Dank Apps (creators of the popular Lotto app) has launched a new series of Social Change applications that allow Facebook users to raise money for a cause through advertising revenue.  This means users do not have to donate, but just need to install the application, recruit their friends, or play the games.    The first three are:

Stop Climate Change supports the Nature Conservancy.
Earn for Breast Cancer supports the Breast Cancer Research Foundation
Earn for Aids supports supports the Clinton HIV/Aids Initiative

According to Dank Apps founder Jason Beckerman, they will use the advertising revenue model it developed for its Lotto application and donate a percentage of its advertising revenue when a user installs the application, recruits friends to install the application, or plays the mini games incorporated in the application (Karma Numbers, Karma Tickets, or Karma Matches).   For every new user install on a Social Change application, Dank Apps Inc will donate 2 cents to the charity. In addition, advertising revenue is shared based on overall active users and advertising performance.

Now that doesn’t sound like much. But if you look at the Campaign for Breast Cancer Research cause on Facebook, the largest one - it has over 3 million members.   If all of them installed the application once, that would earn $60,000 for Breast Cancer Research.   Okay, that’s about what the Causes application has raised to date for this charity.  But, the opportunity to earn for the cause is not simply a matter of installing the application.   Money can also be earned for the charity if users recruit their friends or play some of the mini games or engage with the community.

The mini games are not specifically designed to educate about the cause or charity - but are pure Facebook fun.  The games include giving good karma, numbers games, match gifts, and karma tickets (like scratch and win lottery tickets!).

The applications also include a widget badge (see above) that you can put on your web site to recruit people off of Facebook to join the fun.  The money that is earned from user participation will be donated to the charities through a Facebook Cause.  While users can see the money that is earned, it may get a little confusing.

This application takes the click for a cause revenue model (remember FreeRice?) and puts it on steroids.  Seems like less work than entering a competition.   Will the act of installing a game application and supporting a charitable cause catch fire in Facebook?  Maybe the fact that you are playing a virtual lottery won’t have any stigma if you are doing it to earn money for a charity.  And, if users are playing a variety of games that are not linked to the content or educate about the cause, will they remember their good deed?  Will they go on to become a supporter of the cause?  Also, what concerns might nonprofits have about the particular advertising the user will be exposed to?  I’m sure there are careful matching - for example, no cigarette ads linked to the breast cancer research.

Another questions is will Facebook users, weary with application invitations simply ignore it?

What do you think?