Chile Earthquake Relief Seeks to Repeat Haiti Mobile Fundraising Success


Chile EarthquakeAfter January’s devastating earthquake in Haiti, text donations costing anywhere from $5 to $10 per message raised over $41 million dollars for the cause. This weekend’s 8.8 earthquake in Chile may have caused less destruction in comparison to the Haitian quake, but hundreds of lives were lost, neighborhoods were destroyed, and help is needed.

With the success of the mobile donation campaigns for Haiti, Chile fundraisers are turning to mobile marketing and asking once again for the support of the world via SMS. Within hours of the Magnitude 8.8 earthquake in Chile, Mobile Accord’s mGive division was asked by several of its nonprofit clients to launch text donation campaigns to aid the victims of the earthquake.

Again, the Mobile Giving Foundation has stepped in to organize ways to donate to various reputable foundations to help Chile’s people. And, hoping to repeat the success of the last fundraising campaign, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless are providing free text messages in support of the effort.

“We’re facing an emergency unlike anything else in Chile’s history,” said Chilean President Michele Bachelet to The Christian Science Monitor on Sunday, adding that Chile faces “a catastrophe of such unthinkable magnitude that it will require a giant effort to recover.” Mobile donations will help the country recover, but it isn’t clear if the success of Haiti’s mobile fundraising campaign can be repeated, especially so soon after the outpouring of support through the nation.

If you want to donate to Chile using your phone, here are some verified ways you can help:

• Text “CHILE” to 20222 to donate $10 on behalf of World Vision.
• Text “CHILE” to 52000 to donate $10 on behalf of the Salvation Army
• Text “SAVE” to 20222 to donate $10 on behalf of Save the Children Federation, Inc.
• Text “CHILE” to 85944 to donate $10 on behalf of International Medical Corp.
• Text “4CHILE” to 50555 to donate $10 on behalf of Convoy of Hope
• Text “CHILE” to 50555 to donate $10 on behalf of Friends of the World Program
• Text “REBUILD” to 50555 to donate $10 on behalf of Friends of the Operation USA