Mobile Giving Apps: A Guide for Beginners

If you are new to the idea of mobile giving apps, you are probably wondering what this new technology is all about. Mobile giving is very new, so even very tech-savvy individuals will have questions. Let’s take a look at how mobile giving apps work, and how they can benefit both donors and organizations alike.

What Are Mobile Giving Apps?

Mobile giving apps are smartphone applications that make it possible to give donations right from your phone. Depending on the app, you can send money to various organizations. Using the Givelify app, for example, you can make donations directly to any church or nonprofit organization in the United States.

Giving has never been easier.

How Do They Work?

After you have downloaded the app to your smartphone device, you can start giving. All you have to do is add your bank account information, select the organization or cause to which you’d like to donate, and then confirm your donation.

On Givelify, the process is more simple than ever, and users can give in as few as three taps. If the church or nonprofit has entered their banking information into the system, the donation will appear in their bank account by the next business day.

Are They Different From Text-To-Give and Mobile Web Forms?

Text-to-give campaigns and mobile websites are two other mobile giving options, but they differ greatly from mobile giving apps. With text-to-give, the donor has to remember a lot of information — including a shortcode and number — in order to make a donation. Plus, those gifts are limited to certain pre-set dollar amounts. Mobile giving apps, on the other hand, allow the donor to give any amount, and nothing needs to be memorized.

Optimized mobile websites are important, but when it comes to making donations, they are not the most user-friendly option available. In fact, 88% of smartphone users prefer native mobile apps to mobile websites.

Why is this? According to a study by Keynote Systems, smartphone users reported having the following issues with using the mobile web on their devices:

66% said web pages were slow to load

46% had trouble interacting with web pages

44% said site navigation was difficult

42% found web pages difficult to read on their device

Clearly, mobile websites give users a lot of unnecessary headaches. Since smartphone owners spend 86% of their time in apps, they are more likely to use a mobile giving app than attempt to make a donation on the mobile web.

See For Yourself

Ready to get a firsthand glimpse of how mobile giving apps operate? Download Givelify from the App Store or Google Play to get started.