Text-to-give, also called text2give, is the simplest way for supporters to donate. But simple doesn’t always mean effective: personalizing your text-to-give campaign can lead to more impactful fundraising.
Learn more about text-to-give fundraising and see how organizations can upgrade their SMS fundraising campaign with a few simple tips:
What is text-to-give fundraising?
Text-to-give fundraising is a method in which supporters donate to an organization by texting a keyword to a designated digital sequence, also known as a shortcode. When supporters text this keyword, they’re committing to donate a predetermined amount set up by the organization. This form of fundraising relies on mobile carriers, which bill the donor and transfer the donation funds to the organization.
One of the most memorable examples of a text-to-give campaign is the relief aid campaign for Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake. Supporters from across the nation texted the keyword “HAITI” to multiple relief organizations, like the American Red Cross and the International Rescue Committee, to send $5 and $10 donations. In total, supporters came together to donate over $20 million via text-to-give fundraising.
As effective as text-to-give campaigns are, this method can be a missed opportunity to communicate with donors personally. In fact, research suggests that social ties can influence an individual’s decision to donate. Organizations seeking to create personalized connections with donors to increase impact can try these tips:
Send personalized texts to supporters.
The simplicity of text-to-give campaigns is useful for quick fundraising by large organizations. However, for a text-to-give donation to take place, the donor must first initiate the action. Additionally, the objective of text-to-give campaigns to raise donations as simply as possible often does not lead to further engagement. By contrast, peer-to-peer texting sends donation requests directly to a supporter’s text inbox and encourages continued engagement with a donor.
Impactive's Peer-to-Peer Texting feature can help organizations send personalized texts with dynamic variables that insert a contact’s first name into the beginning of the message. Peer-to-Peer Texting also allows administrators to assign contacts to volunteers, who can continue a conversation with peer-to-peer contacts after an initial donation request. This tactic allows organizations to initiate communication with supporters and reminds them that the organization is powered by fellow donors.
Peer-to-peer text campaigns can also motivate existing volunteers. Organizations can bring supporters together by setting up a text-banking party with music, virtual (or in-person) dance breaks, or simple incentives like a raffle for a basket. Plus, when volunteers facilitate conversations with potential donors through peer-to-peer texts, they can celebrate that they’re building a community of donors for the cause they support.
Increase donor impact with relational organizing.
Text-to-give fundraising campaigns may garner individual donations effectively, but do not enable easy sharing within personal networks. This means organizations lose out on the opportunity to leverage relational organizing for their fundraising campaign.
A tool like Impactive’s Friends and Family Messaging allows volunteers to connect their contacts with an organization easily. Relational organizing, an extremely effective method of community engagement, relies on volunteers and supporters to encourage action within relationships with friends and family members. When volunteers reach out to contacts they already know, those individuals are more likely to act. Studies have shown that outreach from a friend or family member makes someone 6.5x more likely to sign a petition. By leveraging existing relationships, volunteers establish a close connection between their organization and potential donors.
Reinvent text-to-give with broadcast messaging.
Although text-to-give fundraising and broadcast messages are both forms of SMS or MMS messaging, text-to-give campaigns don’t offer the flexibility that broadcast texting does.
Impactive’s Broadcast Texting tool allows organizations to quickly send a personalized message to thousands of potential supporters with the click of a few buttons and encourage them to donate. To a list of subscribers who have never donated, organization leaders can send a short personal video message through an MMS message about the impact of a financial contribution. To a list of one-time donors, a fellow donor can write a message describing why they choose to set up recurring donations to the organization. Instead of the standard messages for a donation request, sending a unique message can create a deeper connection between supporters and organizations.
To increase the personalization of a supporter’s donation journey, the broadcast messaging tool also uniquely allows two-way conversations after the initial broadcast. Like Peer-to-Peer Texting, administrators using Impactive can assign contacts to volunteers, who can then follow up on any supporter responses.
Text-to-give fundraising campaigns are valuable for their simplicity, but they lack flexibility and personalization. Consider a personalized SMS strategy to strengthen a sense of community for existing and new supporters.
