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Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Apps That Change The World By Woyke Elizabeth - Wednesday, July 14 Send IM Story Print Apps That Change The World A washed-up whale in Florida. A listless dolphin floating off the Mississippi coast. Oily residue on Alabama's Orange Beach. For the past few weeks, thousands of people have been submitting eyewitness reports like these to sites like SpillMap.org, creating an unfiltered, up-to-the-minute view of the damage caused by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Citizen reporting of disasters, both man-made and natural, isn't new. But thanks to technology the information gathering has accelerated. Mobile applications are enabling Gulf Coast residents to quickly record and upload their observations, complete with photos, video and time and location data. The posts are published to websites, enabling government agencies, civic organizations and even BP to take action. "We're trying to bring this data into a public forum so the right people can do something about it," says Brian Cohee, cofounder of the Seattle software firm YodaLab, which produced SpillMap. Since its release a month ago, the application, which runs on Google's Android mobile platform, has been downloaded 52,000 times and recorded 3,400 posts. Gulf-area nonprofits, including the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, are incorporating the information into their maps and databases. SpillMap isn't the only mobile app with a conscience. Inspired by the growing availability of smartphones and online application stores, organizations and concerned citizens are packaging their causes in mobile form. There are apps that match volunteers with projects, raise money for disease research, educate about the environment and provide platforms for advocacy work. The apps serve a dual purpose: increasing awareness about a cause and enabling users to take action in support of it. Holly Ross, executive director of the Nonprofit Technology Network, says grabbing a spot on people's phones helps organizations forge more personal connections with supporters and leverage their often spontaneous desire to do good. At the same time charitable apps give users an easily accessible way to feel they are making a difference. It's still early days for such apps. Most nonprofits consider websites and e-mail their most important technology investments, according to Ross. Social media efforts, such as Facebook or Twitter, usually come next, followed by mobile. Part of the reason is cost. Developing a sophisticated iPhone app can run $30,000 to $50,000--a considerable outlay for a nonprofit or fledgling organization, particularly when it's not obvious how the expense will be recouped. Unlike, say, mobile games, most civic-minded apps are distributed for free. Most also refrain from soliciting donations, in part because Apple bans apps that do so from its App Store. (There have been several high-profile mobile donation programs, but they focused on text messages, not apps.) "We're at an in-between stage," says Ross. "Apps are still an extra, and rightfully so." In spite of the challenges, a growing number of organizations are using mobile apps as their primary method of outreach. These groups, most of which were founded recently, expect technology to play a leading role in meeting their mission. Consider Catalista. In the past year the San Francisco-based two-person company has released apps for the iPhone and Android handsets designed to connect users with local volunteer work. The apps are richly detailed, infused with bright colors, quirky graphics and listings of more than 200,000 volunteer opportunities nationwide. In comparison Catalista's website is rudimentary. "We don't believe people are using the desktop to find volunteer work," explains founder Catalina Ruiz-Healy. Catalista's mobile focus is part of its general philosophy of meeting people where they are. "We want to make volunteering as easy as going to the movies," says Ruiz-Healy. The service is also smarter in mobile form because it can tap geo-spatial (GPS) data collected by smartphones. Users walking down the street will be notified if a nearby food bank is looking for help and can see how previous volunteers rated the experience. Ruiz-Healy says the two apps have been downloaded more than 50,000 times, and users have logged about 50,000 volunteer hours. Some apps combine citizen reporting features with an action-oriented mission. SeeClickFix asks users to submit alerts about public infrastructure concerns such as potholes, graffiti, broken streetlights and speed bumps via its iPhone, BlackBerry and Android apps. SeeClickFix started in New Haven, Conn., in 2008 and now spans the country with 10,000 officials in state and local governments currently receiving alerts. Chief Executive Ben Berkowitz says the app has also been adapted for use in Italy, Argentina and Bulgaria, among other countries. Berkowitz considers the apps effective, noting that about 40% of reported issues have been resolved. To boost the success rate, the six-person company plans to give users the ability to organize community meet-ups in response to alerts. A garbage-strewn park could be cleaned up by a grassroots group, for example, rather than waiting for a municipal agency to take action. Startups aren't the only groups backing apps. The Sierra Club has an "Eco Hero" iPhone app that asks users to adopt green habits, such as taking public transportation and buying locally grown produce. The Monterey Bay Aquarium supports several mobile versions of its popular sustainable seafood advisory list. Companies including Citi and Kraft Foods have signed up to make charitable donations when consumers"check in" at certain stores using an app called CauseWorld. Telecom giant Nokia recently launched a series of apps dubbed "Conspiracy for Good" which links online and real-world activities to raise awareness for education nonprofits. As phones and apps get more intelligent, more groups will likely decide the perks of having a mobile presence outweigh the costs. Says Ruiz-Healy, "The nonprofit sector is definitely looking at mobile as a new opportunity to influence people's behavior and opinions." See Also: Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles US-TECH Summary Reuters - 1 hour 38 minutes ago Indonesia to ask internet providers to block porn Reuters - 1 hour 38 minutes ago Clampdown rumored as China "twitter" sites down Reuters - Thursday, July 15 Apps That Change The World Forbes - Wednesday, July 14 China stops funding Green Dam web filter: report Reuters - Wednesday, July 14 News Search Top Stories German Credit Suisse branches raided in tax probe Defiant Libya ship resumes course, 'destination Gaza' EU clears major tie-ups in ailing airline sector Suicide bomber involved in Uganda blast: official Tiger-rescue plan to be drawn up in Indonesia More Top Stories » ADVERTISEMENT More from Forbes Liberal California Politician Holding Oil Sands Hostage Avandia On Trial: The Key Question Tech Stocks Look Tempting Sustainability Report Card: How Green Is Your College? Bud Selig Right To Leave Politics Out Of All-Star Game Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended Mel Gibson takes aim at Hispanics in fresh rant Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem tie the knot 'Abducted' Iran scientist surfaces in US Obama vows to cut HIV cases with new AIDS strategy US trade deficit widens to 18-month high More Most Viewed » Reclusive top mathematician turns down prize, again Germany's 'Octopus oracle' keeps perfect record Amputee cat gets bionic legs Fans gather for Michael Jackson death anniversary Who's right - the dolphin or the octopus? More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! 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