Mobile phone technology plays an ever-increasing role in the way we interact with the world. Smartphones now represent over a third of the mobile market, so forward thinking charities are taking advantage of this new opportunity to get their message across. Through mobile media, charities are connecting with younger and more affluent donors in their space, and using their language to communicate.
Here at twentysix we’re not averse to doing our bit for charity, and with our iHobo app for the iphone generating the equivalent of £1.3 million in media coverage, our contribution is not too shabby.
Here are some of our favourite projects for non-profits and charities for both iPhone and Android platforms:
Fundraisers among you will be familiar with Just Giving, a service that facilitates the process of individual donation. To help increase the number of donations ahead of last year’s London Marathon, a donation management mobile app has been released that simplifies your fundraising activities by keeping track of which of your friends has sponsored you, and who hasn’t. . . yet. You can also keep in touch with your supporters, posting photographs and updating your status on the go, so they can see the hard work you’re putting in to earn their cash.
WaterAid, a charity using practical solutions to provide safe water, effective sanitation and hygiene education to the world’s poorest people, has developed ToiletFinder. Taking advantage of geolocation the application locates the nearest public toilet around you, and displays it on a map.
The database is curated by users, who can add and edit entries. The application is free, but the charity asks for a small donation, to help their cause.
Dogs Trust’s iPhone application – iMutt, has a completely different approach. The app puts you in a scenario in which you need to take care of a dog at one of the re-homing centres run by the charity. Over a five-day period you must care for a new canine resident, feeding, walking and playing with it, with the ultimate goal being to prepare the dog for finding a new home. The game has been created using footage of Poppy – a real life rescue dog.
It’s a light hearted game, but it’s designed to spread the serious message of responsible dog ownership. It also gives the broader public an opportunity to understand how the charity operates. iMutt has had an overwhelmingly positive reception, with 10% of all downloads resulting in a donation to the trust.
The app is available free of charge, and includes information about how users can make a donation to Dogs Trust. At the moment it’s available for iPhone and iPod Touch, but iPad and Android versions are coming very soon.
Comments