Coffee and a contribution

Another interesting development in the wake of the storm was the Red Cross partnership with Itunes and Starbucks – two other places many of us are highly likely to be when we’re not buried in the world of our phones and TVs. 

These efforts went a step beyond the ability of text-to-give campaigns, because they offered and encouraged donations greater than $10. 

As a strategy, this has far more long-term potential for organizations outside the humanitarian and crisis-response field. It could even work for a locally-based organization that develops a partnership with a respected and popular regional venue.

And of course, the participating companies benefit big-time too with lots of positive social cred.

It’s too early to know how this works on the back end... how robust the information is that's shared back with the Red Cross... or whether there are restrictions on future communications with these donors... but it’s interesting to think about how a technique like this could provide non-crisis fundraisers a boost in sustainable donor acquisition and participation.