The vast majority of US adults, across all demographics, have a cell phone - making these devices a very useful way to provide information and communicate with your constituents. From mobile websites to texts to QR codes to FourSquare (and yes, mobile apps, too), mobile phone communications can be a big help in interacting with constituents and supporting your work. And it's easier and cheaper than you might think to take advantage of the potential mobile can offer. We'll explore a series of powerful mobile case studies and talk through the principles, software packages, and best practices that can help you replicate their success.

1. More Than Apps: Affordable Program
Delivery Through Mobile Phones
April 2012

2. More Than Apps: Affordable
Program Delivery Through
Mobile Phones
#12NTCmobileprograms
Laura Quinn,
Idealware

3. Evaluate This Session!
Each entry is a chance to win an NTEN engraved iPad!
or Online at www.nten.org/ntc/eval

4. Introductions…

6. A New, Mobile World

7. 87% of all American Adults Have a Cell Phone
Pew Internet, February 2012

8. They’re Not Just Using them to Make Calls
Pew Internet, May 2011

9. Providing Information

10. How Does Your Website Look on a Phone?
A mobile website is the core of
many mobile strategies.
If you’re going to engage
them on a phone, they
need to be able to find
you on their phone.
www.mobilephoneemulator.com

11. Creating A Mobile-Friendly Site
Make your current site mobile-friendly…
Or build one
particularly for mobiles

12. Or Create Your Own Simple App
Apps need to be downloaded in advance, but then are available
even offline.
Tools like AppMakr, Swep
Apps, MobBase will help you
create very simple apps for
$100-$200… but generally,
you’ll need a programmer

13. Use QR Codes to Make Paper Interactive
Let someone find out more about something they’re interested in
http://www.thebigwild.org/

14. Winona County Historical Society
A mobile website that
contains historical documents
allows people to create their
own guided walking tour.
This was created with open
source software, TapTours,
by non-technical staff
members.

15. Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch App
iPhone app version of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood
Watch App

16. Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
They’re more
likely to be
looking for quick
information
about you than
for in-depth
information
“Museum apprentices” created detailed Wikipedia articles, which
they then linked to exhibits using QR codes

17. How Could This Work for You?

18. Conversations with
Constituents

19. Sending Broadcast Texts
If you’ve collected cell phone numbers,
you can text them messages – very
similar to broadcast email
Rock the Vote

20. Ask People to Subscribe

21. Two-way Conversations
HELP
Can you
volunteer this
Sat from 1-4?
Type YES or
NO
YES
Great! We’ll see
you @ 13 Pier st.
You can setup automated responses, @ 1:00 pm.
Thanks!
with lots of branch points if desired

22. Provide Information from a Database
Blue Ocean Institute
You can connect texts to a database,
so people get automatic texts or
responses

23. Collecting Information
People can report
emergencies or incidents
via SMS, which are
collected in a database
Ushahidi

24. Lower Cost Options for Sending Texts
Very basic functionality for up
250 text messages for
$10/month. More complex
functionality available.
Up to 1000 texts/month
starting at $69

25. More Full Featured Options
Full featured platforms which support complex campaigns
Easy-to-use interface, with sophisticated
functionality (two way, targeted, giving
more). Supports mobile giving through
MGF. Plans start at about $400/month
Mobile texting capabilities via API, to allow
programmers to synchronize texts with
databases

26. HOWA Family Center
“We’d always
communicated with
students by email, but
they’d more or less HOWA’s mentoring service
stopped responding.” manager noticed that the
students responded quickly
to text messages, making
that a cheap and easy way
to reach them.

27. TXT4LIFE
Allows people toConnection
The Crisis complete
small tasks, like locating
provides a suicide
something on a map,
prevention hotline
taggingviaphoto, or
a text message.
translating text via an
iPhone app. Nonprofits can
They get 30 times as
sign up.
many texts as they
did phone calls.

28. Rate Your Ride
The Central Maryland
Transportation
Alliance piloted a
program to let high
school students and
commuters rate the
quality of their bus
service.
The program cost about $135K all together.

29. Rate Your Ride
Passengers could either
answer a survey via
mobile text or via a mobile
website.
95% of respondents who
said they were students
answered by text, but only
50% of people going to
work.

30. Rate Your Ride
In response, the MTA
improved two bus lines
and took over ownership
of the service

31. How Could This Work for You?

32. Supporting Staff in the Field

33. Allow Staff to View Data in the Field

34. Allow Them to Enter Data
Especially if you have staff
who work mostly in the field, it
can save huge amounts of
time to enter data remotely.

35. Collect Data From Constituents
iPads or other
tablets can be
compelling for
surveys or
quick data
collection…
especially to
constituents
who want to
play with them.

36. Use Mobile Devices to Provide Programs
Can you let
constituents
use them to
learn, interact,
or otherwise
further your
mission?

37. Rolling Out Smart Phones to The Organization
Headway Emotional Health
Services provided 50 case
managers with smart phones
to help them view and enter
data from the field.

38. Rolling Out Smart Phones to The Organization
They paid $5000 upfront for the
I can schedule phones and $1200/ month for data
meetings and plans (their system supported
appointments just mobile access already)
from looking at my
phone. If I want to get They’re not tracking results
something for my directly, but it’s reduced
client, I can do that all scheduling conflicts and staff feel
from my phone, too.” they’re more productive.

39. iPads for Special Education
The Reach School, a pre-school
for kids on the autism spectrum,
bought iPads, durable cases, and
special education apps for each
of their seven classrooms, for a
total investment of about $7000.
Teachers use them to show
videos, provide individual kids
with learning games, and as a
special treat.

40. How Could This Work for You?

41. What’s Most Compelling To You?