5 Ways Technology Is Changing Charity

5 Ways Technology Is Changing Charity

by Jacob Gilmore

Web access over the past two decades, let alone the last decade, has molded and advanced the lives of everyday people. It has now become a norm to be able to instantly search the Web anywhere, anytime. These can lead to numerous positive ramifications as well as some negative ones. On the bright side, these technological innovations have revolutionized the way charities function. 

One important way technology has changed charity is the wide availability and use of smartphones. For example, only eight percent of Americans owned a computer in 1984. Nowadays, that number has increased to seventy-five percent. Also, nine out of ten Americans possess a cell phone. Information is now vastly available on the Web, and charities are able to push this information to Web users. 

Technology also makes it easier for those who choose to give. One out of every ten Americans have donated to a charity through the use of text messaging. Two out of every ten have donated by clicking a single button. Another interesting tactic regarding giving electronically is that the giver feels the immediate gratification of being able to give. Before technology, individuals were only able to donate through mail. Mail didn't produce that sense of being a 'good samaritan' because it would take weeks before the check would even clear. Now this isn't to say that donating by mail doesn't produce positive feelings, but that technology allows the giver to be thanked simultaneously. People used to wait for the monthly, quarterly, or yearly newsletter to know their impact. Technology allows them to receive a "thank you" following their donation and even their name on a list of other contributors.

Another important attribute technology has had on charity is for disaster relief. As summarized earlier, technology allows information to be shared and dispensed quickly and simply. Hundreds if not thousands of lives have been saved and aided because charities have been able to use technology as a way to receive and allocate funds. In fact, the Red Cross has reported that its application for national disaster information and first aid has been downloaded 2.5 million times.

In the video below, I have provided an example of a charitable organization that has used the Web to further their mission. Charity Water is just one example of many that have used technology to not only help their cause, but to reach as many Web users as possible to make it easier for any individual to make a simple donation. Are there any other examples of an organization that have used technology to help promote their mission as a charity?

For more information on Charity Water, click here

Source: Yahoo Small Business Advisor