Why Nonprofit Text Messaging Has Evolved Beyond Text-to-Give in 2024

Nonprofit text messaging has evolved well beyond text-to-give and now operates similar to an email program. Instead of using texting as a reactive, transactional channel, nonprofits are proactively using text messaging as an ongoing relationship-building and conversion channel. 

Before I get there, though, let’s take a step back. What is text-to-give? 

Here’s an example. A nonprofit shares “Text GIVE to 70705 to feed a child” on social posts, event signage, direct mail, email and/or other channels. People text that keyword (“GIVE”) to the number (70705). They receive a text reply with a link to a donation form and click on that link to donate.

Text-to-give is probably most well-known for raising $43 million to help victims of the Haiti earthquake in 2010. Those donors texted “Haiti” to a number like “90999” to donate $10. Instead of receiving a link to a donation form, those donors gave directly through their phone carrier. 

Text-to-give evolved beyond donating through phone carriers, though, to instead giving via donation forms for a few reasons:

1. Limited donation information received from phone carriers.
2. Difficulty knowing who donors were that gave via phone carriers.
3. Donors give more than $10, as the average online gift is $121, according to M+R Benchmarks 2023.

So why have nonprofits dialed back text-to-give and taken a different approach to texting? As retention rates have declined and email deliverability challenges have increased, nonprofits have needed text messaging to do more than text-to-give. 

Here are four reasons nonprofit text messaging has evolved beyond text-to-give in 2024.

1. To Proactively Reach Donors

Text-to-give is largely a reactive way to communicate. After nonprofits add “Text GIVE to 70705 to feed a child” to their communication channels, they wait for people to send that text. If they don’t, the nonprofit won’t send them the donation link.

Nonprofits are instead proactively texting donors timely fundraising appeals with stories, problems to solve, matching gifts, goals and more. They’re sending event recruitment and coaching texts. These texts have images, short videos or GIFs. Sounds a lot like email, right? 

Rather than using text-to-give, nonprofits are growing their text messaging list, texting thousands with one click of a button and proactively getting messages in front of their constituents. 

2. To Send Ongoing Text Messages

Text-to-give is often a one-time communication. Unless terms and conditions are shown that they’re opting in for text messages, constituents will only receive one text message. No ongoing texts will be sent. 

This is problematic for several reasons. Only 20% of visitors complete a donation form, according to M+R, so there isn't a way to follow up with someone who doesn't donate. If the person does donate, the nonprofit cannot follow up with retention communications via the channel that person used to donate.

Instead of text-to-give, nonprofits are using “text-to-join” to encourage people to join their text subscriber list. For example, a nonprofit might share “Text CHILD to 70705 to join the fight against child poverty” so they can send ongoing text messages to respondents. This approach allows them to engage, convert and cultivate constituents.

3. To Focus on Relationships and Not Just Transactions

Text-to-give is focused on driving donations, which is important. But it’s largely a transactional approach to fundraising. It does not allow nonprofits to continue to meet donors where they are or communicate via the channel supporters used to donate.

With the donor retention decreasing 1.3% through the first three quarters of 2023 and the lowest donor retention rate recorded in 2022, donor retention is getting worse, not better. 

Nonprofits are instead using text messaging to engage and steward donors to help build relationships and improve retention rates. When timely donor renewal messages need to quickly reach donors, 90% of text messages are opened within the first three minutes. 

4. To Overcome Declining Email Results

With email response rates declining 18% in 2022, according to M+R, and email deliverability challenges continuing, it’s harder for nonprofit emails to make it into the inbox, get noticed and drive donations. Text messaging’s 99% open rate ensures more people will see important messages from a nonprofit.

Besides directly driving donations, text messaging can help lift other channels like email. M+R found that adding text messaging to an existing email fundraising program can increase the amount of revenue raised per person by 30%.

Nonprofit texting has matured beyond text-to-give and now operates as a mainstay alongside other ongoing communication channels, like email, direct mail and social ads. For some sophisticated nonprofit texting programs, the money raised through text messaging now surpasses email. Expect more nonprofits to evolve their texting programs in 2024 to also focus on increasing donor engagement and retention.

The preceding post was provided by an individual unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of NonProfit PRO.