Text messaging puts the power to make a gift in the palm of your supporters’ hands. The majority of nonprofit website visitors do so via mobile (51%), and 25% of givers donate via mobile. These benchmarks highlight just how important it is to reach your supporters on-the-go, and why you should incorporate text messaging into a multi-channel communications approach.
Text messaging is an opportunity to reach supporters on their preferred platform, with their preferred message, at their preferred time. Ninety percent of text messages are read within three minutes or less — all the more reason to incorporate SMS (short message service) into your communications strategy.
Above all, it is crucial to optimize your donor experience with a text messaging flow in mind. Consider the content you wish to deliver, where your supporters will land, and if your given path is optimized to occur on a small, hand-held device. A common mistake is to leverage text messaging only for fundraising, but texting offers a much greater opportunity to foster strong and long-lasting relationships with your donors by telling stories and engaging in two-way conversations. Let’s explore.
There are two main types of text message fundraising: text-to-give and text-to-donate. While similar, the small differences offer various fundraising solutions depending on your needs.
Text-to-give fundraising allows nonprofits and charities to accept funds via text message, added on as a fee on the donor’s cell phone bill. Text-to-give fundraising tends to have set amounts, $5, $10, or $25, for example, whereas text-to-donate leaves the amount up to the donor.
While similar to text-to-give, text-to-donate leaves the cell phone carriers out of it. Platforms like GiveLively give nonprofits the power to create shortcodes specific to the fundraising campaign or fundraising goal. Once a supporter texts the shortcode to the designated number, they are sent a link to a mobile-optimized donation page where they can make a gift of their choosing.
For example, UNICEF might create a text “MHDAY2020” for Menstrual Hygiene Day 2020. Supporters text-in and make a gift to support their work to ensure every girl has a right to manage her period safely and with dignity. Learn more about their initiative on periods during the pandemic here.
Leveraging text messaging as a communications strategy goes beyond asking for gifts. It’s a great way to share updates from the field, thank your donors personally, communicate with volunteers, and reiterate messages you’ve shared across email, social media and your website.
Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster response organization, leveraged text messaging as part of their #NeighborsHelpingNeighbors COVID-19 response. Various shortcodes allowed supporters to opt-in based on the content stream that interested them the most - relief updates, maps of where Team Rubicon had deployed volunteers, and quick links for supporters to learn more about their response.
When using text messaging beyond calls to donate, make it personal and address your supporters based on their interests whenever possible.
Customize these examples to fit the needs of your organization, and intersperse the communication you wish to share with your supporters with direct calls-to-donate to effectively raise funds and awareness for your cause. A simple, friendly reminder: consider what you personally would want to receive via text. We’ll assume it’s not a series of urgent messages asking for cash every week.
Stay in compliance and ensure your supporters have opted-in for texting communication before you press send. Consumers are protected from unwanted solicitation, under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and in accordance with CTIA guidelines, so make sure you include a “mobile number” field in your current opt-in forms or reach out separately for consent.
Once you ensure you’re in compliance and you’ve got an idea of how you want to leverage text messaging, consider how communicating via text will boost your message across channels. Do you have an impactful social post you want to repurpose? Is there a success story in your back pocket you could share?
Incorporate periodic updates via text into your strategy, assess what works best for your organization, and test your results. When you hit a roadblock - leave a comment, drop into our chat, or shoot us an email. We’re here to help.
Your text messaging flow is only as strong as the content on your donation page - and a few simple steps can bring your donor journey from good to great! Download the free report on Nonprofit Donation Pages to make giving easier than ever for your supporters.