Text “BACKPACK” for Blessings in a Backpack and Help Put and End to Childhood Hunger

Blessings in a Backpack “Big Hearted People” 1000 Backpacks Click-a-Thon Empowers Supporters to Make Text to Give Donations for Hungry Kids.

Feature Client: Blessings in a Backpack
Endorsements: Sammy Hagar, Hillary Duff, Miley Cirus, David Kirsh and more

MobileCause is proud to provide text to donate services to Blessings in a Backpack—one of the greatest causes in America. Founded by Stan Curtis (below) Blessings in a Backpack provides elementary children who are on the federal Free and Reduced Price Meal Program with a backpack of food to take home for 38 weekends during the school year. Backpack food includes easy-to-prepare, ready-to-eat foods, like granola bars, juice boxes, mac & cheese, and oatmeal.

There are 20+ million children in this country who are at risk of hunger. The consequences of hunger are much more than a growling stomach. Poor nutrition can result in a weaker immune system, increased hospitalization, lower IQ, shorter attention spans, and lower academic achievement. Children are fed during the school week by federal government programs, but we want to make sure they’re getting nutritional meals over the weekend, too. Visit www.blessingsinabackpack.org to learn more.

Text BACKPACK to 85944 to make a $10 donation

Blessings in a Backpack currently feeds over 55,000 children in 318 schools in 37 U.S. states and Canada, Columbia and Haiti. They are feeding the future of America, one school at a time.

Blessings in a Backpack has many celebrity supporters including Sammy Hagar, Hillary Duff (right), Miley Cirus, David Kirsh and Dwight Howard. Sammy Hagar individually feeds 3000 children every year! Please watch these moving PSAs and remember to text to give “BACKPACK” to 85944 to make a donation. One more thing… if your not moved by these videos… check your pulse!

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Blessings in a Backpack Founder – Stan Curtis

 
 
Blessings in a Backpack Testimony – Liz Murry
 

 

Get Involved in Blessings in a Backpack — Hillary Duff
 

 

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Mobile Tools Impact Church Culture: Youth Ministry Implements Text Messaging Strategy

RPM: Revolutionary Passionate Ministry youth pastors effectively implement text messaging to help disciple and reach kids.

Featured Products: Mobile Messaging
Nonprofit Sector: Faith
Client: First Baptist Church Eustis, RPM—Revolutionary Passionate Ministry
Download Case Study PDF

GETTING THE WORD OUT Church leaders work tirelessly preparing messages, planning services and coordinating programs. Pastors are constantly using creative talents to empower members, engage visitors, disciple youth and reach the lost. What many Christians fail to realize is that the bible clearly teaches that the method of communication is often as important as the content of the message. In other words—if a message doesn’t reach the hearts and minds of people in a way they can hear and understand—it’s ineffective.

WOULD JESUS SEND TEXT MESSAGES? God loves kids and Jesus was in the habit of going where people needed him the most and speaking to them in a way that related to their lives. It is undeniable that texting is the language of teens.  Pastors that desire to reach kids where they are must be texting. Did you know?— 95% of text messages are read and 80% of those are read in 15 minutes.

FLORIDA CHURCH REACHES YOUTH
RPM: Revolutionary Passionate Ministry—a youth movement of First Baptist Church Eustis—has creatively and strategically implemented mobile tools into their ministry this past year. Here’s what happened when pastors Daniel and JP decided to go mobile:

Weekly attendance before SMS=40-60 kids
After implementing SMS=70-90 kids

Event attendance before SMS=20 kids
After implementing SMS=60 kids

HOW DID THEY DO IT? RPM pastors, volunteers and kids promoted their Text2Broadcast keyword “RPM” and shortcode “27138” at youth and adult gatherings to build their mobile list. Pastor’s Daniel and JP began sending text messages of words of encouragement, bible verses, conversation starters, relevant links, special event alerts, and community service opportunities. They also built their list by having live mobile polls at events in which participants could opt in for future messages. RPM currently messages 150+ kids with SMS. RPM also has plans to use mobile donation tools to teach kids how to give.

UNEXPECTED BENEFITS FROM A PASTOR

Kids love responding to live mobile polls—They are great icebreakers too.

Receiving SMS responses from kids helps keep ministry fresh and relevant.

Parents love being connected to youth ministries via SMS.

It is comforting to have a 100% safe way to text message with kids.

Text messaging opens up healthy pastoral conversations with kids.

WHAT KIDS ARE SAYING

“We love it… we know exactly what is going on.”

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Teleton 24-Hour Fundraising Telethon Raises $245,000 in Text to Give Donations

Participation television Text to Give is big winner for Teleton—$245,000 in additional donations raised for Children’s Rehabilitation Centers in Latin America.

Featured Client: Teleton

Since 1997—on the first weekend of December—Teleton holds a worldwide PTV telethon on Una Vision for rehabilitation centers for disabled children across Latin America. Teleton’s mission is “To provide knowledge about physical disabilities, giving a strong message about respect, equality and support to people in these conditions.” Each year the fundraising goal is to raise the previous years total plus one Mexican Peso. The 2011 slogan was “Let’s Walk Together.”

During this years PTV event many Latin American actors, musicians, athletes, politicians and celebrities promoted the fundraising campaign for disease treatment and physical therapy in children’s hospitals. During this emotional broadcast viewers learned how they could help kids with disabilities walk, talk, play, smile and reach their dreams.

To increase donation amounts in the United States—Teleton partnered with MobileCause to create a Text to Give fundraising opportunity where viewers could easily make up to three $10 text message donations by texting TELETON to 80888 – in which donations were charged directly to donors cell phone bills. Text to Give helped Teleton raise an additional $245,000 from American viewers during the 24-hour fundraising campaign.

In addition to the Television broadcast—the Text to Give opportunity was virally promoted across facebook, twitter, tumblr and other social networks by supporters. See example Tumblr post from Javiar Hernandez Balcazar—futbol forward for Manchester United and Mexican National teams.

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Focus on the Family John 3:16 Commercial Inspired by Tim Tebow—Text John316 to Donate

Text JOHN316 to make a donation to the Tim Tebow John 3:16 Focus on the Family Campaign

Featured Client: Focus on the Family

It is estimated that over 100 million people google searched the bible verse John 3:16 following the Focus on the Family commercial, which was inspired by Tim Tebow, during the Denver Broncos vs New England Patriots playoff game. Focus on the Family and Denver Broncos superstar quarterback Tim Tebow work together to share the life changing message of Jesus Christ’s love.

Interestingly the NFL does not allow Tebow to write John 3:16 on his eyeblack—this picture is from Tebow’s Florida Gators college days.

During the John 3:16 campaign Focus on the Family and Tim Tebow have partnered with MobileCause to help raise funds. Supporters can easily text JOHN316 to 85944 to make a $5 donation to the Focus on the Family John 3:16 campaign and help proclaim God’s word to the world. We are very excited to partner with this cause.

John 3:16 — “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

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Text Message Pledge Donations at Alumni Event for College Prep High School

Fountain Valley School of Colorado empowers alumni to make mobile donations at consecutive annual reunion weekends.

BACKGROUND FVS is dedicated to providing a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum in academics, athletics and the arts. Their community endeavors to foster a lifelong love of challenge and learning in an environment of diversity and mutual respect, and to prepare adolescents to become individuals who are open-minded, curious, courageous, self-reliant and compassionate.

ALUMNI WEEKEND With more than 4,500 alumni spread across the country and the world—FVS has vibrant alumni community and is dedicated to hosting gatherings, sharing alumni news, and promoting supportive and generous donations to the school.

Every Summer FVS hosts a alumni reunion weekend during which they fundraise for the school. For the last two years FVS has effectively empowered its alumni to make text message pledge donations to augment traditional fundraising methods. Here are the mobile pledging statistics from the past two years:

MOBILE PLEDGING STATISTICS
2009: 88 pledges for $12,836
2010: 60 pledges for $17,284

*Amounts raised from text message pledges are in addition to traditional fundraising methods. Fountain Valley School plans to use mobile pledging for their upcoming 2012 alumni weekend this June.

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