Philantrophy On The Go: MGF and CWTA Launch the Mobile Giving Foundation Canada

Crowdsourced online donation and fundraising programmes have increased their presence in the Canadian sphere in the past few months. TechVibes has reported previously on (Vancouver-based) applications such as PincGiving and FundRzr. Recently, the Mobile Giving Foundation and the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association announced their partnership to bring mobile philantropy to Canada.

This mobile application allows users to text a keyword that corresponds to a specific charitable cause to a designated short code. Upon texting the keyword, a donation ($5 or $10) is made and processed. Wireless carriers distribute the donation to the MGF, which passes-through the entire amount to the specific registered charity. Donations appear on the monthly bill of donors and tax receipts are made available to accompany the donation.

While the extent to which online fundraising will be prevalent in the future hasn't been measured quantitatively, the extent to which consumers have started to move their consumptive patterns to the online and mobile spheres is not negligible. With the increase in demand for smart phones and mobile applications, MGF and CWTA are taking a positive step in making it easier for Canadians to be philantrophes on the go.