Haiti Giving Goes Mobile

Original post, 5:51 AM: Mobile technology is making philanthropy ever more easy and immediate.

In the 36 hours following the Haiti earthquake on January 12, people have given a record $7 million to relief organizations via their cell phones, according to Mobile Giving Foundaiton.

The Seattle-based organization manages the process by which cell-phone users around the country can donate $5 or $10 to a nonprofit by texting a keyword to a special number. Every penny of the donation goes straight to the nonprofit.

Here are some of the more popular national nonprofits doing disaster relief work in Haiti:

• Text YELE to 501501 to donate $5 on behalf of the Yele Foundation, the leading contributor to rebuilding Haiti founded by Wyclef Jean.
• Text HAITI to 85944 to donate $5 on behalf of the Rescue Union Mission and MedCorp International.
• Text HAITI to 25383 to donate $5 on behalf of the Internal Rescue Committee.
• Text HAITI to 90999 to donate $10 on behalf of the Red Cross in the U.S.
• Text HAITI to 864833 to donate $5 to United Way Worldwide's disaster fund for long-term recovery.

Updated post, 4:15 PM: Red Cross reports that it alone raised $7 million from text donors, a hefty amount that rivals the $10 million the organization collected so far from companies.

Last year, Red Cross raised a total of $190,000 from text donations for multiple hurricanes. This year the group spread the word about its text program through Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr.

"It shows the power of the social-media community," says Michael J. Brown, Red Cross vice president of corporate and foundation partnerships.

Red Cross raised $37 million overall so far. Of the $10 million in corporate donations, four companies each gave $1 million: Coca-Cola Co., General Electric Co., Lowes Companies Inc., and Morgan Stanley, Brown says.