Charities Newsletter
Issue 6

Charities Can Accept SMS Donations Without Paying Mobile Phone Operators, Thanks to 'Innovation Zone' Discovery.

According to Charity Times, Charities can now receive SMS text donations without paying mobile phone operators, thanks to LUUP mobile donations, which was showcased at the Institute of Fundraising's ('Institute') latest Innovation Zone.

LUUP mobile donations enable anyone over the age of 14 to pay, send and receive money by SMS, WAP, online or by phone to charity.  Charities simply fill in a registration form and can start accepting donations immediately.  There are no upfront fees, and LUUP only receives a fee when charities get a donation (LUUP charges 2.5% + 18p for transactions above £1.50). Accounts can be set-up within hours and advanced options are also available.

The benefits of LUUP donations are that they:
-  can be made spontaneously
-  can be made anytime anywhere
-  are secure and easy to use
-  cover any amount between £0.01 and £800
-  are received immediately by the charity

The discovery of this service by Innovation Zone follows a survey of Institute of Fundraising members which revealed that 89% of charities are inhibited from using text message donations due to the current charging structure of mobile operators.  84% said their organisation would be more likely to use this mechanism if the charges for text message donations were lower.

Megan Pacey, Director of Policy and Campaigns at the Institute of Fundraising said, "The Institute is delighted that its Innovation Zone has identified an SMS text mechanism that will allow charities of all sizes to receive donations from its supporters via SMS.

"The Institute has had an ongoing campaign to enable charities to receive SMS text message donations cost effectively.  Our attempts to work with the UK mobile operator industry in a co-operative and mutually beneficial manner for a considerable period of time have largely fallen on deaf ears.  We are delighted that we have now identified another solution outside of the control of the UK mobile operator industry that will enable charities to solicit donations via SMS."

Amnesty International, an Organisational member of the Institute is one of the first charities to establish an account with LUUP and provide their donors with another way to make their donation.
Katie Hart, New Business Development Manager at Amnesty International said, "In the past, we avoided PSMS as we felt its value was questionable and that it was too costly for donors. But LUUP presents a mobile payments option that is not only easy-to-use and very secure but also ensures the donation ends up with those who need it most."

Christopher Lovold, UK Director at LUUP said, "We are excited that LUUP is able to fill a gap in the market place, providing reliable, affordable and instant mobile donations to the charity sector. Impulse donations are now a reality; charities are able to collect real-time donations from supporters anytime, from anywhere."

The Innovation Zone is a regular schedule of twice yearly events and the panel will re-convene in September 2007 to assess new products and services.  Suppliers and Organisational members who would like to take part or find out more are invited to email: policy@institute-of-fundraising.org.uk.