OTTAWA – Donations made via mobile phones for Haiti Earthquake Relief in Canada have surpassed $500,000 across all the short codes managed by the Mobile Giving Foundation Canada, the organization announced.
In association with the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, MGF Canada works with Canadian wireless service providers to enable the 100% pass-through of funds raised by all the mobile campaigns that it manages.
"The response for Haiti earthquake relief in Canada has been terrific, having raised more money in its first few days than the entire first year of mobile giving in the U.S. in 2008," said Jim Manis, CEO and chairman of the Mobile Giving Foundation, in a statement. "Given that MGF Canada only launched three months ago, the fact that Canadian operators were able to implement our mobile platform on their networks this quickly makes this number all the more impressive."
By texting a keyword to a designated short code via a mobile phone, a micro-donation of $5 or $10 can be made to aid the millions of people affected by last month’s devastating earthquake in Haiti. The entire donation goes to the recipient charity, and the donation appears as a charge on a donor’s carrier bill.
The following short codes are available for making monetary donations to aid those in need in Haiti (in alphabetical order by organization):
– The Canadian Red Cross Society: Text the words "REDCROSS", "ROUGE", "FLOW" or "ASTRAL" to 30333 to donate $5;
– CARE Canada: Text the words "CARE" or "TOGETHER" to 45678 to donate $5;
– Centre d’étude et de coopération internationale (CECI): Text the word "CECI" to 30333 to donate $5;
– Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative: Text the words "QUAKE", "HAITI" or "TEAM" to 20222 to donate $5;
– International Development and Relief Foundation: Text the words "FOOD" or "IDRF" to 20222 to donate $5;
– Plan Canada: Text the word "HAITI" to 30333 to donate $5;
– Power to Change: Text the word "GAIN" to 45678 to donate $5;
– The Salvation Army Canada: Text the word "HAITI" to 45678 to donate $5;
– UNICEF Canada: Text the words "GIVE" or "DON" to 45678 to donate $5;
– United Nations World Food Programme: Text the word "RELIEF" to 45678 to donate $5;
– World Vision Canada: Text the words "WORLD", "MONDE" or "AID" to 45678 to donate $5.
