Nonprofit organization Soldiers’ Angels is using a text-to-donate initiative to raise money for soldiers in the United States armed forces.

Nonprofit organization Soldiers' Angels is using a text-to-donate initiative to raise money for soldiers in the United States armed forces.
 
 
To participate, consumers can text the keyword SOLDIERS to the short code 20222 to donate $5. The donation is used to send care packages to soldiers stationed overseas, assist wounded soldiers and support veterans and their families.
 
"Text-based technology with donations keeps Soldiers' Angels strategically in line with cutting-edge social media components," said Shelle Michaels, national communications director at Soldiers' Angels, Pasadena, CA. "We have led the way across the nation in social media since inception of the organization.
 
"Soldiers' Angels is a viral-based community – that is where our roots are," she said. "The Text-to-Donate falls into our philosophy in giving our volunteers, sponsors, friends and donors multiple ways to support the troops with ease through Soldiers' Angels."
 
Soldiers' Angels is promoting the campaign through a variety of social media, including a Facebook fan page, Twitter, Linked In, text updates, blog posts, a newsletter and the Soldiers' Angels Web site.
 
The nonprofit has teamed up with other organizations for the text-to-donate initiative, including the Drumhike charity and Letters to Lyrics, a campaign that encourages people to send letters to soldiers – which Soldiers' Angels organized in conjunction with Dodge Ram and the Zac Brown Band.
 
"At concerts, people no longer light their Bic lighters, but flash their cell phones," Ms. Michaels said. "What a great way to have the 'Text SOLDIERS to 20222′ flashing into a concert."
 
Soldiers' Angels is also developing more ways to expose consumers to the call to action.
 
"We have a social media widget being built," Ms. Michaels said. "Our current widget – viewable at http://www.soldiersangels.org – showcases our social media, and this component will also be added.
 
"We also have Facebook applications being designed," she said. "We will continue to roll this [campaign] out in stages, as we have found this is a great way to keep everyone engaged in the process."
 
Soldiers' Angels are implementing other initiatives in the mobile space as well: the organization also offers an opt-in mobile alert service called the Soldiers' Angels Mobile Support Club.
 
"We allow our volunteers, sponsors, warriors etc to receive Soldiers' Angels updates via text," Ms. Michaels said. "[This includes] up to four monthly alerts and updates on events, projects, soldier stories, support needs and much more."
 
SMS donations are a popular way to raise money for charities. For example, mobile marketing company Mad Mobile launched a similar initiative to support oil spill relief efforts in the Gulf earlier this month (see story).
 
Soldiers' Angels does not have a hard-and-fast target established for the text-to-donate campaign – its main goal is to use the mobile initiative as a supplement to existing fundraising efforts.
 
"We don't have a target – as we will continue to utilize this option, rolling it into our general fund, Ms. Michaels said. "This just gives Americans an ease in donation."
 
The main objective is to provide the means to attract as many consumers as possible to donate.
 
"[This campaign targets] America as a whole," Ms. Michaels said. "[We want] to engage those who want to give [and] support the troops, but do not always have a lot of time or money to give – to engage those that have never given before."
 
 http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/non-profit-aids-troops-with-text-to-donate-campaign/

Soldiers' Angels Germany June Newsletter

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. The Most Precious Cargo Members of a Critical Care Air Transport Team tend to a critically wounded patient aboard a C-17 Globemaster III en route to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany from Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. A CCATT is a highly-specialized medical team made up of three members: a critical care physician and nurse, and a respiratory therapist, who operate an intensive care unit in an aircraft during flight. U.S. Air Force photo by 2nd Lt. Daniel Riley. The dedication of these men and women have pushed the survival rate of all wounded to above 98 percent. Other factors contribute to this high survival rate, including experienced field medics, the Self Aid and Buddy Care programs, forward-positioned surgical teams, and the amount of time it takes from moment of injury to successful evacuation to Landstuhl -- the first stop for most of the evacuated patients.  After the patients are loaded and secured, the massive C-17 taxis, cuts off all of its lights, hammers down the throttle and pulls away from Bagram over the mountains on its way to Germany with its precious cargo. These medevac flights arrive from Iraq and Afghanistan every day. It's always busy in the spring/summer, but this year even more so due to increased operations in Afghanistan.  Please join us in praying for the safety of our Soliders, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines. Read about a misson with this Critical Care Air Transport Team.   Stories of interest Wounded Warrior Story : Technically dead for 15 minutes after being wounded, Soldier returns to unit 5 months later.  You may have seen this one on the news. If not, story and video here. Story of Valor   Fourteen U.S. service members receive Germany's Gold Cross Medal for their bravery in extracting wounded German soldiers from a firefight in northeast Afghanistan. The Gold Cross is Germany's highest award for valor and this is the first time it has been bestowed on non-German troops.   A Family's Story of Service and Courage  Just read. Wounded Warrior Story : Meet Air Force Tech. Sgt. Israel Del Toro who suffered burns to over 80 percent of his body. In February, Del Toro became the first airman to re-enlist with a 100 percent combat medical disability. Duty, Honor Country Lt. Dan Berschinski, wounded August 2009 in the Arghandab River Valley of Afghanistan, at his recent homecoming celebration in Peachtree, GA on Memorial Day weekend.  MUST SEE video.  Bring a tissue. Most-needed items of the Month The updated list can be found at the Soldiers' Angels Germany blog here.  We are receiving a very high number of patients daily and are distributing a record amount of supplies. Thank you for your support! With warmest regards, Your Soldiers' Angels Team in Germany Soldiers' Angels is a volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization CFC #25131 To visit the main Soldiers' Angels website, click here.   As the official Soldiers' Angels organization in Germany, our mission is to support patients medevaced to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center from Iraq and Afghanistan. To visit the Soldiers' Angels Germany blog, click here. Other Information Information about Soldiers' Angels in Germany.  Click here. Information about medevac evacuations to Germany (with videos). Click here. Join us on Facebook. Click here. You are receiving this email because you opted in at our blog, Soldiers' Angels Germany. Our mailing address is: Soldiers' Angels Germany MTD, Attn: Soldiers' Angels CMR 402 APO, AE 09180 Copyright (C) 2010 Soldiers' Angels Germany All rights reserved. Forward this email to a friend Update your profile

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