ILoop mobile has been getting into the world of mobile giving with two recent campaigns meant to raise money from donations via mobile.

On June 16, iLoop ran a mobile giving campaign at the Rising Star Awards Dinner hosted by the Direct Marketing Association to raise money for the Direct Marketing Education Foundation or DMEF. Just over a week later, iLoop rolled out its Special Olympics North California campaign for the summer games calling the audience to support the athletes.

"This is a channel that enables convenient, micro charitable donation," said Michael J. Becker, vice president of mobile strategy at iLoop Mobile, San Jose, CA. "It's a channel that opens up charities to an audience who doesn't normally donate and continue a conversation via mobile.

"And when that person wants to donate more, they can go online to the mobile Web site and use the credit card capability for larger values," he said.

Mobile giving is the practice of texting in to have a donation billed to a consumer's cell phone bill with 100 percent of the donation going directly to the chosen charity.

However, like anything in this world where there is no such thing as a free lunch, there are costs.

Mobile giving includes a nominal transaction fee along with the costs of running a marketing campaign that promotes the service.

Since the entire consumer donation goes to charity, the costs of transaction fees and campaign budgets must be paid for by the charity or the marketer.

During the Special Olympics campaign, iLoop used outdoor media with a call to action asking consumers to text the keyword SONC to the short code 20222 to donate $5.00 in support of the athletes.

The campaign also included another mobile component: a mobile Web site that not only included the call to action, but gave consumers the chance to donate a larger amount via the credit card capabilities.

ILoop also put its mobile call to action on the backs of T-shirts distributed at the games.

On a smaller scale, the DMEF gave a similar call to action at its Rising Star Awards Dinner where, ironically enough, Michael Becker was awarded the Rising Star Award.

The dinner guests were asked to text the keyword DMEF to the short code 20222 to donate $5.00 to the DMEF, an amount taken directly from their cell phone bill.

The Mobile Giving Foundation is the aggregator for charitable donations within the mobile space and brokers the relationship between carrier and charity for the flow of money.

The foundation works with the charity to set up, run and launch the mobile giving element and the mobile marketing campaign that is complementary to it.

"As wireless carriers and the mobile marketing industry get more comfortable, we'll see increased giving amounts and subscription giving -- which is really important from an alumni perspective for schools and universities," Mr. Becker said.

"The mobile phone is becoming more important than our social security numbers," he said. It is the one identifying worldwide number. As schools and charities are concerned, we move, we change email addresses and we turn off landlines, but our mobile number stays the same.

"So this is a way for brands, charities, non-profit organizations or anyone to not lose touch with their perspective audience. And the sky is the limits for that."