As organizers, we at grassroots solutions know that, to engage and mobilize people, you have to reach them where they are. This is becoming much easier as new technologies provide more direct and interactive opportunities to connect. The stratospheric jump in text messaging over the past few years (four billion text messages are sent every day) and the accelerating use of smart phones to access the Internet (mobile internet has outpaced desktop internet adoption by a factor of eight) have put mobile phones in the bull’s eye for grassroots advocates.
One of grassroots solutions’ partners, Mobile Commons, has been at the forefront of providing mobile technology for organizations and campaigns working to effect social change. From the text-based fundraising appeals after the Haitian earthquake, to the dynamic mobile organizing program executed by Reform Immigration for America, to the accessing of public health information through “Californians txt 4 flu info,” Mobile Commons is helping dozens of organizations and campaigns amplify their organizing efforts and achieve remarkable results through the smart integration of mobile phones.
Mobile Commons offers an easy to use web-based platform that integrates with your CRM, as well as the technology to create multi-functional mass text messaging programs. The team at grassroots solutions is excited to be working with Mobile Commons, and is eager to help our clients integrate such programs into their campaigns and organizing plans.
Given the growing numbers of nonprofit organizations using mobile technology in their outreach and fundraising campaigns, there is an increasing amount of performance data in the field that can be mined for best practices. We recently took a moment to read through the first ever Text Messaging Benchmarks Study, prepared by M+R Strategic Services and MobileActive.org in 2010. Based upon a preliminary survey of nonprofit text programs, the study found that the response rate for call-in advocacy text messages was 4.7 percent, nearly six times the .82 response rate for call-in advocacy emails. The study also showed text messaging programs to be useful in building organizational lists (text messaging lists grew at an annual rate of 49.5 percent), and that they have been effective in the context of fundraising efforts as well. While the text-based fundraising efforts surrounding the earthquake in Haiti were incredibly successful, the M+R/MobileActive researchers did not have sufficient data to calculate a benchmark on text-to-give fundraising programs in general, and as such, it remains an open question to be returned to at a future date.
In addition to being a co-author of the benchmarks study mentioned above, MobileActive serves as a clearinghouse for innovations and best practices surrounding mobile technology and works with internationally-focused non-profits to help them create and implement strategic mobile programs. (In the interest of full disclosure, they are also our office mates in grassroots solutions’ NY office and mix a mean margarita!) The MobileActive website is a rich resource that provides basic how-to’s on setting up a mobile campaign; extensive data on mobile use and technology on a country-by-country basis; and compelling case studies on mobile campaigns (e.g., the Immigration reform campaign mentioned above), which highlight best practices and lessons learned to be shared with a wide-ranging community of practitioners.
grassroots solutions is not only excited to continue to monitor mobile progress and trends, but also to help our clients grow as practitioners as well. While mobile, like other technologies, is not a replacement for face-to-face organizing, we believe it is an effective tool that should be incorporated into a multi-channel organizing and communications plan that can extend the reach and response rates of your campaign efforts and diversify your base.