While connecting with donor bases has until now been heavily email-centric, the wave of the future as I’ve learned, is to donate to nonprofit organizations with the click of a text message via your cell phone. Mobile Commons hosted one of the non-sessions at Mobile Active’s MobileTech4SocialChange un-conference on February 21 at Hunter College to share their method for securing faster, higher response rates from volunteers and donors.

Just as Barack Obama broke records with presidential campaign funding through smaller donations from individuals rather fewer large corporate contributions, such is the model of Mobile Commons. In fact, the group points to its work for John Edwards in the 2008 presidential primary campaign, although it’s unknown which candidate capitalized on the technology first. In any case, Amnesty International, Human Rights Campaign, the Humane Society of the United States and the Sierra Club are just a few other nonprofits already using this handheld technology to send direct calls to action to donors and volunteers.

Mobile Technology demos were held throughout the day at the Mobile Active Barcamp.

So how does mobile giving work? First nonprofits capture large numbers of people at live events or concerts over jumbotrons, asking event goers to text a “short code” number if they want to donate. After receiving a text message back from the nonprofit, donors confirm their gift with a simple “yes.” These “microdonations” are capped at $5 and are automatically added to the cell phone bill at the end of the month, so there’s no credit card involved. The key to its success is its simple interactive approach and the ability to easily forward it on to multitudes of other donors.

And it’s not just limited to cell phones. Voice calls and other web-based interactive components, such as social networking applications (we all know Facebook), are also being utilized for securing donations to everyone’s favorite causes.

I must admit that coming from a public relations, marketing and community relations background, I was a little hesitant to sign on because people don’t like being nudged time and again – whether to ask them to volunteer, write a note to an elected official or donate money to a deserving cause. And it seems to me that a cell phone is even more of a personal intrusion than an email. I was reassured by the Mobile Commons folks, however, that the only way to be contacted is to personally opt in to the service (i.e., they can’t buy targeted cell phone number lists), and that non-profits are very discerning with the number of texts they distribute because of the fee they must pay (for more info on this, see Mobile Giving Foundation’s website). Also, these groups simply can’t send long drawn-out messages due to the 160-character limit on texts.

We all know that fundraising is key for nonprofits to stay alive, and even with a few kinks mobile tech does open up a new avenue for giving and receiving. You know how it’s said that if everyone did their part and gave just a little, we’d all be far better off? Mobile-based microdonations might just be the key. For more on Mobile Fundraising 101, check out Mobile Commons’ blog, Mobile Giving Insider.