Mobile phones could be key to future of charity donations

Mobile phone users have been offered a new way to give to charity – with at least 90 per cent of their donation guaranteed to find its way to a good cause.

Vodafone has announced that it will ensure at least nine-tenths of any sum over £1 given by its mobile phone subscribers will be sent to its charities.

In response, the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) says the promise is "really fantastic news" and reveals its desire to publish a list of the rates charged by all mobile phone operators to deal with charity donations.

John Low, chief executive at CAF, asserts: "Vodafone are the UK’s second biggest mobile phone operator so this is a very significant announcement. They have always been very supportive of charities and are now showing this by helping in one of the best ways any mobile phone company can by reducing their costs."

Mr Low also suggests that text donations are the way forward for charities, with instant SMS pledges easy to make and increasingly economical for good causes.

He also hopes that Vodafone’s decision will trigger widespread use of text donations, which are currently used only for one-off events such as Children in Need and Sport Relief.

The chief executive adds that "giving by text is a great way to fundraise since it is easy and spontaneous for donors".

Vodafone’s charitable side was illustrated again recently when it announced it is to release its 150 and 250 mobile phones models in poorer parts of the world.