Charitable mobile giving heats up in the UK and US

mBlox teams with NSPCC for shortcode collaboration, while MobileCause gains momentum

Mobile phones are an increasingly important source of donations for charities, with plenty of companies developing tools and services to this end.

In the UK, mBlox has been talking about its partnership with Frudoo Mobile Media and Commerce, creating a VAT-exempt shortcode for people to donate to charity NSPCC.

The campaign ran in December, allowing people to text GIFT to 70997 to donate £5 VAT-free to the charity, before adding Gift Aid - the first time the latter has been possible via SMS.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, startup MobileCause has announced that it currently represents nearly 40% of nonprofit organisations in the US.

The company's platform is used by charities including The Salvation Army, United Way and Special Olympics. It provides SMS fundraising, data analytics and social media widgets, among other features.