Frequently Asked Questions

Ofcom sum up the answer to this question very well.

A mobile application (or app) is a computer programme which runs on a mobile handset.Mobile ‘apps’ have existed for as long as there have been smartphones, but the complexity of applications has been limited by the handset’s memory and processing power. In the last five years many handsets have had the ability to run simple mobile applications, but until recently ‘apps’ have not had a great impact on the mobile phone industry.

‘Apps’ exist across many genres, including games, entertainment, utilities, education, travel and lifestyle. Furthermore, they vary in the degree to which they rely on the capabilities of the handset they run on and the network they are connected to. For example, many games can run independently of data connectivity, while other utilities and travel applications can either take advantage of GPS built into handsets, or use location-based information provided by the mobile network operator.

Examples of applications from Apple’s All-Time Top Free Apps include: Facebook – an application which accesses the popular social networking site; Urbanspoon – a travel application which recommends restaurants in your local area; Shazam – a music application which identifies songs using the phone’s microphone; and Remote – an entertainment utility which can control the iTunes media player on a remote computer from an iPhone or iPod Touch. Ofcom Communications Marketing Report, 2009

We are currently looking for charities interested in taking part in our pilot run. If you are interested then register your interest by using the link found at the top right hand side of the page.

We have seen a significant shift in the way people access information. Internet and mobile usage are on the rise mainly down the increasing internet speeds and popularity of smart phones.

Analyst predict Mobile application sales to reach '$17.5bn by 2012'. Apple are innovators in this area however all of the other top mobile phone companies now offer similar services.

Soon all organisations will have presence in the mobile applications market. Charities will find it difficult to adopt these technologies because they are expensive.

As well as developing mobile phone application's iGiveADamn is also researching emerging technologies such as games consoles and Internet enabled TV's as potential streams to reach your supporters, old and new.

iGiveADamn is a Service not a Product. This means our customers will always be able to take advantage of the latest technologies.

“Giving people the power to share and make the world more connected.” Facebook is an online social network. Everyday millions of people use Facebook to keep in touch with friends whether they are in your office or on the other side of the world. It provides facilities to share stories, photos, links and videos. (Facebook, 2010)

Facebook is free and has many benefits! Building up a network of Facebook supporters is a useful way to communicate to potential funders or investors the efforts your charity is making, and to show how much support have.

Once a supporter has become a fan of your charities page they will receive all your updates instantly no matter where they are in the world.

Facebook can be used to boost your general online presence but it can also be really effective to promote your latest campaigns. You may share event information, photos, and stories to all of your fans.

Fans can engage back by leaving comments on your page. Supporters have the ability to share your stories with their friends which will help draw in new support.

Facebook is viral!

Facebook is the largest online social network in the world with more than 350 million active users in more that 180 countries. Among these, 65 million user access Facebook using their mobile phones.

The applications we produce have a number of different sharing options built into them including; email to a friends, text to a friend, post on Facebook and post on Twitter.

This potentially means your supporters could post your story to Facebook whilst travelling on a bus. With one simple click they have shared the story to their 100’s of friends.

Further Information

• Facebook Statistics

Facebook is free and relatively easy to set up. The two main stages involved in setting up a charity page are creating a personal Facebook account and creating a Facebook Page that represents your charity.

To clarify: The Facebook Page will be used to represent your charity and the Facebook Account will belong to the you (the person setting it up).

“Twitter is a real-time information network powered by people all around the world that lets you share and discover what’s happening now. Twitter asks “what’s happening” and makes the answer spread across the globe to millions, immediately.” (Twitter.com, 2010)

Twitter is a simple tool that helps connect people together whether you are using it as an individual, business or Charity! It is a great way for charities to stay connected with their supporters, and share information quickly with the people who care.

Twitter is free and has many benefits! Building up a network of Twitter supporters is a useful way to communicate to potential funders or investors the efforts your charity is making and to show how much support you have.

Tweeters (people who uses Twitter) can follow your charity and receive any updates you make.

Twitter can be used to boost your general online presence but it can also be really effective to promote your latest campaigns. You have 140 characters to make a clear and concise massage for your followers to see. You may also include links to external websites.

As well as having the ability to send messages to followers, followers can in turn engage back by leaving you comments. Followers have the ability to share your messages with their followers which can spread your news virally.

Twitter is viral!

Twitter is currently one of the largest online social tools of moment. It has differentiated itself from other social networks like Facebook and Bebo with it’s Micro blogging system. We’ve seen the number of Twitter users increase dramatically over the last two years.

The applications we produce have a number of different sharing options built into them including; email to a friends, text to a friend, post on Facebook and post on Twitter. This potentially means your supporters could post your story to Twitter whilst travelling on a bus. With one simple click they have shared the story to 100’s of their followers.

Further Information

• Twitter 101

Twitter have made it really simple to create an account. Log on to http://twitter.com/ and click on the Sign up now link.

On the Sign up page you will see the following:

• Full name
• Username
• Password

Email Enter your full name as normal. When you create a username you will want to choose a name that is as close to the name of your charity as possible.

People will be able to find your charity by typing http://twitter.com/username

When you have entered these details proceed. Twitter will now try to help you find people who you might know. Enter your email address and password and Twitter will do this automatically. Don’t worry, Twitter can be trusted.

For more help download our Twitter Guide.

PayPal is recognised around the globe for being a safe and simple way to send and receive money online.

PayPal is a common payment option for websites such as eBay. Consumers can enjoy a seamless transaction by paying for their goods with money held in their PayPal account balance. Alternatively they can use another payment method such as a credit card, debit card or bank debit. PayPal remembers these details so that shoppers can enjoy quick and easy transactions for all future purchases.

It is free to sign up to! There are no costs involved in making payments however there is a small charge when withdrawing funds from an account. These rates are competitive and are similar to trusted payment vendors.

As a charity you may register as a non-profit organisation which will mean getting a reduced rate. To qualify you should be registered with either UK Charity Commission or Office of Scottish Charity Regulator.

For more information about PayPal please visit the following links.

• More information on PayPal
• PayPal for charities
• User Agreement for PayPal Services

Making a donation should be an easy and painless process for your supporters. The easier it is the more likely they are to donate again. It is a fact that the more information and steps a user has to go through to make a payment then the less likely they are going to make it to the end of the transaction. Many eCommerce websites have this problem and it is the main reason why sites like eBay use the PayPal system.

We have recognised that PayPal is a leading innovator in online payments. PayPal strives to be the number 1 online payment system. To do this they must assure their service works on the most popular and current technologies. We trust that their payment system will work on all of our products and services.

The applications we produce all have the PayPal donation feature built-in and it will tie directly to your Paypal Account. This means all your donations will go directly to you.

Your supporters might be touched by a particular news post prompting them to donate. They could be reading your post on the bus or at their work during lunch. They could be lounging at home or bathing on a beach in the Bahamas. Where ever they are they can donate with a few simple clicks.

iGiveADamn track the your posts and gather statistics about the what kind of information prompts your supporters to donate.

The sign up process is slightly different for charities. You must first sign up for a PayPal Business Account and select the ‘Non-Profit, Political & Religion’ category.

Then you have to email PayPal to ask to apply for the low charity rate. In your email you should provide the following information:

• Charity Name
• Registered postal address
• Charity Commission or OSCR number
• Mission Statement
• Email address registered with your PayPal account

PayPal will then review your application and do the necessary checks and then notify you of the outcome.

If you are confident about setting up your PayPal Account then go ahead. It is relatively straight forward. If you are unsure and would like a full walk through then continue reading on.

Note: Remember to set your account up as a PayPal Business Account

For more information about signing up to PayPal please visit the following links.

• PayPal for Uk Charities
• Charity Sign Up
• PayPal Basics