In 1992, the first text message was sent with a simple message: “Merry Christmas.” No one then could have predicted how ingrained text messaging would become in our daily lives. Now, texting is the #1 most used form of communication among Americans under the age of 50.
It’s no wonder, then, that SMS fundraising methods and mobile donations have begun to grow in popularity. Incorporating mobile accessibility into your engagement efforts not only expands your online community but also meets your donors where they already are: on their cell phones. And, while not everyone has a smartphone with internet access , <strong>5 billion people around the world can still send and receive text messages .
Because text messages have a 98% open rate within the first five minutes of receiving them, people often assume that texting is a surefire way to build relationships with donors and increase retention rates . However, modern people consume a lot of content and receive a lot of messages, so it takes more than a simple call to action to leverage text fundraising effectively.
If you have successfully implemented text fundraising in past efforts or are trying to determine which mobile donation platform and tool is best for your organization, familiarize yourself with some fundraising dos and don’ts. In this article, you will learn mobile donation best practices by exploring:
- The various mobile donation options.
- Using the text given next to fundraising event .
- Donor data collection.
- Thanking the text donors.
- Using different keywords for different campaigns.
Text fundraising can easily become a thing that falls by the wayside and is forgotten. Keep these dos and don’ts in mind and remember that using this type of fundraising can really boost your fundraising efforts – if used right!
The various mobile donation options.
The main reason people are attracted to mobile giving is its convenience. Modern consumers carry their mobile phones with them at all times. These devices have become our wallets, our tickets to board airplanes, telegram data and our primary communication channel. It makes sense to bring fundraising inside.
But don’t limit your mobile phone efforts to just text-based fundraising. Relying solely on text-based fundraising limits your ability to tell your nonprofit’s story and connect emotionally.
Mobile giving involves much more than providing a unique keyword for supporters to text. Consider the following mobile giving opportunities and which ones best align with your mission and supporters:
- Text-to-Give Fundraising . This includes text-to-give and text-to-donate. Both methods involve sending a pre-determined keyword to a unique phone number. Text-to-give usually only accepts preset donation amounts that are billed to the donor’s cell phone bill. Text-to-donate is more commonly used and works by sending donors a text message with a mobile online donation form to submit their information.
- Include Calls to Action in Social Media Posts. Social media content is often consumed on mobile phones. While you’re keeping up with your regular social media efforts, don’t be afraid to advertise your mobile-friendly online donation page and SMS to donate number or SMS to donate!
- Mobile-Friendly Donation Pages Online . Before you consider investing in text fundraising tools , marketing for real-time customer engagement take a look at your existing online presence and make sure it’s mobile-friendly. That means supporters should be able to learn more about your organization, familiarize themselves with your mission, and even make a gift, all from their mobile devices.
Text to Donate tends to be more accessible than text to donate as a fundraising tool because of the latter’s qualification process. Organizations must submit a lengthy application, afghanistan business directory pay a fee, and meet a minimum annual fundraising requirement. Consider all options before fully committing to one method.
Mobile giving is all about bringing convenience to your donors. From visiting your mobile-friendly online donation page to making a simple gift with a text, donors can donate to your mission whenever and wherever they are!
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Use text donation in conjunction with a fundraising event.
Fundraising events are one
of the most engaging ways to reach your supporters and showcase your organization’s impact. Pairing text fundraising with a fundraising event is a great way to build buzz around your event, increase donations on the big day, and capitalize on donor enthusiasm long after the event is over.
With a near-perfect open rate , text messages are a quick and easy way to reach your supporters. Ev
en if your audience doesn’t necessarily take the action you ask for, they may still internalize the content of your messages and take action later.Text fundraising can complement your event planning efforts at every stage of the process:
- Before the event. As soon as a guest registers for your event and opts in to receive messages, consider using text messaging to send them important updates and reminders about the event. If you want to increase registration, consider texting loyal event guests with a discount code for their ticket.
- During the event. Because mobile giving is so convenient, donors can easily respond to a request by sending a gift without having to put down their drink! You can even time the sending of a text call to action to key moments of the event to inspire donations. If you’re looking for ways to build momentum around a fundraising goal, broadcast a live feed of text donations and accompanying messages on a screen during your event. Donors will love seeing their names on the screen as your campaign thermometer nears its goal.
- After the event. As your event comes to a close, send attendees one last thank-you message. If guests have started the SMS donation process and haven’t finished their gift, send them special reminder messages encouraging them to complete their donation. Afterward, you can send a recap email thanking them for attending.
If you’re looking for inspiration for your next event, check out this list of unique fundraising ideas !
