Some folks wonder why this a such a big deal when you can, after all, have donors who use iPhones go out to the web and make a donation through the web site using Safari or find creative workarounds.   Workarounds put  nonprofits at a disadvantage.  This forces all charitable apps to introduce a level of barriers to impulse giving, and also removes one of Apple’s most powerful tools – the 1-click purchase and in-app transaction system.

The barriers?  Donors have to click at least several times before they reach the donation form.   Then they have enter their credit card, plus confirm the donation details and submit their donation.     If you  believe that mobile giving today is largely about responding to impulse appeals, that many steps will get in the way of this type of giving.    That means nonprofits miss out on capturing new donors to the causes.

Non-profit visionary Beth Kanter has taken on the Apple behemoth, questioning their refusal to enable in-app donations to charities. The passage above is her response to people who suggest that using the mobile web is just as good.

Beth invited me to post a cartoon to her site; I was delighted to take her up on it. And if you’d like to sign a petition in support of the campaign, just head over to Care2.