Amy Gahran: 5 Affordable Ways Nonprofits Can Use Mobile

5 Affordable Ways Nonprofits Can Use Mobile Technology

OMG, another

channel!!!!

Bit.ly/FundingMobile

How many people think that cell phones only look like this?

Over half of all U.S. cell phones are

NOT SMARTPHONES!

(yes, still.)

The future is here; it’s just not evenly distributed yet.

Inclusive mobile strategy

• Serves feature phones & smartphones

• Includes texting and mobile web

• Not tied completely to one platform or app

“Affordable” mobile...for who?

Cheap to offer.Free/cheap to use.

1. Mobile landing page(s): Google sites: FREEBit.ly/gMobileSites

2. Tumblr: FREE

3. Crowdsourcing via Social Media

Play Video

4. Teach people how to use their cell phones

Knight Digital Media Center article on VozMob &

community mobile training

Bit.ly/TeachMobileSkills

5. SMS text messaging • Works with any cell phone

• Catch: Carrier messaging charges. “Free” = unreliable

• Broadcast: Announcements, alerts, info, reminders

• Interactive: Polling

• QR Codes

Let’s See How It Works for Activists!

Textmarks.comFree trial

Textmarks.com

EXAMPLE: The Daily Cup

• Salvation Army’s social justice app sees 190,000 mobile downloads in 6 weeks

• 6.2% clicked through to the “Donate $10-Now” button

• 3.9% submitted the volunteer form

• Keeps content fresh by featuring a blog feed

• A QR code is a 2-D barcode that can be scanned by a smart phone's camera and transfer information. Based on the type of code it is, it might direct the viewer to a website, make a phone call, deliver a vCard or more.

QR Codes

FREE to create

QR Codes National Safe Place

In 2010, NSP launched a QR Code campaign entitled, “Don’t Get Boxed In” where teens could use “Txt 4 Help” to find the nearest safe place.

The community could scan the QR code to learn specifics about youth homelessness.

What?No Apps?

Amy Gahran

Amy@Gahran.com

@agahran

Contentious.com