All eyes are on Haiti this week, and before anything, we must say that the thoughts and prayers of the entire Cone family go out to the people of Haiti. As nonprofit organizations and government agencies quickly deploy their emergency resources to come to Haiti’s aid in the aftermath of this tragedy, American citizens are just as quickly responding through their own channels – digitally.

With laptops and smartphones at their fingertips, donors are setting records with lightning-fast fundraising tools. Convio, a company that provides donation software to charities, processed more than $20 million as of January 13th – more than it did on December 31st, which is typically the biggest fundraising day of the year. And it wasn’t just online donation that was successful, text-to-donate campaigns saw big numbers too. The American Red Cross has raised $8 million to-date through its mobile campaign, and Yéle Haiti, the nonprofit of musician and Haiti-native Wyclef Jean, has raised more than $750,000 through a similar mobile effort.

Cone’s research on cause and new media this fall found that Americans are using such tools for awareness, but not necessarily translating this into donations. This situation debunks the myth that they won’t donate – for now we know when the need is urgent and the request is easy, citizens will respond through every tool at their disposal. One lesson to emerge from this devastating tragedy is that having new media communications and fundraising capabilities in place before the need is urgent will help mobilize your cause when the situation is dire. And despite the urgency of a message, those that are clear, concise and show ongoing results are lessons all organizations can heed when developing new media communications in support of their causes.

To see Cone’s list of guidelines and resources for companies responding to natural disasters such as the earthquake in Haiti, please click here.

Comments

John Doyle	January 21, 2010 9:38 PM I have founded http://classactioncause.com to create a community that will use the combined power of unity to bring about change. We have some basic reasonable expectations for family life around the world. We are seeking to put corporate profits below the importance of children and families. Please visit to vote to STOP Adult ads in Public venues. http://classactioncause.com/vote We are looking for steering committee members and guest blog authors…. John - By ourselves we are limited, together we are formidable
Gina Davison	January 22, 2010 9:20 AM I think when the urgency and emotional involvement are already in place, as they are with the disaster in Haiti, anything that makes the donation process easier and faster (literally at the fingertips of the donor) is going to be successful. I'm so excited about the text-to-donate option and what opportunities this opens for fundraising. However, I wonder if there is more or less trust among consumers with text message donating, and what will happen with it in the future. There is already suspicion among donors as to how their money is being spent. Lack of transparency can be a huge issue in fundraising. I've already seen warnings in social media outlets, of consumers telling other consumers about Haiti text donation scams. How can mistrust be avoided when the process of donating through a text message can seem so far removed from the people involved in the transaction? It will be interesting to see how this develops!
Casey Brennan	January 22, 2010 9:55 AM Hi Gina- You're absolutely right, donors have been more cautious with their giving, and need reassurance of how the funds are helping the cause. I believe that through the recent success of text-to-donate campaigns, consumers will actually be MORE likely to participate again in the future. As with any technology, we often feel more comfortable once we are engaging with the system, and once a comfort level is reached, we'll be more trustful of it's effectiveness. Similar to the growth we've seen in online donations, I think text donations will follow a similar trajectory. Casey Brennan Insights Associate Cone http://www.coneinc.com/warming-up-to-causes-online
Promotional Products	January 26, 2010 10:22 AM I continue to be amazed by the amount of money that is being raised for the people of Haiti. I think when people donate they have to be sure of who they are giving money to and how much is being used in Haiti. I think there is a ton to learn and gain from this experience, concerning people willing to spend on something they believe in.
Casey Brennan	January 26, 2010 12:05 PM I definitely agree. Already we see companies using text-to-donate more widely. Beth Kanter posted on one such campaign for breast cancer yesterday on her blog: http://beth.typepad.com/beths_blog/2010/01/sms-fundraising-campaign-for-breast-cancer.html Casey Brennan Insights Associate Cone

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