With the disaster devastating a fraction of Japan, there has been a lot of relief efforts from industries across the globe to support the victims. Technology, particularly mobile, has demonstrated an incredible potency in raising funds and awareness– connecting people from virtually anywhere and making it easier for them to find a Red Cross center to donate goods, even blood, when the situation calls for it.

JiWire, a San Francisco-based company that connects advertisers to today’s On-The-Go Mobile Audience using its location-based interactive media channel, announced that its location-based ad network of Wi-Fi hotspots and mobile apps launched a campaign providing on-the-go audience the nearest Red Cross Center based on their current location, and providing the audience the ability to make contributions via text while on-the-go. Not only is this a convenient way to help, it will also encourage more people to donate as they become more cognizant of the situation.

JiWire is only of the many tech companies making efforts to help Japan. Daily deals sites Groupon and Living Social made efforts as well raising $2,301,130 million for the American Red Cross’s Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami fund, and $1 million for DonorsChoose.org, respectively. WeeWorld.com and its WeeMee Avatar Creator application decided to donate 100% of their March earnings. SXSW was also an active participant of the relief efforts, organizing a Hurricane Party in which all proceeds will go to Japan. Ubershare.com’s technology was an effective tool in spreading messages containing awareness for the relief efforts.

AudioDraft, a music crowdsourcing platform also helped by donating up $100,000 when contributors send a song to their competition priced at $1 per entry. Perhaps one of the most controversial, if not, the most controversial among the donors to the initiative is Microsoft. They have been accused of trying to make money out of the disaster as they donate $1 for every retweet of their original message, up to $100,000. They even decided to add another $250,000 on top of donating $1.5 million worth of free software (Microsoft’s just trying to help, aye?).