REDWOOD CITY, CA and LYNCHBURG, VA--(Marketwire - March 16, 2011) - United Way (www.unitedwaycv.org) announced today that it is implementing Obopay (http://www.obopay.com/) to power a new text-to-donate mobile donations solution and to enable online donations. The offering will be used for the United Way of Central Virginia chapter targeting contributors within Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford and Campbell counties and Bedford and Lynchburg cities in Virginia. The program is focused on helping the charity raise $250,000 in the month of March towards their annual $3.4 million goal.
Consumers will be able to make charitable donations quickly and conveniently from their mobile phones by texting the keyword UWCV to the shortcode 48510. Users are then directed to a mobile payment site where they can complete the simple process. They can also donate online at http://unitedwaycv.org/Give.php directly from the United Way of Central Virginia's website.
The new Obopay text-to-donate solution was selected by the United Way as it offers several advantages over other mobile donation solutions for both the organization and its members. Obopay allows the donor higher individual contributions -- up to hundreds of dollars -- and provides the organization with much faster access to the funds. Other text-to-donate offerings limited them to $5 and $10 amounts and have taken over 90 days to get funds to the cause. The Obopay solution also enables the United Way to track donations and develop on-going relationships with contributors, building its donor database.
"Crisis relief to Haiti put mobile donations on the map in America, but until recently, mobile donations had only been available for a handful of non-profits and executed through carrier billing solutions, which places low limits on the amounts that can be donated and can sometimes delay the receipt of funds," said Carol Realini, Founder and Executive Chairman of Obopay. "The Obopay text-to-donate offering addresses these issues and meaningfully expands the market and speed for making and accepting mobile donations. We are proud to be working with such a great organization as United Way."
Obopay's text-to-donate service provided United Way with a quick and easy set up that included rapid response capabilities that gets funds to them faster by eliminating the need for donors to receive and pay wireless bills before donations are collected. To provide an additional incentive to give, the regional United Way organization is holding a sweepstakes around the mobile donation program that gives donors the opportunity to win a 2011 Volkswagen Jetta or two tickets to a sold-out James Taylor concert plus $100 for the evening. More details on the sweepstakes are available at www.unitedwaycv.org.
"We're excited to offer our community such a unique way to donate," said Marie Martin, President and CEO of United Way Central Virginia. "There were no fees for us to set up the Obopay solution or to receive donations with the service. The solution instead asks donors to pay a small convenience fee, which means the money that is donated can be put towards our efforts. There is no question that people are looking for ways to use social media and their smart phones. This method is not only convenient but it matches the lifestyles of many of our contributors."
About United Way of Central Virginia
For 88 years, United Way of Central Virginia has served as our community's largest and most effective community solutions provider. We help you invest your dollars, your time and your best ideas in creating solutions to the issues our community cares about most. We do this by focusing on the building blocks of a good life -- education, income and health. We all win when a child succeeds in school, when families are financially stable and when people have good health. United Way creates opportunities for a better life for all throughout Region 2000 -- the counties of Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, and Campbell and the cities of Bedford and Lynchburg.
About Obopay
Founded in 2005, Obopay, Inc (www.obopay.com) offers partner branded mobile money technology and services that transform any mobile phone into a convenient and easy way to send and receive money, get paid or pay small businesses, top-up accounts, buy via mobile, and pay bills. Obopay's mobile money services address the needs of consumers and businesses around the world by providing a service that delivers value, empowers lives, and improves commerce for merchants. Obopay believes the power is in the ecosystem and has established partnerships that include Nokia, MasterCard, AT&T, Verizon, Essar, Union Bank of India, Yes Bank in India, and Societe Generale. The company's offering enables partner-branded mobile money services that financial services, mobile partners and merchants can implement quickly at low deployment cost. Obopay is headquartered in Redwood City, CA, with offices in Mumbai and Bangalore, India.
