Mobile Accord’s mGive program helped the Fundación Teletón MexAmerica raise funds via $10 text donations for the second year. The telethon was held Dec. 4-5 on Galavisión, a United States-based Spanish-language cable network.

“Adding mobile giving to traditional giving methods led to new donor acquisition targeting younger donors, and allows them to engage in philanthropic activities without requiring a credit card, check or cash,” said Angela Whaley, account executive at Mobile Accord, Denver.

“It allows them to support a cause with a microdonation given from a device that is almost always within arm’s reach,” she said.

Donors could donate via text, call-in or online. Ms. Whaley said last year the number of donors who donated via SMS was more than those who did online during the telethon.

Mobile Accord is a provider of mobile technology for nonprofit organizations and it powers mobile donations in the U.S. Mobile Accord said it has raised more than $1 million in $5 donations and 95 percent of all funds were raised via mobile giving.

In 2002, Fundación Teletón MexAmerica was founded as the U.S. branch of an event conducted annually in Mexico. Teleton’s mission is to build and operate medical care, rehabilitation and diagnosis centers in Mexico.

The foundation has a special focus on poor children with neuromusculoskeletal disabilities.

Mobile giving power
Last year mGive helped Teletón MexAmerica rasie close to $77,000 in text donations. The program saw more SMS donors than online contributors.

Through mGive, Teletón created a list of 15,000 mobile donors in one day last year.

This year $204,830 was raised in $10 mobile donations during the telethon.

Teletón MexAmerica asked viewers to make a $10 donation by sending a text message with the keyword TELETON to short code 90999.

After sending the message, consumers received a text asking for confirmation. The donation appears on the consumer’s phone bill.

“Teletón MexAmerica did a great job last year displaying the call-to-action on a [banner] across the screen in addition to several live calls-to-action from celebrities,” said Ms. Whaley.

Teletón targets 18-35-year-olds for mobile giving.

The majority of mobile donors last year were new donors.

Ms. Whaley said that the numbers of mobile subscribers are greater than TV subscribers.

“If implemented correctly, mobile opens up a brand new donation and communication channel that can engage supporters anywhere at any time right from the palm of their hand,” Ms. Whaley said.