some $300 billion a year is raised by charitable organizations, the
great percentage of that from individual donors. But contributing by text messaging
constitutes a tremendous advancement over current means. The immediacy and ubiquity
of wireless communications provides a huge advancement in speed and ease of use.
Contributors don't need to write a check, fill out forms or call someone they just
text a reply and the giving cycle is complete. The time lapse from notification
to contribution can be seconds rather than days, weeks or months.
- What's next for the MGF?
We hope to expand the scope and reach of mobile giving in the U.S. Additionally,
we hope to expand upon our mission of educating the NPO and mobile communities about
mobile giving.
- I am a NPO, how do I get started?
Contact Lori Rizzo of the Mobile Giving Foundation (support@mobilegiving.org) to
request an NPO application packet.
1. Download the MGF Guidelines to ensure that your organization qualifies
to conduct mobile campaigns.
2. Contact one of the approved application service providers (ASP) who
will manage the technical components of your mobile
giving campaign. Currently, the following ASPs are
approved:
i. Mobile Accord, Tony Aiello
TAiello@mobileaccord.com, or visit
mGive.com
ii. MobileCause, George Morales,
support@mobilecause.com, or visit
mobilecause.com
iii. Mobile Commons, Jed Alpert,
jed@mcommons.com, or visit
mcommons.com
iv. Wireless Factory, Stefan Latt,
sl@wirelessfactory.com, or visit
wirelessfactory.com
v. Distributive Networks, Jeff Lee,
giving@distributivenetworks.com
vi. g8wave Inc., Jeff Ostiguy,
jeff@g8wave.com, or visit
www.g8wave.com
vii. Give on the Go, LLC., Albert J. Angel,
albe@giveonthego.com, or visit
www.giveonthego.com
viii. Guide by Cell, Dave Asheim,
dave@givebycell.com, or visit
www.givebycell.com
ix. iLoop Mobile, Inc., Michael Becker,
becker@iloopmobile.com, or visit
www.iloopmobile.com
3. Email support@mobilegiving.org
for additional information or the NPO Application Packet
- What is SMS or text messaging?
SMS stands for Short Message Service, commonly know to consumers as text messaging.
The protocol is designed to send text messages to and from mobile phones. The messages
may be up to 160 characters in length including spaces. Almost 100% of today’s phones
can send and receive text messages!
- What is a short code?
Similar to a telephone number, short codes are special 5 or 6 digit codes used to
route text messages from mobile phones to interactive mobile messaging applications,
typically in combination with a keyword. They are designed to be shorter to read
and easier to remember than normal telephone numbers. Short codes also allow for
billing and other unique forms of interaction via the mobile phone such as television
voting, ordering ringtones, charity donations and mobile chat services. MGF mobile
donation campaigns use short codes: 20222, 27222, 40202, 41010, 464329, 861232 (UNICEF),
864833 (UNITED) and 90999 at this time.
- What is a keyword?
Used in combination with a short code, a keyword is a word that differentiates a
mobile campaign form others on the same short code. The keyword and short code combination
allows mobile phone users to make a donation to MGF sponsored mobile donation campaign.
For example, an organization called Clean Water Planet might choose the keyword
WATER. In order to make a donation, mobile phone users would send the word WATER
as the body of his or her text message e.g. to the short code 20222.