Going Mobile in the Nonprofit World

Did you know that there will be 5.3 billion mobile phone connections worldwide by the end of 2010? (Global mobile statistics 2010) Did you also know that by 2013 mobile phones will take over PC’s as the most common web access device according to Gartner Research?  Yes, mobile is definitely growing, and fast!

Global Mobile vs Desktop User Projection (2007-2015)

Nearly 250,000 new smartphones are sold every day. More and more people are using their phones for more than just calling and texting. People are downloading smartphone applications for just about everything from games and utilities, to finances and shopping. Users access the mobile web to do everything that they do on a regular computer at home, from emails and social networking to paying bills, on the go. We all know how big social networking is, given that 22% of internet time is spent on social networking. But, did you know that almost 50% of that is through mobile devices? (What Americans Do Online, August 2010)

Nonprofits just like any other organization are “very interested (in mobile apps) and there’s a lot of experimentation — but it’s still in the baby steps mode,” according to Marcia Stepanek, new media adviser at New York University‘s Heyman Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising. Says David Lieberman of USA Today, “Charities are torn. They know that the next generation of volunteers and contributors organize their lives around wireless devices and social networks. But many are still struggling to figure out how they can fit into this new communications ecosystem.” There has been a significant increase in mobile giving over the last year especially considering the Haiti Text-to-Give campaign which raised more than $30 million for the American Red Cross. Even ‘American Idol’ used Text-to-Give for its ‘Idol Gives Back’ campaign. But, mobile technology is a growing trend, and will be more than just Text-to-Give in the coming years.

Technologies nonprofits want to invest in next year (Source - Smart Online, Inc.)

At Smart Online we have been closely following this emerging technology and employing resources in relating mobile trends to nonprofits. We are very excited about helping nonprofits grow with mobile, the technology of 2011 and beyond.  This past quarter, we surveyed a significant number of nonprofits to understand how they are reacting to mobile. We will be continuing these activities to understand mobile not just from a nonprofit perspective but from a user perspective – how will users interact with mobile applications for nonprofits? The March of Dimes is developing an iPhone and iPad application for early 2011 tied to its annual March for Babies campaign. Patrice Goldman, Chief Markting officer for the March of Dimes says “I haven’t seen great apps written by charities themselves, but we know they’re going to come. Mobile is going to be an enormous force for our future.” Don’t get left behind! For starters, understand what your organization needs from a mobile solution with Smart Online’s questionnaire.