TEXT TO GIVE HAPPINESS!

Variety – The Children’s Charity wanted to test Mobile Giving as a way to diversify their donor methods while reaching a younger audience, and looked to ZipGive to facilitate their text to donate program.
Donors were asked to Text to Give Happiness to a child who has special needs. Donors were able to text the word KIDS to give a one-time donation of $10.

The Promotion

The text donation option was promoted through the Show of Hearts Telethon which airs annually across BC on Global BC for two days, on individual radio stations throughout the province through Variety Children’s Radio-thons, specially designed Text Donating posters, social media and through various small fundraisers around the province.

Results

Since January 2010, Variety has raised $6,270.00, most of which was raised during the months of Telethon and Radio-thons.

Through the Mobile Giving Foundation and ZipGive, Registered Charities such as Variety – The Children’s Charity leverage the pervasiveness of mobile devices to expand donor opportunities and cultivate new donor segments - thereby creating permission based ongoing donor and volunteer interactions.

The Initiative

Astral Radio, Canada’s largest Radio broadcaster picks one day a year to raise money for Children’s Charities.  Over 50 radio stations across Canada dedicate 12 full hours to fundraising, plus hundreds of man hours behind the scenes and leading up to the big day.  In Calgary, CJAY 92, 98.5 Virgin Radio, and Classic Country AM 1060, were thrilled to team up with the Kids Cancer Care Foundation, as their sole fundraising recipient.

"We’ve been fortunate enough to help raise more than $300, 000 in only 2 years.  The success of this program is based on many factors including the recently developed option of “Text to Donate”.  This year we had our listeners’ text the words “Kids Can” to 45678 to donate $10...and we had more than 590 texts pour in. This is a significant amount considering the text amount went up from $5 to $10 in one year."

Why Astral Radio and Kids Cancer Care chose to use Text to Donate?

Texting is an easy alternative for a rapidly growing demographic of younger radio listeners.  It allows them the option to quickly donate without having to dial the phone and the option to give a smaller, one time donation.  Text to Donate allows radio the opportunity to connect directly to the listener, which might be tuning in for a short time and might not take the time to call in.  Most importantly this opens up an avenue for donors in a new demographic.  

Results

Thanks to the Mobile Giving Foundation, ZipGive and the Children’s Miracle Network for allowing this collaboration, in the past 2 years Astral Media has dedicated 24 hours of live broadcasts with Astral Radio Calgary to raise more than $15,000 for Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta.

The Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta (KCC) is a charitable organization that helps build bridges of hope and pillars of support for families fighting childhood cancer. The Foundation helps Alberta children and families by providing funding and programs in four key areas: Camp & Community; Childhood Cancer Research; Hospital Support and Scholarship.

"We thank our partners in the community that have the ability to increase awareness about KCC and most importantly the funds needed to run our programs, YOU are making a difference in the lives of children affected by cancer!!!"

Texting Takes off for the IWK Health Centre Foundation during Recent Radiothon Broadcasts

Mobile giving an easy and effective donation option for radio listeners

The IWK Health Centre Foundation – the fundraising division of the specialized health care facility for children, youth, women and families in the Maritimes – was looking at texting as an option for fundraising, given the heavy use of social media on smartphones, and as a method of attracting younger donors. As a result the IWK Foundation decided to test mobile giving as part of its annual Radiothon fundraising campaigns. As a member of Children’s Miracle Network, the IWK Foundation was able to reach out to ZipGive to make mobile giving a donation option for its recent Radiothon broadcasts in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Moncton, New Brunswick.

The Promotion

During each Radiothon broadcast, listeners were asked to text keyword" IWK" to shortcode 45678 in order to make a $10 gift. The text donation option was promoted regularly during the live broadcast as one of the ways to give to the IWK Radiothon and text giving was also promoted through the IWK Foundation’s social media channels, including Facebook and Twitter.

Another strategy that was employed in Moncton was to set a time-specific goal for listeners to achieve through the number of texts gifts that were made. The IWK had a very committed volunteer offer to shave her head if enough text donations came in within a specific time period. The goal was set at 25 texts in an hour.

Results

During the 12 hour live broadcast in Halifax, listeners to the IWK Radiothon made 115 text gifts totalling $1,150. During the 30 hour live broadcast in Moncton, listeners made 249 text gifts totalling $2,490.  

In Moncton, there was an overwhelming response from listeners to reach the goal to shave the volunteer’s head – within 10 minutes, the goal of reaching 25 text gifts had been achieved and within 20 minutes, 45 text gifts had been made.

In collaboration with ZipGive and the Children’s Miracle Network, the IWK Foundation was able to raise $3,640 through text giving during its Radiothon broadcasts.  The IWK Foundation is thrilled with being able to engage donors in a new way and believes mobile giving will continue to grow as a means of giving in the future.

For more information, please email Ursula at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Great Response to The Ottawa Mission’s Text a MEAL Donation campaign on Bus Boards

Mobile Giving effectively operationalize a Bus based Call to Action

The Ottawa Mission, a 230 bed homeless shelter in Ottawa, wanted to raise its profile in the community. It decided to include a text donation component in its message to try and acquire funds for special community meals that are held for the homeless 3 times a year – Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

After receiving help from ZipGive to acquire its text to donate key word and short-code, the Mission chose to have donors make a $10 donation since the average price of a meal served at the homeless shelter is $2.97. A $10 donation was the way anyone could provide a homeless person with food for the day.

The Promotion

The text donation option was promoted via bus boards for 10 weeks in the fall and there were also radio and television ads taken out around Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Mission also tried to use Twitter and other social media channels to promote the text donation information as much as possible. The text info was given out anytime there is a media event or inquiry about the needs of the shelter.

Results

The ongoing campaign raised $7,000 in 4 months and there has been a significant amount of positive feedback from the community about the campaign. More advertising will be done in April leading up to the Easter Dinner for the homeless.

Through ZipGive and the Mobile Giving Foundation, Registered Charities such as the Ottawa Mission can leverage the widespread use of mobile devices to expand donor opportunities and outreach to new donor segments.

For more information, please email Ursula at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it