The Vodafone Foundations have agreed a partnership with Vodafone operating companies worldwide to initiate an emergency SMS fundraising programme called Vodafone Red Alert. The programme became available from 1 April and is focussed on enabling Vodafone employees and the public to donate via SMS in response to disasters and emergencies.

During the recent Haiti earthquake, many witnessed the power of SMS fundraising to raise in a short space of time, large amounts of funding for disaster relief programmes. In collaboration with the Vodafone Malta Foundation, Red Cross Malta through the generosity of the Maltese community managed to raise the sum of €15,000, which went to the Haiti appeal.

Vodafone Foundations are keen to do more, and its companies in the following countries have agreed to operationalise the Vodafone Red Alert programme: Albania, Australia, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Fiji, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Tanzania, Turkey, UK.