Charitable Giving: Apple forfeits to Android
If you're balancing on the fence between the iPhone and the non-profit friendlier Android, here's one app that might just have you leaping to one side without a glance back.
We’re big fans of Beth Kanter and her work helping non-profits utilize social media to “power change.” Recently on Twitter, Beth announced her intention to switch from the iPhone to a phone that uses Google’s Android operating system. This is a big announcement given the growing competition between Android and iPhone - not to mention the fact that Beth has more than 370,000 Twitter followers. Beth’s reasons for the switch were initially unclear and speculation grew.
Before long, the online chatter became so loud that the New York Times decided to cover the story. “(Beth) has started an online petition invoking the Grinch and is seeking to draw the issue to the attention of Steven P. Jobs, Apple’s chief executive.” The NYT further indicated that there was increasing “speculation that the real issue was money. Apple takes a 30 percent slice of purchases made from the App Store, an amount that would be frowned upon if it were to be taken out of a charitable donation.”
For those us who are considering jumping on Beth Kanter’s bandwagon, there is an new, non-profit freindly application that merits attention. Benevity has recently launched the Givatron™ which is the first open-choice charitable giving application for Android-based mobile devices. Benevity Social Ventures, Inc. is a software social enterprise that powers flexible choice cause marketing, corporate giving and matching programs.
So what’s the big deal about Givatron?
The Givatron™ allows Android users to easily make mobile donations in any amount to any registered charity in North America - and immediately receive tax receipts. Cool, eh?
Here’s how it works:
FREE: Android user find and install the free application. Then they can easily search for their charity of choice from a database that includes all registered charities in the United States and Canada. Yep, ALL OF THEM.
IMMEDIATE: Once a charity is selected, users complete their donation using the in-app PayPal® payment process. Donors immediately receive a tax receipt via e-mail and opt-in to whether they want their donor information shared with the specific chosen charities.
SIZE DOESN’T MATTER: But what is REALLY cool is that the new app enables charities to receive donations of any amount from Android users, anywhere and anytime, with no on-boarding requirements or investment in payment processing. So that means you can donate $25 or .25 cents. Your favorite charity or cause will receive the donation, no matter how small.
EASY: Benevity does all the work. By providing the back-end platform that facilitates donation processing, aggregation of micro-donations, distribution of funds and tax receipt capabilities, Benevity provides convenience and ease of use for both the donor and the non-profit.
Consumers with Android-based mobile devices can download the Givatron™ in Beta from the Android marketplace here.
Or by scanning the QR Code here.
Find Out More
If you’re interested in finding out more: please view the press release and find additional info on Benevity's website.
We love talking about the latest issues related to CSR, especially corporate volunteering. Contact us here to continue the discussion, book a workshop, or find out more about what we do: 317.371.4435 - OR -
Chris Jarvis: chrisjarvis@realizedworth.com
Angela Parker: angela@realizedworth.com
