While it might seem to be a fast way to send financial help to the hurting people of Haiti, according to a story in the New York Times, folks who text-to-donate might be surprised at how long it takes for their contribution to work its way through the system:
It can take up to three months for money donated via text message to make its way to a charity. The wireless carriers need to make sure that customers pay their bills and don’t back out of their commitments, and then the transactions are processed by an intermediary.
I’m not suggesting you shouldn’t donate via your phone – it surely is an easy and painless way to send a gift. Just be realistic about the time it might take for your $10 to actually help the relief efforts. And the good news here is that the phone carriers are working hard to make the process faster…kudos to them for doing so!
And if you want to contribute to directly to trusted organizations which are already providing needed assistance to the people of Haiti, here’s a list to start with:
