Sept. 3, 2010

FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- On Saturday, at the Cinch Jeans Rocky Mountain Showdown, Colorado State University’s Department of Athletics will attempt to set a mobile-giving record for a college football game.

“Our student-athletes need support to continue competing for Colorado State,” said Randy Kinder, the annual fund director for the athletics department. “Mobile giving has the potential to raise significant funds if enough people make $5 donations.”

Numerous promotional items, from paddle fans to pompoms and fliers to Facebook, are directing fans to use their mobile phones to text the word RAMS to 90999 on game day to make a $5 donation to athletic scholarships.

“We believe our fans – both in Colorado and across the country – will help us set a mobile-giving record,” said Brett Anderson, vice president for advancement at Colorado State University. “Micro donations can add up quickly if enough people join in on game day.”

Information from the mobile-giving industry indicates that, to date, the most donations raised at a college football game is $9,015 from 1,803 donors at the LSU vs. Auburn football game in October 2009. CSU is attempting to break that record during its game against Colorado at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver.

Mobile giving has been available in Europe and other countries for several years, but began in the United States in 2007. Making donations via text messaging received considerable media attention in the aftermath of the earthquakes that hit Haiti last January. Mobile giving generated more than $49 million in donations.

To provide mobile-giving opportunities, Colorado State has teamed up with Mobile Accord/mGive, an industry leader in mobile technology for nonprofit organizations in the United States.

For additional information about mobile giving at the Showdown, visit http://www.colostate.edu/ramsvbuffs/m-give.aspx.