Katherine Jenkins launches BFF App

17th March 2011

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From the frontline to the cutting edge, The British Forces Foundation is always pushing new boundaries to bring the great British public and their Armed Forces closer together. Embracing the digital age, the Charity’s latest innovation is a mobile phone App. By implementing innovative mobile and integrated technology from JustGiving, The BFF application avoids Apple’s ‘no donation’ policy. The BFF is the first charity app to use JustGiving’s simple donation integration (SDI), which for the first time enables charities to send supporters to JustGiving to donate and then return them to their own website or applications. The App has also integrated JustGiving’s new optimised donation process for mobile phones, making it extremely easy for people to make a donation from the iPhone app. App users can post their messages on ‘the message board’, send virtual gifts and keep up-to-date with all the latest news from the Charity, like the morale-boosting visit to troops in Afghanistan with Radio One DJ, Tim Westwood recently. Mark Cann, Director  at The BFF said: “The Charity has always been very lateral and contemporary in its numerous award-winning projects designed to bring the public and their Armed Forces closer together – and the App is just another fine example. “With the current focus on fundraising to help the injured, there’s a very real danger that the guys and girls still on active duty are feeling forgotten. The BFF is the only charity to concentrate its efforts on reminding them that they are in the thoughts of the people back home and the App is the perfect tool to send words of support and appreciation.” The British Forces Foundation App, developed by Digital and Mobile agency Paris Panda, is free to download and is supported by forces’ sweetheart Katherine Jenkins, a Trustee of the Charity.  Client Services Director, Lisa Hibbert said:  “Before this latest release, the donation process was too convoluted for users.  To work with JustGiving to deliver a new and improved streamlined mobile view is really groundbreaking for the charity app market.” Since releasing their new mobile donation process, JustGiving has seen conversion rates for mobile donations increase by up to 40%. Irving D’Mello, Head of Product and Innovation at JustGiving, said: “Over the last 6 months, the proportion of mobile traffic to JustGiving has doubled from 5% to 10% and we’re really excited to be helping charities make the most of this opportunity. The BFF app is the first example of how we can help charities power donations from their iPhone applications, even if Apple won’t allow donations within an app.” To download the App click on the App icon (right)