Text Messages Deliver Aid to Haiti

News travels fast, but the sharing of news travels even faster, thanks to the widespread use of social networking. Facebook and Twitter, two of the most prominent social technology platforms, have been abuzz with news of the massive earthquake that struck Haiti on Tuesday, January 12. Through status updates and personal tweets, people are expressing a common desire to help. Many are unsure how to get their donations to the right organizations in a timely manner or if their small donation can make a difference. MobileCause has provided a solution for individuals to contribute in real-time.

Enter the world of micro-donations: very small ($5, $10) donations that can balloon into millions of dollars in aid when enough people contribute. It is exactly this type of contribution campaign that is working for Haiti's relief efforts right now via text donations. MobileCause is currently working to ensure these donations go directly towards the relief effort. They offer software for mobile fundraising, called Text2Give, that allows the user to text a specific dollar donation.

MobileCause has partnered with the International Medical Corp (IMC), a non-profit relief agency sending teams into Haiti. By using a mobile phone to text "HAITI" to 85944, a $10 donation is sent immediately. The mobile user will see their donation on their next cell phone bill. MobileCause delivers non-profit organizations a simple-to-use platform to launch and manage mobile giving, messaging, and text-to-pledging over SMS and email. With their technology, donations can be sent and received instantly, which is imperative in situations like the Haitian relief efforts.

The real-time aspect of a texting donation strategy is one of the most important factors in all of this. The IMC relief team is currently outside the Haitian Presidential Palace providing care during the day. At night, they are aiding people at the Hotel Villa Creole. They are on the front lines of the disaster and the importance of having the funds available immediately is immeasurable.

The need for swift and overwhelming aid in Haiti has prompted other organizations to also leverage text message donations, including the Red Cross and the Yele Haiti Foundation.

IMC - text "HAITI" to 85944 to donate $10

Red Cross - text "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10

Yele Haiti Foundation - text "Yele" to 501501 to donate $5