Tap to Donate: How Nonprofits Can Make Giving Mobile-Friendly

In July 1985, the iconic Live Aid concerts raised more than $140 million for the famine in Ethiopia. That event inspired decades of benefit concerts and showed how live gatherings can drive worldwide giving. Today, the biggest music festivals in the U.S. attract massive crowds every summer, presenting an opportunity for nonprofits to fundraise.

For organizations that rely on donor generosity to meet financial needs, the key is to make giving as easy as possible. One way to do this is by making donating more mobile-friendly. After all, an estimated 4 in 5 people globally own a mobile phone, and giving via those phones is the preferred method for younger generations.

Uniqode identified ways nonprofits and their supporters use mobile technologies, which can advance charitable fundraising during the summer festival season.

Nonprofits can use mobile technologies to streamline charitable giving. Major institutions such as the Red Cross use text-to-give campaigns, in which individuals message a specific (often short and easy-to-remember) number and receive a link to a mobile-optimized donation form in return.

QR Codes, which allow potential donors to scan a code to give, are also rising in popularity thanks to the success seen by groups such as Macmillan Cancer Support and Purina. In 2020, when many were keeping their distance because of the pandemic, Macmillan raised 1.4 million British pounds (about $1.79 million) in giving, or about 17% of the organization’s 2020 donations, using contactless technology such as QR Codes and NFC technologies.

The QR Code’s adaptability, which allows it to be printed on physical goods, mounted on billboards, or given on postcard-sized sheets of paper, makes it easy to integrate into any existing donation campaign. For example, Purina placed a small QR Code on its bags of cat food. For each person who scans the code, Purina will donate $1.00 to feed shelter pets.

Social media has become another powerful channel for fundraising. Facebook and Instagram let registered nonprofits in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia add donation buttons, stickers, and fundraisers directly to their profiles.

With so much competition for attention, smaller organizations may struggle to stand out. But those who post consistently, use trending hashtags, or partner with influencers can still achieve success. In 2022, influencer JT Laybourne partnered with the American Heart Association on a livestream campaign that raised $750,000 using a donate button.

But, the most effective way nonprofits can increase their overall contributions through mobile technologies is by allowing people to donate through mobile payment options such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Venmo. More than two billion people worldwide use digital payment options regularly, and many younger generations are forgoing credit and debit cards entirely in favor of these apps.

Still, mobile giving isn’t a silver bullet. One study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology in March 2024 found that smartphone users are more likely to be self-focused when using their devices. They may be more engaged with their own wants, needs, and interests than they are with those of others and are, therefore, less likely to give.

That’s why the best nonprofits take a hybrid approach. Mobile-friendly giving helps capture the attention of millennials and Gen Z, but traditional methods continue to resonate with Gen X and baby boomers. The most successful fundraising strategies will combine both, making it easy to give anytime, anywhere, without leaving anyone behind.

Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn. Photo selection by Ania Antecka.