Haiti SMS SOS

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In the immediate aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Haiti on the 12^th January 2010, aid agencies all over the world issued a call for public donations to fund rescue missions. As little as 10 years ago, the standard donation channel would involve call centres of operators, taking calls and processing credit card payments.

Consumer confidence and familiarity in SMS payment systems has now reached a point where people are happy to conduct basic banking and payment enquiries by SMS. Text message payment services are also now successfully advanced to cope with high volume, high speed usage. In 2009, U.S charitable donations through mobile fundraising reached $2million, an impressive increase on the previous year’s $350,000. Both these amounts were dwarfed by the $8million raised by SMS in the two days immediately following the Haiti disaster.

To contribute to the campaign, users had to text “Haiti” to a dedicated number, and a standard $10 donation was added to their phone bill. Jana Waterworth-McAndrew, manager of fundraising and individual giving at the American Red Cross was extremely impressed, not only with the response from the American public, but in the capabilities of the channel. “Raising this amount of money is a true testament to the American spirit,” she said, “and the success of the mobile campaign shows the powerful impact and opportunity this channel can have on fundraising.”

The success of the channel can be attributed to its immediacy. Television appeals or news items about the disaster that carry the SMS donation number enable viewers to act immediately on the call to action. The simplicity of the process also makes it an attractive option for those who don’t regularly give to charity. The appeal was given extra boost by appearances from key figures, such as American First Lady Michelle Obama urging people to donate, giving the SMS donation information priority.

Many TV spots that carried the appeal only gave details of the SMS donation line, which may indicate that despite the proliferation of smartphones with internet capabilities, SMS is still the preferred choice of instant and non-invasive communication. From the charity’s viewpoint, in addition to the cash generated by the scheme, they also simultaneously compile an enormous contact list for future fundraising operations.

SMS donation lines have since been set up by 20 other relief agencies working in Haiti.

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