Mobile giving will continue to grow in 2014 as Millennials connect with causes—and their smart phones.

Even though Apple implemented a ban on in-app donations in 2010, which put a slight damper on mobile giving, there are plenty of work-arounds. Android and Google have been much more flexible with their mobile giving policies, as most recently evidenced with the launch of One Today, their mobile donation app. This easy to use app is for approved Google for Nonprofits members. Once approved, your nonprofit will have access to Google’s full suite of nonprofit products, including YouTube for Nonprofits and Google Apps for Nonprofits.

Going mobile is not a passing trend and most nonprofits now see the power of mobile to attract new donors, particularly Millennials, who use their phones more than any other generation for everything from shopping to social networking. Don’t put all your marketing eggs in one basket, though. The Next Generation of American Giving found that Boomers between the ages 49-67 account for 43% of total giving.

In a recent Social Good podcast on Chronicle of Philanthropy, Tom Watson of CauseWired outlined a couple of mini trends in mobile giving:

  1. Text-to-give fundraising

Most successful for large, national organizations as well as entities raising funds during natural disasters.

  1. Mobile-ready fundraising websites

Mobile responsible giving platforms that run through your web browser rather than a mobile application are not iPhone or Android specific, so any smartphone user is able to access these platforms and make a donation.

Here are 10 Interesting Stats About Mobile Giving to motivate you to brainstorm on how to harness the power of mobile to connect with potential donors.

  1. 83% of respondents said they own smartphones, with 80% of this group noting they prefer nonprofits to have mobile-friendly websites. – 2013 Millennial Impact Report
  2. 91% of all Americans have their mobile device within reach 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. – MobileCause.com
  3. 40% of Americans under the age of 35 said they used a mobile device like a phone or a tablet to make a donation – Blackbaud Study: Donor Perspectives An Investigation into What Drives Your Donors to Give
  4. Two thirds (64%) of American adults now use text messaging, and 9% have texted a charitable donation from their mobile phone. – PEW 2012 Mobile Giving Report
  5. By 2014 the number of smart phones in use will be over 1 billion. – Independent marketing research company IDC
  6. If your mobile site isn’t working correctly, 46% of those who visited your site will NEVER return again. – Blue Dog Mobile Marketing
  7. 46% of consumers won’t return to a mobile site if it didn't work properly last time (Gomez) and 22% of charity website visits are to make a donation. – Fundraising.co.uk 
  8. 75% of donors turn to online resources to look for information. – Google 2013 Digital Non-Profits Study
  9. Mobile Email Opens Hit 50%, with the iPad driving most mobile email transactions – Q2 2013 Email Benchmark Study, Experian Marketing Services
  10. 25% of donors made a donation on their mobile device – Google 2013 Digital Non-Profits Study

Whether or not your nonprofit or ministry decides to incorporate mobile giving into your marketing plan for 2014 is up to you, but one thing’s for sure—it’s not going away.

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