As mobile technologies become more accessible across the globe, nonprofits are finding them valuable for relief, advocacy and development activities, a new study says.
The report, "Wireless Technology for Social Change: Trends in NGO Mobile Use," was released by the United Nations Foundation and the Vodafone Group Foundation.
More than 3.5 billion mobile phones are being used around the world, says the report, which provides case studies from 11 groups that use mobile technology in the areas of public health, humanitarian assistance and environmental conservation.
The report also includes data from a recent survey by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research that show almost nine in 10 nonprofits employees around the world use mobile technologies on the job.
The most common uses of the technology are for voice calls and sending text messages, but some also take advantage of mapping, data analysis and inventory-management capabilities.
- Professional Area: Fundraising/giving
- Field of Interest: Poverty and social justice