Givey

This is the very first in a series of posts we’re going to talk about the other services in our small, teeming broth of an industry.  It’s quite likely that these opinions won’t stand up to the harsh lens of time, but that’s no reason to keep quiet, is it?

My “donate on twitter” Google Alert is usually chockablock with Justin Bieber imposters running little scams, but this week it did turn up a launch press article by Givey.  Givey is a UK based endeavor allowing you to donate very easily to an organization of your choice on Twitter and SMS.

Their model seems very similar to that of Rainmaker App, a US based project wherein a donor establishes their credit card on file and thereafter giving is as simple as sending a Tweet with a certain format.  For example, you might store your payment credentials, and then be able to Tweet or SMS “$10 to @redcross #givey” or “$5 to #hunger @rainmakerapp” or something similar.

What’s good about this?

• Allowing the donor to specify the cause of their choice, via short code or tag, in an SMS is a big step forward.  Usually a nonprofit would need to purchase, and publicize, their own short code (or tag within a particular code, such as “HAITI to 20222″) which is expensive, cumbersome, and problematic – to say nothing of the difficulty of actually extracting timely funds from Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T.  If Dave Erasmus has managed to figure out something more efficient within the UK telecom industry than we have in the US, then I think he should replicate it in America as soon as possible.  I think the crux may be whether or not an organization like Givey is able to cheaply resell service in the US within a particular short code.
• A consistent interface to on-demand giving across multiple networks (SMS and Twitter) is new and cool.
• They seem up front about how the service works, how much it costs, and what their take is.
• If one click donations are to gain ubiquity, this is a small step in the right direction.

What’s not good about this?

• This may only appeal to donors who have the patience and foresight to set up their payment details before the urge to give strikes – a rare bird.  Rainmaker App may have also suffered from this.
• Will donors who create Givey accounts remember to actually use it?  Would a nonprofit ask the TV anchor to say “You can Givey to the British Red Cross” instead of “You can SMS $10 with 40444″?
• Matt Damon’s potential accent while he’s playing Dave Erasmus in 2017′s “The Social Network IV – The Giving”

From the videos, do you think “Donor Journey” is a better phrase than “Engagement Ladder?”  I would mash them up to be “Engagement Journey,” which loses the exclusive focus on donations and doesn’t leave you with an image of a donor standing on the very top rung and tipping the ladder over.

Also, seems like “Gift Aid” in the UK works to add value to the nonprofit’s funds rather than decrease the value of the donor’s tax bill?  It’s amazing how little I’ve heard or know about international giving thus far.