Mobile Phone Fundraising! Using Technology
15 December 2005 at 12:12 pm
The Cancer Council of NSW is the first charity to go ‘live’ with a new fundraising concept that aims to harnesses the growth of mobile phone technology.
The charity has launched a trial fundraising program under the brand name Talk4Good with the catch cry “use you mobile phone to find a cure for cancer and it won’t cost you a cent extra!”
The concept by Fibre Marketing – a Sydney-based marketing and fundraising agency – appears to be a simple one. Sending out mobile phone bills via email rather than creating a paper bill. The savings from producing and distributing a paper bill are then passed on to the charity.
Fibre Marketing says a minimum of 6% of the total value of all phone calls and text messages etc… is passed directly to the charity.
A key benefit appears to be that the concept isn’t restricted by the network the supporter currently uses, whether it is Telstra, Vodafone, Optus or whoever.
Supporters don’t have to change their phone number, their plan or their contract to take part. The only thing that changes is that the bill is now sent via email.
Mark Bailey, Managing Partner at Fibre Marketing says a conservative estimate of the potential income to the charity from 5000 supporters is $250,000 per year.
Bailey says he wanted to offer a concept to new donors across Australia where you didn’t have to ask for their bank account or credit card details.
Fibre’s Business Development Manager, Martyn Hartley says the concept has far broader possibilities to tap into just about every bill we pay, or any purchase we make, with the cost being added to the mobile bill and a percentage of the value being passed onto the charity.
According to Hartley, some major corporate partners have already signed-up to take part in the program.
Hartley says Fibre Marketing is in negotiations with several other Not for Profit organisations looking to offer the new concept to staff, their supporters and for use as a new-donor acquisition channel across Australia.
For the corporate sector he suggests it’s an add on for workplace giving where an employer can promote the scheme to it’s staff.
Check out the Cancer Council NSW link at www.talk4good.com.au
For more information on the program, contact Martyn Hartley at Fibre on 02 8356 5205.
