Text messaging is the hot new technology that organizations are using to reach supporters and potential donors. The reasoning is simple: reach and engagement.
According to Snapdesk, 77% of the U.S. population owns a smartphone and 76% of consumers already receive text messages from businesses. 98% of text messages are opened, it only takes 90 seconds for someone to respond to a text message, and 45% of people respond to text messages.
You can reach almost everyone with a text message and they will generally engage with it.
With such high engagement rates, it makes sense that text to give is now a widely used tactic in all types of fundraising efforts.
A great example of a successful text to give campaign is The Red Cross’s relief efforts from 2010 after Haiti’s devastating earthquake. For months, “Text HAITI to 90999” flashed across Americans’ TVs, phones, and computer screens. Ultimately, The Red Cross raised $32 million, paving the way for mobile giving.
So what do you need to know to get your organization started with text to give.
We’ll go over some of the basic information you need to know and give you some helpful tips to get started.
First, who uses text to give for fundraising?
Nonprofit organizations can use text to give for events, fundraising campaigns, or for immediate relief efforts.
Churches also use text to give to supplement their traditional collection-plate fundraising methods, especially since COVID-19.
Educational institutions like schools, nonprofits, and colleges often benefit from text to give fundraising.
And lastly, political campaigns use text to give to collect donations and get the word out about the vote.
You should also consider the different types of text to give when implementing this tool in your fundraising plan. There is text to give and peer-to-peer texting.
Although many organizations use both interchangeably to describe their text fundraising efforts, there are key differences in the setup and donation process.
What is text to give?
Text to give is a form-based mobile fundraising method that is initiated through a text message either from the supporter.
They send a keyword to the phone number and are then sent back a link to the mobile giving form. This is usually a webpage with more graphics and donation options on it.
All Anedot accounts get this feature at no cost. You just customize your donation page, set a keyword, and pick a phone number, and you’re ready to go!
What is peer-to-peer texting?
You should also consider incorporating peer-to-peer texting into your fundraising efforts.
Let’s say you have a supporter’s cell phone number, but they never opted-in to receive text messages. You can use a P2P text message to send a donation request to them directly.
For example, you could send the donor a message that asks for their help. After they reply with a “yes” you can send them a donation link.
Whether you choose to use one method or combine them all, you can find the right tool that works best for your organization.
Here are some tips to successfully use text to give for your organization.
1. Use a simple keyword for text to give
With text to give, simplicity is everything.
The customized keyword that your donors will use to donate and the numbers they text should be short and easy to remember.
The more complex the keyword, the more likely your donors will forget it or not complete the process.
2. Customize your donation forms
Customize your mobile-responsive donation pages with logos, information fields, and donation amount buttons.
Make your donation page specifically address the cause you want your donors to support. You want to capitalize on that momentum while making it more urgent that they donate.
You can add things like a thermometer showing donors how close you are to meeting your fundraising goals to encourage even more giving!
Anedot makes customizing donation pages simple. You can create an unlimited amount of donation pages in our easy-to-use editor.
You can easily create new pages and put more effort into raising money!
3. Utilize a strong call to action on your donation page
Be clear about why you need their support and what goals their donation will help you accomplish.
Make your reasons specific and actionable.
Explain exactly why yours is a cause worth supporting and why it’s urgent that they help.
4. Feature your text to give keyword on various marketing tools
Across all your organization’s communications, make sure you’re actively promoting your organization’s number and keyword. This will change per platform.
For instance, you can create eye-catching inserts for direct mail with your keyword and number.
You could also add the donation keyword to your email signature, your newsletter, or include it in your social media marketing.
5. Use text to give at fundraising events
You can pair text to give with your organization’s existing fundraising efforts to capitalize on the excitement created by in-person interactions, like at a fundraising event.
Share your keyword and number at an event to have donors contribute from their phones rather than writing out checks or waiting in lines.
Closing thoughts
Text to give fundraising can bring in a high volume of donors and is probably the fastest way for donors to give.
They don’t have to write and mail a check. They don’t even have to turn on their computers.
This lowers the barrier to giving and opens the door to a whole new pool of donors.
So don’t miss out! Try incorporating it into your fundraising plan and see what text to give can do for your organization!
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