With more people using Smartphones and tablets, mobile apps are transforming the way health and biomedical brands are reaching investors.

This year the number of users accessing the Internet from Smartphones and tablets will surpass those using computers, according to Physics.org. The impact this change has in the marketing landscape presents enormous opportunities for health and biomedical brands to capitalize on new fundraising opportunities. And while the integration of mobile apps is fairly new, the brands that are jumping onboard are reaching broader audiences with greater impact and funding programs instantly. Here are a few examples:

Charity Miles has created an app platform that collaboratively attracts corporate sponsors to charities while raising awareness and empowering people to make a difference. Traditional non-profit organizations like Habitat for Humanity and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research are using apps like Charity Miles which connect traditional charities with corporate sponsors while promoting healthy living. Volunteers simply download the GPS-tracking app and press go. It monitors the miles they walk, hike, run or bike and the sponsors pledge up to 25 cents for every mile they commute.

Charity: Water, a non-profit that brings safe drinking water to developing nations, uses iPad technology to connect with major donors and raise funds instantly. In this case, Charity: Water, created a 30-minute donor pitch that comes alive through movement, videos, photos and detailed graphics that allow a viewer to experience an impactful presentation in their own time as they browse. Charity: Water has also enabled donors to take instant action and contribute through Square.

iPad apps are enabling non-profit organizations to more efficiently tell in-depth stories around their work and the challenges ahead in ways that are uniquely engaging. As with any donor outreach program, keeping their attention is key. iPad apps present new opportunities for investors to experience the impact of biomedical research.

Square mobilizes fundraising goals by enabling organizations to collect contributions virtually anywhere – even on the street. This technology allows immediate responders like the Red Cross to collect donations while working a disaster scene such as Hurricane Sandy. Biomedical brands like ReMaine Healthy could also benefit from the immediacy and grassroots nature of Square. In an effort build general awareness for their cause to help fight kidney disease, ReMaine Healthy sponsors summer road races throughout Maine. With Square they can accept credit card donations straight off street via a Smartphone or iPad. Implementation is pretty simple. Once a Square account is activated, the app is downloaded to a mobile device and Square automatically ships out a free card reader.

The biomedical brands that are early adapters and innovators in mobile app fundraising have an opportunity to really stand apart.

These are just a few ways mobile apps are changing the fundraising landscape. With NIH grants decreasing, biomedical researchers and institutions must consider new ways for funding their work and reaching their audiences.

Mobile apps can provide more efficient and robust avenues for investors to learn about biomedical brands and their research. And most importantly, they open doors for donors to become involved instantly by funding this important work.

Additional Resources:

Are You Considering a Mobile App for your Not-Profit?
http://www.fundraisingip.com/fundraising/are-you-considering-a-mobile-app-for-your-non-profit/

Using the iPad for Fundraising
http://storydesk.com/2012/05/using-the-ipad-for-fundraising/

Square
http://Squareup.com

Apple’s Short List of Current Medical Apps
https://itunes.apple.com/us/genre/ios-medical/id6020?mt=8

Mobile Biomedical Resources
http://libguides.einstein.yu.edu/content.php?pid=126883&sid=1089112