Specialized mobile messaging services can be used to advance social causes. In fact, one such cause-related mobile messaging service debuted just a couple of weeks ago.

First, a couple of caveats. I know the image of “social causes” may cause some readers to automatically assume issues associated with a certain political orientation. It doesn’t have to be. Partisans of the left and right, as well as the otherwise apolitical, can use such technology to propogate their messages and initiatives.

Additionally, we may think of mobile messaging in terms of what we communicate in traditional texting- a “hey, we’ve landed,” or maybe a group message we send out to several friends at once that we are going to be at so-and-so nightclub at 10 p.m. and by the way the guitar player is “Gr8.”

But that’s not the purpose of The Mosio Project and its new flagship product, a cause-related mobile messaging service called (not a big surprise here) Mosio.

In one sense, Mosio is like traditional mobile messaging offerings. It is a service that delivers mobile tools and applications that work through text messaging from almost any phone and US carrier. The utility lets mobile users on the go to search for searches to find places to eat, drink and shop, create and send text newsletters or alerts to other mobile subscribers through its My TextCast function and utilize its “QnA” tool, a service that lets them ask questions to other Mosio users who might even be at their desktop.

OK, sounds somewhat like the functions offered by other mobile messaging services. True, but both the business and content models are different.

Considerably less expensive than some carrier-based messaging services, Mosio is “all you can text” service priced at $3.95 per month with, the company says, “$.25 going to support global technology and engineering projects helping others in need.”

The Mosio Project has stated a contribution goal of $2 million by the end of fiscal year 2010. And the co-founders already have a stated concept where they would like all those 25 cent contributions to go.

The Mosio Project says it hopes to raise money and awareness for the work being done by organizations such as Engineers Without Borders and Wherever The Need.

The names of these two organizations supported by Mosio sound tech-y, but each has an underlying social mission.

Engineers Without Borders describes itself as “a non-profit humanitarian organization established to partner with developing communities worldwide in order to improve their quality of life. This partnership involves the implementation of sustainable engineering projects, while involving and training internationally responsible engineers and engineering students.”

Wherever The Need specializes in water engineering projects in nearly a dozen nations- many of them suffering from impure and often polluted natural water sources.

“Cause marketing up to this point has been done primarily in the consumer packaged goods industry and we’re hopeful that the introduction of this way of contributing into the technology sector will open doors for other industries, setting a positive example for all areas of commerce,” says Mosio co-founder Noel Chandler.

For its part, The Mosio Project says it chooses project-based organizations so specific technology and engineering programs can be targeted. And an ultimate goal of these programs is to provide a better life for Third World residents by funding tech-oriented organizations that have the expertise, intent and credibility to help.

But it is easy to visualize other mobile messaging services earmarking a portion of monthly subscription or access charge proceeds to be devoted to non-engineering causes as well.

It wouldn’t be a big stretch from “Engineers Without Borders” to, say, “Doctors Without Borders.”

Wouldn’t that BGr8?