Charities mobilise community for app support with crowd-funding; Vodafone to match donations as App Aid 2013 enters crowd-funding phase

Charities part of App Aid 2013 are seeing who can shake their digital tin loudest, appealing to the Australian public via crowd-funding platform Pozible to bring their prototype mobile apps to market. Vodafone Foundation has committed to match all pledges, up to $10,000, for each of the five charities.

The public has until 5pm EDST 5 December 2013 to make a pledge to their chosen charity. Further information is available here.

Says Alyssa Jones, head of Vodafone Foundation: “Excitement is high with our teams having built prototypes of the apps they believe will best help the communities they serve. Vodafone Foundation has provided seed funding to get these games, educational and fundraising apps off the ground and so now we need the public to get behind the charities so they can bring the apps to life.

“Vodafone Foundation is proud to be able to bring charities, developers and mentors in the mobile and technology industry together to create solutions that will benefit the community.”

The five charities, developers and concepts are:

• Beyond Blue and developer Two Bulls – A “Check-in app” that guides people through how to ask, listen and help if they suspect a friend is going through a difficult time
• McGrath Foundation and developer Garoo Games – A cricket game app where a cash amount is attributed to every run scored. The aim is to reach $370,000 worth of runs – raising awareness of the fact it costs this much to fund a McGrath breast cancer nurse. Players will also be encouraged to donate via the app
• Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and developer Wave Digital – A “Stepathon app” keeps kids engaged with the initiative of the same name. It will also provide health information to kids and their families
• Starlight Children’s Foundation Australia and developer Leaf Cutter – the “Happy Space” app facilitates children’s wish fulfilment by matching them with potential donors. Kids submit their wish and the public can be inspired to help by directly donating an item or experience
• Taronga Foundation and developer Crazy Dog Apps – this app’s aim is to build a community of like-minded people by allowing anyone living or travelling through South East Asia to directly and discreetly report the illegal trade of animals. You can take a photo of an animal in danger and use the GPS to mark the location, which will be investigated by local partners and authorities

Each team has created a short pitch video that has been uploaded to Pozible to garner public support. In addition to matching up to $10,000 worth of pledges for each of the five charities, Vodafone Foundation will donate an additional $10,000 to the charity with the highest number of individual backers at the end of the crowd-funding campaign. That charity will also be deemed winner of App Aid 2013.

Says Rick Chen, co-founder of Pozible: “Technology removes geographic boundaries to bring together people connected by a cause. Crowd-funding allows you to reach and mobilise that community, and very quickly you can have a movement.”