Non-profit organizations count on the giving, holiday spirit for end-of-year fundraising campaigns, but with the tight economy, generosity is being rationed by many people. Children's Hospital Boston is hoping a new text messaging campaign underway will drive smaller donations that will add up all year.Launched a few weeks ago, the text-messaging is combined with public service announcements that are broadcast on local TV stations and can be viewed on YouTube.

The PSAs feature Boston area athletes and celebrities, including New England Revolution forward Taylor Twellman, outdoorsman and sports TV personality Charlie Moore of NECN, and music band Dropkick Murphy's frontman, Ken Casey. But one could argue that the true "stars" of the announcements are the former Children's Hospital Boston patients and cancer survivors that appear in the segments, including 11-year-old Michael Fiacco.

Viewers are instructed how to make $5 "Text 4 Kids" donations using their cell phones and other wireless devices.

While he won't divulge how much has been raised since the campaign kicked off in November, Chris Troyanos, Children's Hospital Boston's associate director of corporate initiatives admits so far it's been "minimal." However, as the public service announcements broadcast more frequently, and awareness spreads via ads in taxi cabs and elsewhere, Troyanos expects text messaging will play a role "long term" with the hospital's other fundraising efforts.

"We want to make it as easy as possible to donate," he said. Users dial the number "4," then the letters "KIDS" to shortcode 20222 and make a contribution.

The $5 donation to Children's shows up as a charge on the individual's mobile bill, so no credit cards are involved with giving. The method also fits in well with the benevolence of the younger generation, who like to text, often don't have a lot of money to spend, but want to give--especially to causes the help other young people.

Of course, Children's Hospital Boston isn't the first or only organization that's trying text-messaging as a vehicle to ramp up fundraising. In its effort, Children's Hospital Boston is aligned with an organization called Mobile Giving Foundation, which acts as the link between the charitable organization, wireless companies, and donors. According to its website, MGS said it worked to help about 150 non-profits in the U.S. to raise funds through "mobile giving" in 2008.

Moving ahead, Children's Hospital Boston is hoping that corporate sponsorships will bolster its text messaging fundraising, too. For instance, if a donor texts a $5 donation, the individual could receive a thank you and a coupon from a local retailer or restaurant.

Despite the recession, "people still want to be philanthropic," said Troyanos. "This provides a quick, easy, secure way to give a little," he said.

The business world is entering a new wave of transformation, as sophisticated information technologies make industries, processes, and professionals smarter than ever before. InformationWeek calls the trend Smarter Business, and in this live, 60-minute video Webcast presentation, we'll draw from interviews with leading practitioners in presenting a range of compelling use cases. It happens Thursday, Dec. 10. Find out more.