[Beth Grierson]

Does anyone have any experience with it?

Was/is it successful?

How did you solicit the gifts?

[LCox]

My first reaction to your question makes me hope I misunderstood - if you are talking about people sending text messages with the credit card information in them - as I understand it, that is a very NOT secure method. People should be dissuaded from giving PCI over cellphone methods, in general.

Did I misunderstand your question?

[Melissa Siobhan]

I do not think they text you the card number. You text them a secure website to go to and they use the internet on their phone to go there and donate.

[LCox]

Okay - but it's still my understanding that using cell phone/blackberry/whatever to transmit the card info *to* the website is not secure.

As I have heard, there are actually folks who will get equipment and drive around populated areas and actively scan for such transmissions to try to steal that information. Not a great risk, obviously, but still a risk.

Is there somebody out there who knows more about this? It sounds like a great idea, otherwise...

-- Leslie

[mwittman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beth Grierson

Does anyone have any experience with it?

Was/is it successful?

How did you solicit the gifts?

Is Paypal Mobile what you're describing: Paypal Mobile for your Blackberry | BerryReview.com » ?

[haferkamp]

Actually, the donor texts a predefined keyword to a specific short-code number. This instructs their wireless carrier to add a set, small donation amount (say, $5 or $10) to the customer's bill. The phone carrier sends a lump payment (perhaps minus some processing fees) to the receiving nonprofit The donor never sends their credit card number or other billing information via SMS, nor does texting to that number actually reach staff at the nonprofit.

In one recent example, Alicia Keyes asked her audience members to donate (I think) $5 to Keep a Child Alive. Audience members sent just the word "alive" to 90999-and then they just paid their wireless carriers an extra $5 next billing cycle.

The Mobile Giving Foundation is a good starting point for more information, and a Google search for "mobile giving" (use quotes for best results) also turns up a variety of articles, examples, vendors, etc.

[LCox]

Wow - that sounds pretty powerful. I'm hoping somebody who has used it will be able to add to this thread...

[mwittman]

For some reason, every month on my wireless bill, I'm donating to System Access Fee (and they know nothing of stewardship - no thank you letter, ever).

[LCox]

[Beth Grierson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by haferkamp

Actually, the donor texts a predefined keyword to a specific short-code number. This instructs their wireless carrier to add a set, small donation amount (say, $5 or $10) to the customer's bill. The phone carrier sends a lump payment (perhaps minus some processing fees) to the receiving nonprofit The donor never sends their credit card number or other billing information via SMS, nor does texting to that number actually reach staff at the nonprofit.

In one recent example, Alicia Keyes asked her audience members to donate (I think) $5 to Keep a Child Alive. Audience members sent just the word "alive" to 90999-and then they just paid their wireless carriers an extra $5 next billing cycle.

This indeed is what I"m talking about

I'm interested in hearing from people who've put it into practice - how they made the ask (we are not all so fortunate as to have Alicia Keyes do solicitations for us), if done via text message, how OFTEN asks are made...

[Joe_Meehan]

What would be interesting to determine is what "donor information" is captured and sent to the NP. If I gave $50.00 to a charity, I'd hope to get a thank you letter - but that would require the NP knowing who I was.

But it's a powerful trend that I think could be so amazing with the right marketing.

I wonder how much of a headache it is to set all of that up?

Regards,
Joe