Ready to supercharge your fundraising using a text-to-donate strategy? Text marketing can significantly increase donor contributions and loyalty.
Politicians definitely know that, especially after the most recent presidential race coming to an end.
Did you get any texts from your local, state and federal politicians? We sure did.
We have an integration with BlackBauds Raiser Edge NXT. Click here to learn more.
Text message marketing isn’t just for politicians. Anyone can harness its power to rally support for a worthy cause. For example you can be a startup trying to raise capital for a new business idea or venture, a non-profit raising money for local initiatives or charitable causes that align with the company’s values and community objectives, an angel investor seeking investments from individuals or firms in a company’s early stage.
Text message marketing is highly favored because it has use case versatility, it’s a vehicle that can carry and deliver any message. Here we dived into how you can create your very own text-to-donate campaign and system using Textmunication.
What is text-to-donate fundraising?
Text-to-donate fundraising is a text messaging marketing strategy that allows charities, non-profits, political interest groups and social good organizations to create a text marketing funnel that allows them to receive donations within a few taps.
Which is why it has become so popular as a fundraising methodology. With a few simple steps, you can send, deliver and collect.
Setting up a text-to-donate campaign
Text-to-donate fundraising is a text messaging marketing strategy that allows businesses, charities, non-profits, schools, churches, social, political and business interest groups to create a text marketing funnel that allows them to receive donations within a few taps.
Which is why it has become so popular as a fundraising methodology. With a few simple steps, you can send, deliver and collect.
The head of your strategy can change based on several variables, but if you decide to use Textmunication this is how a successful strategy can be completed with us:
- Step 1: Organizing existing donorsIf you already have a list of your donor base who have given you permission to text them then you can easily import them into the platform. Also, if you do not have their consent you can always load your group then send them a few disclaimer text. Here is a sample:”Hi, it’s John at Sacred Heart! I am trying to raise money for [social good cause]. If you are not interested you can reply STOP to stop future messages. Msg & data rates may apply.”
This step can go a long way in increasing donor and contribution probability. Always think of your recipients.
- Step 2: Generating new donors and supporters
For the success of your text-to-donate campaign it’s crucial that you have a supporter generation strategy involved in your execution plan. Here you want to use omni and multichannel marketing strategy to bring awareness to why your fundraising and who it impacts. At this step you want to review your collection toolkits: Is your text-enabled keywords, webforms, QR codes, and digital keypads all set up with auto-responders? If they are, you are all set to collect and manage your supporter and donorbase information.
- Step 3: Draft, schedule and send your campaignsTextmunication’s Smart Automated Messaging system, SAM is your campaign SMS and MMS delivery platform for mass and bulk texts. You can use SAM to: ask donors and supporters for contributions, give campaign timelines, share educational material and media to build demand around your cause. This is where you can experiment with campaign messaging types. Think of your customers, commit to a tone of voice, outreach consistency and show your recipients how passionate you are for your cause.
- Step 4: One-on-one communication using your inbox
What makes text messaging so useful is its conversational value. You don’t just have to send text, get to know your audience. Reach out to them on an individual level and learn about their supporter intent, run quick surveys and even offer them incentives.
- Step 5: Integrate with CRM to manage groups
Textmunication has integrations with leading global social good CRMs like Blackbaud. Our integration with Blackbaud’s Raisers Edge NXT which is a non-profit CRM software that is built for fundraising teams. Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge NXT one system to manage all your supporter relationships in a single hub. It helps your nonprofit track and trace your more high-impact supporters so you can engage them.
With our seamless integration, all of your Blackbaud CRM groups are pre=populated into Textmunication’s database for direct SMS and MMS engagement.
One of the most powerful ways to use text-to-donate is by including donation links directly in your text messages. This streamlined approach allows your supporters to donate with a single click, increasing the likelihood of immediate action.
To enable this feature, you’ll need to use a dedicated short code. These are 5 or 6-digit phone numbers managed by a specific administrator, allowing for seamless text-to-donate experiences.
A Note on Carrier Restrictions
Unfortunately, some carriers, such as AT&T, impose limitations on text messages containing donation links when using standard phone numbers. This can hinder direct fundraising efforts for nonprofits that may not have the resources to lease a short code.
Fostering the relationship
Now that you know the steps to send a text-to-donate campaign, your mission doesn’t quite end just yet. Your supporters and donorbase are busy and have to deal with numerous businesses communicating with them on the day-to-day.
To stay at the top-of-the-inbox and at the top-of-mind, it is important to set up automated or drip campaigns which will target your recipients based on specific data and time. This is an important component for existing and future text-to-donate campaigns because you can have it reach out instantly, hours, days or even weeks later.
You also don’t want to forget to thank donors, manners and acknowledgement goes a long way. To take it to the next level you can automate and give gifts in the form of discounts counts and links to specific landing page pages where they can take advantage of special offers, incentives or gifts.
Is text-to-donate safe?
Absolutely, donating by text is easy and secure. No complicated forms, just a few taps to link your supporters and donors to flexible online donation forms and funnels that you have created. No credit card details over text. Simply text to donate and complete the process on a secure website.
Want to send out a text-to-donate campaign? Book a demo here.
