According to DataReportal, the average person spends 6 hours and 40 minutes online every day. As screen time increases among donors, nonprofits must continually find new ways to reach them on their laptops and smartphones in order to stay on their radars.
To stand out from the distractions of online ads, email notifications, and more, your nonprofit needs to prioritize more personal and direct interactions with its audience. Text messaging is a popular digital tool for connecting with friends and family—so why not use it to strengthen relationships with donors?
Let’s explore four promising ways your nonprofit can incorporate text messaging into its donor engagement strategy.
1. Easy, Immediate Giving
The popularity of online fundraising lies in its ability to reach donors far and wide. Rather than requiring donors to travel to support your nonprofit, you allow them to participate when it suits them, from the comfort of their own homes.
Text messaging takes this convenience and flexibility to the next level. By launching a text-to-give campaign, you make it easy for donors to contribute from anywhere, at any time. Here’s how it works:
- Your nonprofit promotes a short code and keyword, such as “DOLLARS4DINNERS,” to donors.
- Donors text the keyword to your nonprofit’s short code.
- Your nonprofit sends a series of messages to engage donors.
- Donors automatically receive a link to your mobile-friendly donation page.
- Donors fill out the donation form directly on their phones to support your nonprofit.
When researching text-to-give platforms for your nonprofit, look for one that allows you to automate text messages based on predefined triggers and segment your audience for more personalized communications. Check for integration capabilities with your donor database for seamless data transfer and insight generation.
Explore online reviews and seek recommendations from your nonprofit peers to narrow your list of potential text-to-give platform options. Then, request a demo of your top picks to see the functionality for yourself and ask the provider any specific questions you may have about the software.
2. Quick, Personalized Updates
Since text messages feel less formal than email or direct mail, they can humanize your nonprofit and build more one-on-one relationships with donors.
While crafting individual messages for each audience member may not be feasible, Tatango recommends segmenting your donors based on characteristics such as location, occupation, income level, engagement history, and interests.
In doing so, you can send more relevant, personalized updates such as:
- Impact reports: “Hi [Name], thanks to your support, we were able to [details of specific impact]. 🙌 We’re so glad you’re a part of our mission to [summary of mission]. Learn more about how you’ve made a difference here: [link to report or blog post].”
- Event reminders: “🗓️ Only [X] more days left until our [Event Name]! We’re thrilled that you’ll be joining us, [Name]. Too excited to wait? Use the [#eventhashtag] to connect with other attendees before the big day!
- Volunteer openings: “[Name], we know you’re passionate about [specific project or area of mission]. We have the perfect volunteer opportunity for you! 📣We’d love your help with [specific task]. Sign up here: [link to volunteer registration page].”
- Matching gift opportunities: “Thank you for your donation, [Name]! Did you know that you can double your impact? 🎁 Your gift of $[donation amount] may be eligible for a match through your employer. Find out more here: [link to matching gift information].”
Look for opportunities to incorporate emojis, eye-catching images, and video clips to make these text messages even more engaging.
3. Two-Way Communication
Unlike email newsletters or blog posts, text messages more directly invite responses from donors. To make donors feel more like active participants in your nonprofit’s mission, encourage two-way communication through short polls and surveys. For example, you can ask about:
- Donation feedback: “[Name], we want to make it easier for donors like you to support our mission! Which giving option are you most interested in? Reply 1 for Donor-Advised Funds, 2 for Stock Giving, and 3 for Cryptocurrency Donations.”
- Event experiences: “We loved having you at our last event, [Name]! Can you please share how satisfied you were with the accessibility and accommodations? Reply 1 for Very Satisfied, 2 for Somewhat Satisfied, and 3 for Not Satisfied.”
- Communication preferences: “[Name], we want to keep you in the loop! What type of content are you most interested in receiving from us? Reply 1 for Success Stories, 2 for Behind-the-Scenes Looks, and 3 for Educational Resources.”
- Volunteer interests: “[Name], we’d love for you to support us as a volunteer! What types of opportunities are you most interested in? Reply 1 for Long-Term, 2 for Short-Term, and 3 for Virtual.”
Make the most of the information you collect by storing everything in organized donor profiles. NPOInfo’s donor data management guide suggests establishing a standardized format for data entry, such as using St. instead of St or Street, to make it easy to find the information you need later on.
4. Thoughtful Appreciation
Text messages are quick, casual ways to stay in touch with donors throughout the year. Beyond sending an automatic donation follow-up text, your nonprofit can identify additional opportunities to reach out and make its donors feel valued.
For example, consider sending:
- Holiday greetings: “Happy holidays, [Name]! During this time of celebration, we want to take this opportunity to celebrate YOU! Thank you for all your support and for making our world a brighter place.”
- Birthday wishes: “Happy birthday, [Name]! We appreciate you and all the positive changes you’ve helped us make in our community. Have a fantastic day!”
- Milestone acknowledgements: “Happy anniversary, [Name]! We’re so grateful for all your support over the past [X years]. It’s thanks to you that we’re able to [details of nonprofit’s mission].”
Plus, there’s plenty of room to get creative with your appreciation text messages by incorporating additional thank-you methods—for example, linking to a personalized birthday eCard or directing donors to a digital recognition wall on your website.
As you continue sending text messages to donors, assess your performance by monitoring metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, response rates, and opt-out rates. Use these insights to refine your nonprofit’s text strategy for stronger engagement over time.
Author: Mike Snusz, Director of Nonprofit Customer Experience at Tatango. He brings 19 years of digital fundraising experience to his role as Director of Nonprofit Customer Experience at Tatango, a text messaging platform for nonprofits and political campaigns. Prior to Tatango, Mike spent 15 years at Blackbaud leading a team of digital consultants that helped nonprofits improve their online fundraising, monthly giving, email marketing and peer-to-peer fundraising programs. Mike started his nonprofit career managing the Ride For Roswell from 2003 to 2005 in his hometown of Buffalo, NY.