We cannot do without mobile phones in our daily lives. We use them for practically everything nowadays! So why can’t we use them to donate small sums of say 2 to 10 euros to charity? Giving numerous mini-donations means donating numerous times to local charities to provide genuine and meaningful aid to all underprivileged people suffering from poverty, insecurity and exclusion.
We cannot do without mobile phones in our daily lives. We use them for practically everything nowadays! So why can’t we use them to donate small sums of say 2 to 10 euros to charity? Giving numerous mini-donations means donating numerous times to local charities to provide genuine and meaningful aid to all underprivileged people suffering from poverty, insecurity and exclusion. French Popular Relief is launching an original initiative with this first-time campaign to raise funds via SMS. Havas Paris designed the campaign and is committed to the cause. The campaign is a film available on 35’' digital devices and 20’’ TV sets backed by posters (printed and digital) and radio (1x20’’ and1x30’’) from May 12th. Free air time was negotiated by Adcity.
The campaign invites the public to send mini-donations of 2, 5 or 10 euros (Don2, Don5, Don10, etc.) by SMS to 92222. If 10 people send a Don5 SMS, then one child gets to go on holiday, if 200 SMS are sent, then the whole class can go! Backed by the “you can even take part in a fund raiser with your phone now”, slogan, the plan calls on people to take action via a simple gesture that can go a long way.
“Being where people are, ie on their smart phones, and making donating easy is the best way to counter indifference which is often simply laziness or lethargy" explains Christophe Coffre, Havas Paris Chief Creative Officer.
The film, directed by Julien Paolini (Production: Capisco) and overseen by Christophe Coffre, just shows a series of socially outcast people saying thank you one by one to people close to them who have their eyes glued to their phone screens. The advert ends with a loop of FPR volunteers also saying thank you as donors dial the number and send in donations.
“Although FPR’s work is widely recognized and appreciated by French people, most importantly too few know how much we need funding”, explains Julien Lauprêtre, Chairman of French Popular Relief. “Our volunteers have really innovated with the fund-raiser by SMS campaign. The original initiative allows everyone to help poor families send kids on holiday, aid young low earning workers and drive out misery, poverty and social exclusion.”
NB: since last December donations via SMS have been legal in France, which followed the lead of other countries including Canada and UK where it has become the primary source of charitable donations.
About the FPF (Secours populaire français): www.secourspopulaire.fr
The Secours populaire français, French Popular Relief, was founded in 1945 as a charity and is known as a major French charitable cause. The charity is licensed to receive donations and bequests. The FPR’s mission is to combat poverty and discrimination in France and worldwide, aiming to bring people of all opinions, origins, and walks of life together who wish to live in mutual solidarity.
