How Text-to-Give Can Supercharge Nonprofit Campaigns

While the constant presence of mobile and smartphones has been known to annoy some people (looking at you, parents of teenagers), there is a world of good that comes from instant communications and the ability to reach a large audience quickly.

Nonprofits can leverage this technology to transform fundraising campaigns! With 97% of Americans owning a mobile phone, text-to-give is no longer just a trend. Rather, it’s a must-have tool for nonprofits looking to connect with donors in an increasingly mobile world.

This guide will explore ways adding text-to-give to your multichannel campaigns can transform them and offer easy and actionable tips for integrating it into your fundraising strategy.

The Power of Mobile Giving

Let’s face it—your donors are already on their phones. Studies show that virtual wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Venmo are the fastest-growing payment methods, accounting for 50% of e-commerce spending in 2023. Mobile giving also saw a 10% growth last year.

Savvy nonprofits have caught on. The average donation size for text-to-give donations is rising and exceeds $100. So, what makes this method so effective?

• Simplicity! Texting is one of the most straightforward technologies, making it easy for donors to act quickly.
• Accessibility. You’re reaching people on devices they use daily and constantly.
• Speed. The pace of text-to-give donations reduces donor friction.
• Urgency. Texting is one of the most straightforward technologies, making it easy for donors to act quickly.

Millions are donated through text-to-give campaigns annually. For example, the Red Cross has made its text-to-give campaigns iconic: text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 to disaster relief. This approach is powerful and effective.

One of CharityEngine’s clients combined SMS, or text, with email and social media campaigns to raise more than $12,000 on GivingTuesday. Read about how Tupelo Children’s Mansion did it!

Adding Text-to-Give to Multichannel Campaigns

One of the most effective ways nonprofits can raise a lot of money—and greatly increase their impact—is by running multichannel campaigns. If you can segment your audiences (most robust nonprofit CRMs do this easily) and craft personalized messaging, you can deploy it via different channels like email, social media, and SMS.

Here are some tips to seamlessly incorporate text-to-give into your campaigns:

Social Media

Social platforms shine during high-traffic giving seasons like year-end campaigns.

• Take a page from the Red Cross playbook and post a text-to-give keyword and shortcode so donors can give with a tap.
• Use social media’s story functionality to share the benefits of giving and promote text-to-give.
• Run targeted social media ads with a clear call to action to text a donation.

Email

Send a dedicated email with a prominent text-to-give component: you can even use a QR code they can scan with their phones. For a consistent message, include the text-to-give information in your team’s email signatures.

Website

Try adding text-to-give information to your homepage and donation page. If you can brand it as “one-click giving,” donors might opt for that rather than a standard donation form. You can also try pop-up notifications on your site that appear when someone exits a page, reminding them to donate before they leave.

Printed Materials

Whether it’s direct mail, flyers, brochures, or even event signage, include a memorable keyword and shortcode or a QR code to capture offline audiences. It will attract people who come across your nonprofit “in the wild” and can help you find new supporters.

SMS/Text Marketing

Finally, use texting to promote text-to-give! Send automated reminders to your donors about the text-to-give option, and use the channel to share impact stories.

Incorporating text-to-give into multichannel campaigns can help you reach a wider audience, make it easier for donors to give, and raise more funds to impact your mission.

12 Metrics to Track the Effectiveness of Your Campaign

Tracking data is essential for understanding your campaign’s success. Most nonprofit CRMs can monitor these metrics, allowing you to analyze performance and refine future strategies.

First, you’ll want to measure your campaign performance. Look at data like:

1. Number of Texts Sent: Total number of texts sent to donors
2. Number of Unique Donors: How many donors contributed via text
3. Total Donations: How much you raised via SMS
4. Average Donation Amount: Track this per text donation
5. Conversion Rate: Percentage of recipients who donated after receiving a text message
6. Cost Per Donation: Cost of sending the texts divided by the number of donations received

Then take a look at donor engagement metrics:

7. Opt-Out Rate: Percentage of recipients who opted out of receiving future text messages 
8. Response Rate: Percentage of recipients who responded to the text message, whether by donating or replying to the message 
9. Donor Retention Rate: Percentage of donors who continue to support the organization after the text-to-give campaign

And then the nice-to-know metrics:

10. Time to Donate: Average time it takes for a donor to donate after receiving the text message.
11. Peak Donation Times: Specific times of day when donations are most likely to occur
12. Geographic and Demographic Data: Geographic location of donors and demographics to identify high-performing regions and age groups

These metrics offer valuable insight into the effectiveness of your campaign and can help you make data-inspired decisions for the next one.

From Mobile Campaigns to Mission Impact               

Text-to-give isn't just a trendy fundraising tactic; it's a transformative tool that nonprofits can use to connect with donors in meaningful, efficient ways. By integrating text-to-give into your multichannel campaigns, you’re not only meeting donors where they already are—on their phones—but also reducing barriers to giving and fostering a culture of immediacy and generosity.

And the proof is in the data. Tracking metrics like conversion rates, average donation amounts, and donor retention enables you to refine your approach, amplifying your impact with every campaign. With the right strategy and tools, your organization can tap into the transformative power of text-to-give to supercharge your mission and achieve remarkable results.

Ready to see what’s possible when you take your campaigns mobile? Start small, track your progress, and watch as this simple tool drives big change.