Fundraising with mobile apps – Twestival

The Twestival app for iPhone is a classic example of how mobile technology applied with a little (or in this case no) budget can become a great tool to extend your fundraising activities to new spaces and audiences. Led by Amanda Rose, Twestival was a series of events organised on one day all around the world under the umbrella of one idea: bringing together Twitter users offline for a good cause. In the most recent editions of Twestival, fundraising and organising activities the use of mobile devices have been a key development. Created by the team from Future Workshops, The Noble Union Twestival app became a great tool for promotion and management of many important elements of the Twestival movement.

• Location and attendance: app made it really easy to find a local event, its program and local organisers drastically raising a number of local volunteers.Real time updates: It’s Twitter feed section made real updates on current
• Real time updates: It’s Twitter feed section made real updates on current programmes of local Twestival events possible to view on the go.Networking tool: For those who were already at one of the events the app provided an easy opportunity to network, simply by integrating the contact management functionality „Bump“ into one of Twestival app’s options.Fundraising and transparency:
• Networking tool: For those who were already at one of the events the app provided an easy opportunity to network, simply by integrating the contact management functionality „Bump“ into one of Twestival app’s options.Fundraising and transparency:
• Fundraising and transparency: the fourth area of the app’s interface was dedicated to the sums collected in a particular city.

As a local organiser of Oxford Twestival I have seen the app born at the level of initial suggestion, through group collaboration of event organisers in Huddle, all the way to the final product and its promotion. Being a part of the creative process in applying technology to a fundraising activity was not only fun, but also a responsibility; we all had to find the crucial areas of the event (and the entire movement) to ensure that the final look of the app responded to the need of all potential donors (i.e. attendees) and volunteers. The Twestival app proved to be useful during organising stage and the event itself, so I personally think it was a great idea, and especially significant that it was, in the end, a donated work too. I am convinced that mobile apps provide great opportunities for the fundraising sector and despite the many challenges left yet on the way they do provide us with a field for endless creativity. So why not sit down with your team and draw a map of your new app? Why not reach out to the community and look for an individual or a company who could donate their time and expertise to make it a reality? Why not seize the opportunities provided by new technology?

(This was originally posted on the 9th of October 2011 over at Spring-Giving)