Maybe ‘hate’ is too strong a word, but Steve Jobs is certainly making it difficult for non-profits. Some recent blog posts by Beth Kanter have shown how Apple’s policies are prohibiting donations to good causes on iPhone apps. This means, no Donate button, no donation messaging and no 1-click payments processing! Apple’s argument? That it “doesn’t want to be held responsible for ensuring that the charitable funds make it to the final destination” according to Jake Shapiro’s guest blog post on Infinite Loop. It’s a cop-out he argues. If Google can authenticate non-profits for its Google Grants program, why can’t Apple? Plus, there are millions of apps that are allowed to process payments in-app, for profit. Why not charities too?

Now Apple does have a work-around. But it means that to accept in-app donations, you’ll have to use their payment system and shell out a 30% fee. Really? Steve Jobs – we’ve loved you all these years, but its time you started giving back.

So dear reader – drop what you’re doing right now, and take 30 seconds to sign the petition on Care2′s site: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/iphone-nonprofit-donations/. Their goal is 5,000 signatures – as of today, there’s still a ways to go. So after you’ve signed the petition, tell your friends to do the same. Perhaps we’ll be able to nudge the giant Apple over to our side.

And then maybe, just maybe, we’ll get some budget to build that wicked iPhone app we’ve been dreaming about.

Additional reading:

Beth Kanter on why she’s ditching her iPhone

Jake Shapiro on the Apple cop-out

Care2 Corporate Site