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iGIVE
Charity is a obviously good thing, and when iOS apps let you give to worthy causes
by playing games or checking in, it’s a no-brainer…right? BY MICHELLE DELIO
The last few years haven’t been the happiest time for charities. The still-sullen economy forced foundations to cut back on their big donations, so micro donors—individuals who give small
sums as the spirit moves them—are becoming an important source
of funding. But barring tragedies like earthquakes, hurricanes, and
tsunamis, how can a charity connect with the charitable? Overloaded
by requests for our attention, many of us
no longer respond to mail or telephone
solicitations, and we’re all justifiably
suspicious of emailed requests for help.
Enter the do-good app. You choose what
causes matter to you, and the app acts as
the go-between. Sometimes you simply
buy the app, and some of the profits go to
the cause. Other apps provide a pipeline
for direct donations. Some will educate
you—the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s
Seafood Guide, for example, helps you
make sustainable seafood choices. Many
apps are happy to entertain you, and you
may also be asked to perform actions
that trigger donations from sponsors.
Earthjustice ( earthjustice.org), a
nonprofit public-interest law firm, recently papered San Francisco
subway stations with posters asking people to fire up Foursquare
and “check in at this Earthjustice ad.” The posters addressed timely
“The more you play, the more we give,” says Kellie Hartwell, senior
vice president of marketing. She adds that Mobile Deluxe didn’t set out
to make the world’s most innovative game, focusing instead on creating
a fun and relaxing experience with a real-life reward for players’ time
investment. “It’s not a game for a hardcore gamer, but it’s perfect
for folks looking to share the experience and turn their game reviews
into potential stories about the game
and breast cancer experiences,”
says Hartwell.
Pleased with the results of its first
mobile campaign, Earthjustice is planning
its next project now, and Mobile Deluxe
has just released Sudoku Deluxe Green
Edition. The proceeds are donated to
Trees for the Future, a nonprofit founded
in 1989 that helps communities around
the world plant trees through seed
distribution.
But Hartwell hopes that app
programmers will get involved in
making games for the smaller, super-
effective nonprofits as well as the bigger
charitable organizations. “You can
make a difference not only for the charity’s cause, but for a budding
nonprofit as well,” Hartwell says. Just don’t expect that doing the right
thing will always be easy. “There will be cynical people out there that
question your
motivation,”
Hartwell
continues.
“Respond
to them
respectfully
and then forget
about it. You
know you’re
doing good, your
recipients know
it, and that’s all
that matters in
the end.”
Earthjustice posted these ads in rapid transit stations, where
iPhone-toting citizens can check in and help while they wait for
the train.
“Our campaign was a perfect mixture of
the right cause with the right medium
and the right timing.”
environmental issues, and corporate donors pledged to give specific
amounts for each check-in.
Ray Wan, marketing manager at Earthjustice, says that the goal was
to reach 5,000 check-ins, and by the end of October they had exceeded
5,300. Their major donor was willing to match up to $50,000 in
donations at $10 per check-in, so Earthjustice got the maximum amount
in donations.
“Our campaign was a perfect mixture of the right cause with the
right medium and the right timing,” says Wan. “We made sure to
highlight issues that our audiences could connect with. We picked an
app that was growing immensely popular here in the Bay Area and was
easy to use. And our ads went up at the height of the BP oil crisis, when
the public’s attention was focused on protecting our environment.”
Then there’s entertainment app company Mobile Deluxe
( mobiledeluxe.com), which recently entered the charitable space with
Bliss HD+, a game. Up to 50 percent of its $1.99 price is donated to
Beautiful Day Foundation, which works to educate young women about
breast cancer. Players earn points to win up to five pink ribbon codes,
and Mobile Deluxe donates $0.20 for every ribbon code.
Bliss HD+ is a
$1.99 universal
game that lets
you earn money
for breast cancer
education while
playing.
16 JAN• 10 maclife.com
