FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Your Name(Optional)

Choose a Category

Your Question
0/500

Email Address

Submit

Fees

Apart from the monthly fee, does my organization pay any transaction fees before we receive our donations?: Yes . mGive is fully transparent with all pricing. You can view all package pricing details on our Pricing page
Do you have alternative pricing structures that are more affordable for smaller nonprofits?: mGive created the Bronze level package to lower the cost of entry. At $399 per month this remains a very inexpensive program when compared to direct mail, building a website, telemarketing, staging live events and other traditional fundraising programs.
Besides using a major credit card, is there a way for my organization to set up a mobile giving program?: You must use a major credit card to get started but we can arrange for electronic funds transfer for your bank account. Alternatively you may pay for one year upfront with a check. If you choose this option Contact Us for a special code to be used during sign up.
Is there any charge to the donor for text messages sent or received during a mobile donation?: Depending on the donor’s wireless carrier and service plan they may be charged a nominal fee by their wireless carrier for sending and receiving text messages (approximately $0.05-$0.15 cents per text). Unlimited or bulk text messaging plans are becoming very popular with mobile subscribers and are heavily promoted by most major wireless carriers. If the donor has an unlimited text messaging plan, there would be no additional text messaging charges from the wireless carrier
For outgoing text message campaigns, do costs depend on how many text messages my organization sends out?: Messaging costs are determined by the mGive package selected by your organization and start at $.03/msg. For more information on messaging costs, visit our Pricing Page or for existing mGive users contact your account manager.
How long does it take for a donor's gift to reach the intended cause or charity?: The distribution of funds is based on the quarterly carrier payout schedule. Every 90 days the carriers disburse the funds generated from your mobile donation campaign to The mGive Foundation which then passes those funds along to your organization along with a detailed remittance report for each donation campaign you have.
Do mGive’s per-message fees (.35 cents + 3.5%) cover or include the fees of The mGive Foundation as well?: Yes. Part of each transaction fee goes to help the TMF maintain operations. TMF ensures compliance with US mobile giving standards, vet each charity that wishes to participate in mobile giving and distributes funds collected by carriers directly to nonprofits participating in the channel.

General

How can I access my Log In information and/or change my personal information (address, etc…) with you?

Simply Login, click ACCOUNT INFORMATION at the top, and the links you need are to the left.

Can my organization view a demonstration of the text message donation process?

Yes, you can view mGive in action here: mGive.com/Videos

What is the length of time on an mGive contract?

All mGive agreements have a 1 year term. The cost is low compared to other fundraising channels and you may pay monthly. Each nonprofit must make a commitment to mobile to get proper results and generate revenue. Integration of mobile into all your brand standards and donor facing activities is crucial to success. Additionally, there are hard costs absorbed by mGive to get your program started. Our model is designed to allow us to make our investment in your campaign back over time as you raise money and provide a low cost entry point for nonprofits.

Is it possible to speak with mGive's existing clients to see how the mobile donation service has worked for them?

As you can imagine the mobile giving channel is really taking off and so many prospects want to speak to our clients. This can be difficult as these clients are busy people and have been over whelmed by requests. It is for this reason we put together case studies and white papers to validate our position as the industry leader. You can visit our Blog for the latest news on successful campaigns and links to Case Studies!

Do you have more information on success rates of text donation campaigns?

Of course! Our Case Studies provide that information and more! We're always working with our clients to improve their outreach efforts, increase their donations and foster their relationships with new donors. You can visit our Blog for the latest news on successful campaigns and links to Case Studies.

Do I need my own shortcode to run a mobile giving campaign?

No. You can use one of mGive’s shared short codes already provisioned by the nation’s largest carriers for Mobile Giving. If you wish to have a proprietary short code provisioned for mobile giving we can facilitate the process for you. It takes up 15 weeks to get a new proprietary code provisioned and there are additional costs involved. Please Contact us for details.

Can a mobile donor give in excess of $5 per donation?

Yes! There are two mobile donation campaign options: $5 & $10. Your organization will determine this when you register and create your first campaign. Additionally, mobile donors can always give more than once, up to $25 per campaign.

What is a keyword?

Used in combination with a short code, a keyword is a word that differentiates your mobile campaign form others on the same short code. Your keyword and short code combination allows mobile phone users to make a donation to your mGive mobile donation campaign. For example, an organization called Clean Water Planet might choose the keyword WATER. In order to make a donation mobile phone users would send the word WATER as the body of his or her text message to the short code 90999.

What is SMS or Text Messaging?

SMS stands for Short Message Service, commonly know to consumers as text messaging. The protocol is designed to send text messages to and from mobile phones. The message may be up to 160 characters in length including spaces. Almost 100% of today’s phones can send and receive text messages!

Does mGive work on all wireless carriers?

mGive works on most major carriers in the United States giving your organization access to a potential 260 million mobile subscribers. Participating Carriers include:

AT&T
Sprint
Nextel
T-Mobile USA
Verizon Wireless
U.S. Cellular

Is there any leeway on the requirement that nonprofits be registered for at least one year before applying to receive mobile donations?

No. The wireless carriers have made it very clear what is required of every nonprofit interested in pursuing a mobile giving campaign.

What is your platform and technology competitive advantage?

We built mGive.com after working with nonprofit clients for several years before mobile giving was available in the USA. The system makes it easy for your organization to sign up, get approved by The mGive Foundation, create your campaign with keyword and shared short code, track all activity in real time, create schedule and send text message to supporters, collect critical donor data and integrate with your in house database of choice. Additionally, we have state of the art online tools that allow you to build social networking programs that allow for donations to be collected via cell phone bill and to get the word out about your organization through viral web based campaigns. We were the first company to offer mobile giving solutions in the USA and are widely acknowledged as the leader in the mobile giving channel.

Why is the check I receive from The mGive Foundation?

The mGive Foundation (TMF) is a separate 501c3 responsible for certifying nonprofits wishing to participate in a mobile donation program, managing the wireless industry’s Mobile Giving Standards and Best Practices and insuring compliance with Federal and State Regulations.

How many text message donations can be made at one time? Is it possible for thousands to come in within a short timeframe without overwhelming the system?

The mGive system can handle large volumes of donation traffic but it is always best to notify your Account Manager if you are anticipating a lot of traffic. If thousands of keywords will come in within a short timeframe, we must open up the system to allow for quicker response times.

What type of customization do you offer for the mGive online widget?

Our customizable Flash donation widgets allow you to upload an image and call to action copy unique to your campaign. Every donation campaign has its own widget and each is customizable in these regards. Feel free to post these widgets on your website, blogs, Social Networks and anywhere else you can! See an Example

How are Mobile Giving accounts managed?

Every mGive Client works closely with an account manager who will help with the launch and management of every aspect of your mobile strategy. We'll assist you with anything you might need! We're here to show the way!

How long does it take to launch a mobile giving campaign?

The launch of your mobile giving campaign is determined by three factors: 1) Completion & submission of your mGive Foundation application and supporting documents through the mGive document upload center. 2) The vetting & approval of your organization by the TMF (Typically one business day provided all information is complete) 3) campaign submission and approval from the carriers (Your mobile giving campaign will be live on all participating wireless carriers in 2 weeks or less of mGive Foundation approval) After being approved by the mGive Foundation to begin training and integration of the mGive system.

Mobile Marketing

Do you offer an iframe donation tool or a similar product where I can collect mobile donations through my website?: Yes with each mGive package we offer a variety of Flash based and iFrame widgets and tools to collect mobile donations and register users for mobile updates.
Do you have more information on success rates of text donation campaigns?: Of course! Our Case Studies provide that information and more! We're always working with our clients to improve their outreach efforts, increase their donations and foster their relationships with new donors. You can visit our Blog for the latest news on successful campaigns and links to Case Studies.
Can my organization create a personalized "Thank-You" message for our donors?: The first two messages any new mobile donor receives are highly regulated and this not customizable. However nonprofits have the ability to customize the "Notification Message" sent out to every donor 1-7 days after their donation is made. Our most successful clients utilize this message to drive donors to other opportunities of involvement both via mobile and online.
Can my company create separate mobile “subscription” lists?: Yes, but it would require an opt-in keyword separate from your donation keyword.
How can my organization acquire mobile numbers to which we can send text messages?: The great thing about mobile is that there is no spam. You cannot buy a list of mobile numbers to begin your database and that's a good thing. The best (and only) way to build your mobile database is by getting your mobile campaigns created and promoted... EVERYWHERE! The mobile phone users who then interact with you have taken the steps necessary to ask (and then confirm) that you send them information on their most personal of communication devices, thereby creating what many of our clients find to be the strongest affinity database they have.
Can my organization use a short code for purposes other than collecting donations, such as sending content out to subscribers? Is there an additional cost to do this?: The short codes currently approved and operating within the Mobile Giving channel are only provisioned for two types of campaigns: 1) Standard Rate (Free) SMS subscriptions 2) Premium ($5 & $10) Mobile Donations. Other types of sms campaigns (polls, sweepstakes, trivia, content delivery, etc) are not allowed on these shortcodes.
Who is your target audience for collecting mobile donations?: Mobile Giving is about new donors! People who might otherwise never engage with your organization now have the opportunity not only to interact with you but also give to your organization. Mobile Giving allows you to reach a larger, more diverse audience and offer them the opportunity to act quickly, easily and on their terms. Typically, commercial mobile participation rates are highest among younger, urban & minority populations (though that curve is flattening). We see similar demographics within the Mobile Giving Channel and one would be hard pressed to find a more underrepresented crowd in your donor pool than the typical mobile participant. mGive is the perfect way to reach this new,untouched audience!

Nonprofit Approvals

Are mGive services extended to nonprofit 501c(10) organizations?: At this time only 501C3 organizations have been cleared to use the mobile giving channel. Stay tuned for updates in the near future.
Do you have information about mobile fundraising for nonprofits that are not 501c(3) status?: At this time only 501C3 organization have been cleared to use the mobile giving channel. We do offer mobile services to nonprofit organizations outside of donations. Contact Us for more information.
My organization does not meet the The mGive Foundation's annual revenue requirement, are there any exceptions for smaller nonprofits?: Not at this time. The mGive Foundation and the wireless carriers established these benchmarks to get the giving channel started in the US. You can always contact the TMF to inquire about exceptions.
Why does the The mGive Foundation (TMF) need so many documents along with their application?: The mGive Foundation is a separate 501C3 that governs the mobile Giving channel. They manage the mobile giving standards and best practices for participating wireless carriers. TMF is responsible for vetting each 501C3 that wishes to participate in mobile giving. This protects all parties involved in the channel and assures donors and wireless carriers that the participating charities are all in good standing. You can now upload all the required documents right from mGive.com!
Why is the check I receive from The mGive Foundation?: The mGive Foundation (TMF) is a separate 501c3 responsible for certifying nonprofits wishing to participate in a mobile donation program, managing the wireless industry’s Mobile Giving Standards and Best Practices and insuring compliance with Federal and State Regulations.
My company is awaiting 501C3 approval by the IRS. Is there anything can we do to accept mobile donations in the mean time?: You must be a 501C3 in good standing for at least one year to collect mobile donations. That said, there are ways to use the mobile channel to start building an opt-in list of mobile supporters via standard rate (non-donation) mobile campaigns. Build your mobile list as you build your email list. It’s a great way to get time-sensitive messages to your supporters in an easy and non-intrusive way. mGive provides web widgets that allow you to collect mobile numbers and opt-in users for future contact.

Other