Email Sign Up: Get the latest
deals on the hottest phones.
Please enter a valid email address in the format of xxx@xxx.xxx
January 14th, 2010
By Ari Driessen
Picking up the phone and making a call or clicking over to the website of your favorite relief organization is a common practice when offering your financial assistance after a devastating natural disaster. Well, in the wake of what is among the most worst natural disasters is living memory, the Red Cross has raised over $2 million by Wednesday night — via text message.
Wireless users subscribing to a major wireless carrier can simply pick up their phone and text “Haiti” to the number 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross’ relief fund. The donation will be charged directly to your cell phone bill.
The mobile fund raising service is being provided by a company called mGive. In a joint effort with the Red Cross and US State Department, mGive orchestrated the campaign late Tuesday evening, just hours after news reports began detailing the devastation caused by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake.
While mGive typically charges licensing fees and a transaction fee for each donation, the company has decided to wave all licensing and transaction fees associated with donations to the earthquake’s relief fund.
Grab your phone, bang out a quick text, and let us know how you like the process below.
Update:The mGive server is pretty obviously overloaded, and it may take a good while to receive a response and confirmation (note near hour response time on our own donation).
Shop Now for Phones from AT&T Wirelesss, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless.
View Cart 
January 14, 2010
You should receive a confirmation text (to confirm you want to donate) and then a thank you text. Wasn’t immediate…. it took several minutes for those to arrive for me.
January 14, 2010
are you supposed to receive a confirmation text??