The Ultimate Guide to Text-to-Give Fundraising for Nonprofits

Text-to-give fundraising has become one of the most powerful and convenient ways for nonprofits to raise money. With mobile phones becoming an integral part of everyday life, the ability to give through a simple text message provides donors with a seamless and instant way to support their favorite causes. Nonprofits of all sizes can leverage this technology to increase donations, engage supporters, and drive fundraising success.

This ultimate guide will walk you through everything you need to know about text-to-give fundraising, from how it works to the benefits, best practices, and tools you can use to launch a successful campaign.

What is Text-to-Give Fundraising?

Text-to-give is a mobile fundraising method that allows donors to contribute to a nonprofit by sending a text message to a designated phone number. In most cases, the donor texts a keyword (e.g., “GIVE” or “DONATE”) to a short code or phone number, then follows a simple process to complete the donation.

This method simplifies the giving process and is particularly effective for fundraising campaigns that aim to reach people on the go or during live events, such as galas, church services, or conferences.

How Text-to-Give Works

The text-to-give process is designed to be quick and easy. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown:

1. Donor Sends a Text: The donor texts a keyword (e.g., GIVE) to a designated phone number or short code provided by the nonprofit.
2. Confirmation and Link: The donor receives an automated response with a link to a secure donation page.
3. Donation Details: The donor clicks the link, enters their payment details (credit card, debit card, or mobile wallet), and selects the donation amount.
4. Donation Confirmed: The donor receives a thank-you message or confirmation receipt via text or email.
5. Nonprofit Receives Funds: The donation is processed, and the funds are deposited into the nonprofit’s account.

Many platforms also allow for recurring donations, giving donors the option to automate their contributions on a weekly, monthly, or annual basis.

Benefits of Text-to-Give for Nonprofits

Text-to-give fundraising offers several unique advantages for nonprofits:

1. Convenience for Donors With mobile phones always at hand, donors can give anytime, anywhere, with just a few taps on their screens. There’s no need to visit a website or write a check.
2. Instant Donations Text-to-give enables real-time donations, making it ideal for live events, emergency appeals, or urgent fundraising campaigns where speed matters.
3. High Engagement Texting is one of the most engaging forms of communication. Text messages have a 98% open rate, far surpassing email, ensuring your fundraising appeals reach donors.
4. Broad Donor Reach Text-to-give appeals to donors of all demographics, especially younger generations like Millennials and Gen Z, who are highly mobile-driven and prefer digital giving options.
5. Increased Donations Streamlining the donation process reduces friction and encourages more people to give. Recurring giving options also help increase lifetime donor value.
6. Easy Setup and Management Many text-to-give platforms are user-friendly, easy to set up, and come with built-in tools for tracking donations and managing donor data.

Best Practices for Text-to-Give Fundraising

To maximize the success of your text-to-give campaigns, follow these best practices:

Choose the Right Platform Look for platforms that offer:

• Easy setup and management
• Secure payment processing
• Custom keywords
• Integration with donor management systems
• Affordable pricing and low transaction fees

Make it Easy to Understand Keep your text-to-give instructions clear and simple. Example: “Text GIVE to 12345 to donate $25 to [Nonprofit Name]. Follow the link to confirm your gift.”

Use Keywords that Resonate Choose keywords that are easy to remember, short, and relevant to your campaign. Examples:

• GIVE
• SUPPORT
• FEED (for a hunger relief campaign)
• BUILD (for a capital campaign)

Promote Your Campaign Share posts, stories, and videos explaining how to donate. Use email, website, and events to share your keyword.

Create a Sense of Urgency Encourage immediate action with phrases like:

• “Help us reach our goal of $10,000 by midnight!”
• “Your gift today will provide meals for families in need.”

Optimize the Donor Experience Ensure donation pages are mobile-friendly and limit the number of steps required to give.

Send Thank-You Messages Thank donors promptly with an automated message to acknowledge their support.

Follow Up with Donors Send updates on the impact of their donations, and encourage recurring gifts.

Track and Measure Results Monitor campaign performance and use data to optimize future campaigns.

Top Platforms for Text-to-Give Fundraising

1. Tithe.ly
2. Givelify
3. Kindrid
4. Snowball
5. CharityAuctionsToday (Ideal for events and auctions)

Text-to-Give vs. Text-to-Donate: What’s the Difference?

• Text-to-Give: The donation is charged to the donor’s mobile phone bill.
• Text-to-Donate: The donor completes the donation through a secure online form using credit/debit cards or mobile wallets.

Most modern platforms use text-to-donate for larger donations and recurring gifts.

Final Thoughts

Text-to-give fundraising is a powerful, accessible, and convenient tool for modern nonprofits. By implementing best practices and choosing the right platform, your organization can tap into the power of mobile giving to achieve fundraising success. Whether you're running a large campaign, hosting an event, or responding to an urgent need, text-to-give is a flexible and effective solution for driving donations.