Mobile Giving 101: The Application Process
After choosing an application provider, the first step to get started with mobile giving is to submit an application to the Mobile Giving Foundation.
There are two stages to the approval process:
- The MGF verifies that you are a qualified non-profit and eligible for mobile giving
- The MGF submits the application to each telecom carrier, who then individually approve the campaign on each of their networks.
It is very important to plan ahead because the approval process can take 6-8 weeks or more.
Mobile Giving Foundation Approval
In the first phase, the Mobile Giving Foundation confirms the applicant is a legitimate 501(c)3 non-profit organization and makes sure everything is in good standing. There are 6 mandatory qualifications and 5 preferred qualifications for the application process.
Some of the major requirements state that the organization
- must be a non-profit 501(c)3
- must show revenue of more than $500,000
- must be registered as a soliciting charity in all states that solicitation will occur
The full list of guidelines is available as a PDF on the MGF site. To request a copy of the application, you can email the Mobile Giving Foundation (support@mobilegiving.org) or work with your application provider who should have experience with this process.
This process takes approximately 4 weeks from the time the application is received.
Carrier Approval
After your organization is approved, the MGF submits your application to the mobile carriers. In general, the carriers do not perform additional due diligence on the organization as they defer to the MGF for this.
Each carrier has their own timeline for approvals, which can range from 2 weeks to 4 weeks or more. Most carriers approve campaigns weekly but the two exceptions are Sprint and Verizon. Sprint publishes schedule of particular dates that they approve campaigns and Verizon does not yet have a formal process in place.
Application providers have no control over the approval process or the timeline; all applications go through the exact same approval process.
Note that you can begin testing donations as soon as the first carrier approves your program. It is possible to launch your program early, but note that users whose carriers are not yet approved will not be able to give. For the best end-user experience and for the best results, it is highly recommended to wait until the entire approval process is complete.
