Mobile Making a Difference 01/21/2010 09:15 AM by deb
The catastrophic earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010 has left many in need, and the global response has yielded immediate financial support that is unprecedented, made possible by mobile technology and texting campaigns.
Within hours of the news first breaking, the Red Cross launched a text messaging campaign to raise funds. Those wishing to lend a hand could simply text HAITI to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross Relief Fund. Soon to follow, Yele Haiti, a grassroots movement founded by Wyclef Jean in support of growth in Haiti, launched their own mobile effort, asking supporters to text YELE to 501501.
The immediacy of SMS enables people to donate effortlessly and in masses, without the complications of setting up a network or infrastructure. The Red Cross reported 500,000 donations of $10 each within the first three days of the campaign. That’s $5 million, raised in three days!
Using mobile as a tool to illicit an immediate response makes it perfectly suited to causes such as disaster relief. Anybody with a cell phone can make donations anywhere and anytime, bringing individual efforts together for a united cause. People from across the United States were able contribute to a global effort.
Now that mobile is a tool to address world issues, never before have you truly had so much power in the palm of your hand.
