Tactics

The fact that mobile phones have made rapid communication easier and cheaper means that large numbers of people can now connect to organise and coordinate their efforts; the work of non-profit organisations is now simpler for the same reasons. Mobile phones are particularly useful because individuals can spread information by forwarding messages from one phone to another. After natural disasters mobile phones have proved invaluable because they are often the only means of communication that still works.

People's media means ordinary individuals and groups using media technology to create and disseminate content; this can be anything from images from demonstrations to reports on human rights abuses. In advocacy work this means that individuals and organisations are able to collect and spread information and reports about things that matter to them.

Mobile phones are increasingly being used for facilitating financial transactions and for marketing and promotion work. They can also be invaluable for raising money from the communities you work with.

Finding and engaging audiences can be a big challenge for NGOs. Mobile phones can help by providing a new means of staying in contact with those audiences. For example through SMS updates on campaigns and activities which can be carried out using FrontlineSMS or a commercial service such as Clickatell or BulkSMS.