Today’s nonprofits are agile — a necessity when budgets are lean, government grants can disappear in a flash and fundraising is as critical as the programs you deliver. But recently, successful nonprofits aren’t just agile, they’re mobile — as in using the mobile web to deliver messages and market themselves.

For good reason.

Organizations that stay ahead of the curve recognize smartphones, like iPhones and Androids, and tablets like the iPad are quickly chewing into the time that used to be spent on desktop and laptop computers. Smartphones already outsell desktop computers on a unit-by-unit basis and research shows mobile will be our preferred way of accessing the web by 2014. Each one of Canada’s estimated 11 million smartphones users represents a potential donor, volunteer or future employee.

A new way to reach audiences

But it’s not just the growing mobile web audience convincing organizations to focus on the platform. A key feature of mobile is that it allows nonprofits to market themselves and communicate messages differently by taking advantage of mobile device technology.

Many see mobile and the opportunities it represents as the next tech game-changer. Indeed, Google recently invested heavily into mobile and created a separate search index for mobile sites. Company CEO Eric Schmidt has said all of Google’s 2012 strategic objectives are focused on mobile. They are have also invested heavily in the Android platform that is currently the number one mobile operating system in the world. CEOs like Schmidt see the wildfire growth of the mobile user market but also the technology and applications, or apps, packed into each device, which can connect organizations with audiences, tell stories and get people to take action.

Your one communications device

While early cell phones may have been the size of a toaster, today’s smartphones are a fraction of the size and are a complete communications platform. They can be used to send text messages and emails, surf the web, interact with social media, take photos or videos, or find your way around a neighbourhood. They can also make phone calls.

Our newfound reliance on smartphones is evident in recent studies looking at the habits of mobile device users. Measurement firm comScore‘s March 2012 Canada Digital Future in Focus report found 45% of all Canadian cellphone users have a smartphone, up from 33% a year ago. The highest rate is in British Columbia, at 51%.

Every day those users access news, social media platforms, weather, search engines and more from their phones. Smartphone users access information via QR codes once a week, compared to once a month through their computers. While Canadians still use their computers more than their mobile devices to make online purchases, the difference between the two platforms is shrinking.

Finally, who do you think is most active group using mobile socialization? It’s not teenagers. Women aged 35-54 are the most active, reports Microsoft, which sells its own mobile phone and operating system. The same study reported that smartphone users spend 2.7 hours per day on their mobile device socializing and viewing data.

Mobile campaigns make millions

Some nonprofits have quickly seized the opportunities presented and been successful. Perhaps the most notable is the American Red Cross, which raised $41 million following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. The campaign used various techniques but the most lucrative was through text-to-give, which alone raised $32 million. People made donations via text messaging, with the charge appearing on their monthly statement from their mobile carrier. The same type of campaign was also deployed after the Japanese earthquake and tsunami with great success.

Smaller nonprofits have also had success using test-to-give but the secret is having a reason for the public to participate. A natural disaster is an easy sell, but an organization trying to raise money for a homeless shelter may need to come up with a more compelling marketing campaign. If you have to sell the public on your cause, you should use every communication channel at your disposal and tell your story through multimedia, such as videos and photos. Smartphones and tablets are excellent for displaying multimedia.

Some successful examples include the 2010 Astral Media National Day of Caring for Kids that raised more than $21,000 in one day through text donations and the Ottawa Mission‘s Text a Meal campaign that raised $7,000 over a four-month period.

Astral Media promoted its campaign through the 50 radio stations it owns while the Ottawa Mission, a 230-bed shelter, used ad space on buses, radio and television advertising and social media channels to promote its cause and provide the text-to-give information.

Currently, the National Ballet of Canada and Breakfast Clubs of Canada have fundraising campaigns underway using text-to-give and are also soliciting donations through their websites.

A definite no-no in any mobile marketing campaign is driving your audience to your PC-centric webpage. Websites designed for desktop screens are much less accessible on a mobile device. A mobile site must be easy to navigate using touch so visitors can get the information and features they need quickly. On a smartphone the text and images are tiny and users must scroll and zoom in and out in order to read your important messages. Mobile audiences are fickle and likely to disregard your site if they can’t read it.

Scalable solutions for nonprofits

So how can nonprofits join the mobile web when they’re operating on a limited budget? There are a number of scalable solutions to fit most budgets. But more importantly, mobile web marketing can provide a worthwhile return on your investment, as long as your tactics are sound.

The emergence of the mobile web comes at an important time. Fewer people carry around cash, instead opting for plastic — credit and debit cards. That makes it difficult for campaigns such as the Salvation Army‘s Christmas kettle drive to meet future fund-raising targets. That’s one of the reasons the Salvation Army is now running its own mobile web donation campaign.

Mobile web dos and don’ts

  • Visually advertise QR codes or easy to remember web addresses that take people to a mobile-optimized payment gateway or website.
  • Twitter and Facebook can connect with donors and volunteers — more people now use their mobile devices to interact with social media. Just make sure the links your organization posts are mobile optimized.
  • Your website must work the first time mobile users access it to avoid bad user experiences. It’s unlikely mobile donors will try again if they don’t make the connection the first time.
  • When designing a mobile site, identify aspects of the site that are critical to your organization’s brand and message. Be ruthless and only choose what is absolutely necessary. Those elements can be identified through analytics.
  • If designing a mobile site is beyond your expertise, hire an outside agency that specializes in mobile to determine which elements are most important. The rest of the site can be viewed on the desktop version.
  • Get moving now on mobile because it’s not a matter of if, but when. In tight economic times, every dollar counts and if you can’t connect with your audience, those losses will only be compounded.

JP Holecka is the creative director of POWERSHiFTER, a Vancouver digital marketing agency, that serves a diverse list of clients that includes the Vancouver Canucks and Telus.