Gone are the days when charities relied solely on mail solicitations and gala dinners for their fundraising. In today’s digital age, they also have the option of crowdfunding, asking for support through hashtags, pulling a social media stunt that has the potential to go viral — or simply signing up to be part of a mobile application that encourages charity donations.
There are a multitude of mobile apps available in the Apple Store and Google Play catering to charities. Take, for example, Charity Tap, a simple gaming app that donates to the U.N. World Food Program the amount of rice grains a user successfully puts into a virtual bowl.
These platforms are no substitute for an organization’s traditional sources of funding. But for those interested in trying their hand at these mobile applications as an additional resource, here are six apps to get you started. The following are available in both the Apple Store and Google Play, have at least 500 downloads and at least one large nonprofit as a partner.