Text-to-Give: Raise More Through Mobile Donations
As nonprofit fundraising solutions have become more digital and mobile, nonprofits are able to gather donations from supporters from anywhere at any time – making text fundraising a huge nonprofit advantage.
Text-to-give (also referred to as text giving, text-to-donate, and Text2Give) enables donors to make donations right from their smartphones, using their phones’ native texting application and web browser. It’s a quick and convenient giving channel that donors can use to support their favorite nonprofits at anytime, from anywhere.
But why use it and how does it work?
- The Why: Text-to-give is an ideal donation channel using a device that donors are already familiar with. Nonprofits use text giving for everyday fundraising, as well as during auctions and other events to accept donations for live appeals. Churches also implement text-to-tithe during services!
- The How: Text-to-give is easy. Donors simply text your nonprofit’s unique keyword to the short-code provided by your vendor. From there, your supporters will receive a link that takes them to a donation page with information about your campaign and donation amounts. Then, they can make a donation with their credit/debit card or digital wallet. The entire process takes only minutes to complete.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the basics, details of the software, and how it is used by fundraisers in practice. Let’s dive in!
Text-to-Give Basics
How Text Giving Works
Step 1: Initiate the Text-to-Give Transaction
Donors will initiate the text-to-give transaction by texting the pre-selected keyword you chose to your nonprofit’s shortcode (a shortened phone number used to direct the transaction to you and your service).
The keyword will indicate which campaign the donor wishes to allocate their contribution to.
Step 2: Click the Link
As confirmation of their text, the donor will instantly receive a response text message that includes the link to a mobile-friendly, branded donation page that’s associated with the campaign they selected.
They can use the intuitive interface to indicate their donation amount and fill in their payment information.
Making it easy to complete a text donation in a few simple steps is key!
Step 3: Complete the Donation!
Once the donor has filled out the form with all of the necessary information, all that’s left is to press the “Give Now” button and submit their donation!
After they’ve donated, they automatically receive a confirmation email in their inbox that includes a donation receipt. Your nonprofit should be able to customize the follow-up and include an acknowledgement if you so choose.
It’s really that easy!
Benefits of Text-to-Give
| Benefit | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Convenience | Text to donate software is one of the most convenient donation channels out there! With robust text-to-give software, completing a transaction usually takes as few as 2 or 3 clicks. Donors can submit their gifts in minutes, and you know what that means! More convenience equals more donations. |
| Meet Donors Where They Are | If your organization has implemented text-to-give, the potential to donate is right in your donors’ pockets! In other words, this channel meets donors where they are, through a platform they use daily. Since the learning curve is so low, text giving should be relatively intuitive to your donors, and they should be able to start using it almost immediately. |
| Give From Anywhere | With text giving, donors no longer have to log onto their computers, mail in a check, or attend an event to make a donation (although one would hope that they still would!). Instead, they can make a donation from anywhere, the instant the urge hits—granted that they have cell service, of course. Since the possibility to give is so immediate, donors will be more likely to follow through once the fancy strikes! |
| Collect Funds Quickly | Text-to-give isn’t just convenient for donors; it’s super convenient for nonprofits, too! Since donors are able to give so quickly and many services deposit funds directly into your nonprofit’s bank account, your organization will have a shorter turnaround time for receiving funds. Having those funds in your bank account sooner means you can start enacting change sooner. |
| Seamless Data Capture | Text-to-give services can help you capture important donor data, such as names, payment information, and other insights. You can then integrate your text-to-give software with your CRM, so all donor data you collect is automatically recorded in donor profiles for future reference. Collecting donor data is a much more seamless experience with text giving than it would be with offline giving channels, since manual data transfer is minimal. |
| Unique Engagement Opportunity | Seeing as mobile is so prevalent, many of your supporters likely prefer engaging with you over their phones. Text-to-give allows your donors to interact with your organization over mobile at the pinnacle of nonprofit engagement: making a donation! Implementing text donations can give your fundraising strategy more variety and help you appeal to more of your donors’ giving preferences. |
Text-to-Give Features
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Customizable Donation Forms | Build mobile-responsive donation forms that are unique to your organization by customizing logos, fields, and gift amounts. Display a thermometer showing donors how close you are to meeting your fundraising goals to encourage even more giving! |
| Unique Keywords | Select a custom keyword that’s unique to your nonprofit, so there will be no question that donors are sending their gifts to your organization. |
| Scoreboards | With text-to-give scoreboards, you can track your donations in real-time and display fundraising thermometers, so you and your donors can easily visualize the progress you’re making toward your goals. You even have the option to feature donors’ names and give them a little extra acknowledgement during your next fundraising event! |
| Automated Follow-Ups | Automate email acknowledgements and donation receipts to be sent out directly after donors have completed a text-to-give transaction. With this feature, your organization has one less thing to worry about, and your donors always have the peace of mind knowing that you’ve received their gifts. |
| CRM Integration | Text-to-give software should seamlessly integrate with your nonprofit CRM. If integration with your donor database isn’t supported, you can easily export detailed reports on the donor data you collect from text-to-give as .CSV files and import them into your CRM for future consultation. |
| Secure Payment Processing | Process all transactions you receive through text donations quickly and securely. Your software should enable you to accept most major credit and debit cards. PCI-compliant processing means you and your donors can rest assured knowing that sensitive information will always be safe. |
Get Started with OneCause
Powerful missions need powerful fundraising software! With OneCause Online Fundraising and Text2Give®, you can deliver a seamless giving experience, extend the reach of your fundraising, and drive your mission year-round.
Common Text-to-Give Myths—Debunked!
Myth #1: Text Giving Is Expensive
THE MYTH
Many organizations are hesitant to get started with text-to-give, because they have misperceptions about how much it costs.
They’re afraid they’re going to have to spend thousands of dollars on a shortcode, not to mention the actual costs of the software, payment processing fees, and other expenses.
THE TRUTH
While some services might cost an arm and a leg, text-to-give software is actually pretty affordable on the whole.
Vendors offer multiple price levels to accommodate a range of budgets. For example, Text2Give from OneCause starts as low as just $495/year.
Myth #2: Only Younger Donors Will Use Text-to-Give
THE MYTH
Text giving is a relatively new and technologically advanced donation channel.
Many organizations are hesitant to purchase it, because they think that only younger donors (millennials, in particular) will use it.
Since many organizations have an older donor base that they believe won’t use text to donate, they worry that it won’t be a sound investment.
THE TRUTH
Surprisingly, the main text-to-give demographic isn’t millennials! The typical text-to-give user is actually a woman between 49-59 years old who has a college degree.
That being said, almost everyone owns a smartphone and uses it to text on a regular basis.
Chances are that text donations would be easy to use and convenient for many of your donors, no matter what age they are!
Myth #3: The Funds Will Take Months to Hit Your Nonprofit’s Account
THE MYTH
It once was the case that many text-to-give services would charge donors by tacking the donation amount directly onto their phone bills.
Since donors had to receive and pay their phone bills before their donations could be completed, funds could sometimes take 90 or more days to hit the nonprofit’s bank account.
Many organizations still have lingering misconceptions from earlier versions of text-to-give software and worry that it will take weeks, if not months, for them to receive the donations they collect through this channel.
THE TRUTH
Luckily, since text-to-give has become more prominent, the way it functions has changed significantly over the years (at least, for most vendors).
Now, instead of including donations on a donors’ phone bills, many services deposit funds directly into the nonprofit’s bank account.
That means that the time it takes to receive donations has been cut down significantly. In fact, with Text2Give from OneCause, funds can be deposited in the organization’s bank account in as little as 2 days after the transaction!
Myth #4: Your Organization Will Have to Split the Proceeds with Cell Service Providers
THE MYTH
Text-to-give services that include the donation amount on the donors’ phone bill also presented another downside for organizations.
Since donations were going through the carrier first, the service provider would often take a percentage of the donation as a convenience fee.
Organizations were receiving only a portion of the funds they raised, adding on yet another cost that deterred many nonprofits from getting started with text donations.
THE TRUTH
Now, most text-to-give services deposit the funds directly into the nonprofits’ bank account as opposed to lumping donations in with the donor’s phone bill.
That means that the cell service provider won’t even see the donations, and your organization won’t have to worry about splitting your proceeds with them.
With modern forms of text giving, your organization will be able to keep more of the funds you raise to put toward the amazing work that you do!
Myth #5: There’s a Cap on How Much Donors Can Give
THE MYTH
In earlier forms of text-to-give, donations were often capped at a mere $5-$10.
Many organizations still believe that this is the case and don’t think it’s worthwhile to invest in a donation channel that can only be used to give such small amounts.
THE TRUTH
Now, most services allow you to collect donations of all sizes with text-to-give!
Since you can customize the donation form where donors land to complete the transaction, you can set gift amounts wherever you’d like. Donors can even enter their own!
Selecting Text-to-Give Software
Understanding Text-to-Give Terms
Shortcodes
Shortcodes are shortened versions (usually around 4-5 digits) of standard phone numbers that donors use to direct their donations to a nonprofit.
Using shortcodes is advantageous because it’s quicker and there’s less room for error. Plus, they can handle a higher volume of texts, allowing donors to receive an instant response.
Tokenization
Tokenization is a security measure used by many text-to-give services to reduce the chances that sensitive data could fall into the wrong hands.
More specifically, it is a process by which sensitive information (i.e. payment info) is replaced with a non-sensitive piece of code that can only be unencrypted by the payment processor.
PCI-Compliance
PCI-compliance refers to a set of security standards set out by the Payment Card Industry to help keep donors’ confidential information safe.
Text-to-give services that are PCI-compliant adhere to these standards. If your software isn’t PCI-compliant, your organization could be faced with fines or other penalties.
Keyword
A keyword is a unique, preselected word that the donor texts to the nonprofit’s short code number to indicate that they want to donate (for example, “DONATE”).
Using keywords helps distinguish between projects, campaigns, or even organizations if multiple nonprofits use the same shortcode.
What to Consider When Choosing a Text-to-Give Provider
PRICE
Of course, your organization will need to find text-to-give software that fits your budget. Keep in mind that the price listed on the vendor’s website doesn’t always reflect the true cost.
You also might need to consider payment processing fees, support, and other expenses. Make sure to ask your vendor to walk you through all costs.
Security
As we’ve touched on throughout this guide, security is of the utmost importance when it comes to text-to-give software (and any donation channel, for that matter!).
You should be working with a vendor who is PCI-compliant to ensure your donors’ sensitive information is safe and that you’re adhering to security standards.
Expediency of Funds
Ideally, your organization should be working with a text-to-give vendor who provides a short turnaround time for receiving funds.
Look for a provider who deposits donations directly into your bank account, as opposed to one who tacks donations onto your donors’ phone bills.
Simplicity
To get started with text to donate as quickly as possible, you should work with a vendor who provides quick and easy setup.
Additionally, you’ll want to find a service that minimizes the number of steps donors have to take to make a donation to maximize conversions.
IT Support
It’s important to be working with a text-to-give vendor who is easy to get in touch with and who addresses technical difficulties with minimal turnaround time.
You vendor should also provide a robust support document to help you troubleshoot issues yourself. At OneCause, we have an award-winning customer support team ready to serve fundraisers.
Integrations
For a seamless data capture process, your organization will want to integrate your text-to-give software with your donor database, event planning software, or other platforms.
See which integrations your vendor supports to help gauge if the software is right for you.
Common Text-to-Give Questions Answered
Try it for Yourself!
- Text GIVE to 243725 to demo*
- Click on the link
- Make a donation (credit card will not be charged)
- Use the following sample credit card number to make your gift: 4539 3946 7369 4021 exp: 01/25
* Message & data rates may apply
Text-to-Give in Practice
How Do Organizations Use Text-to-Give?
Auctions and Events
Nonprofits commonly use text to donate to accept donations during all types of fundraising events.
Text donations can particularly come in handy during the live appeal, a common event fundraising strategy wherein the organization makes an in-person request for donations to their event attendees.
If you’ve implemented text giving, donors can use your text-to-give service to submit their donations instead of having to fill out paper pledge cards.
To bring it to the next level, feature a scoreboard that shows progress towards your goals in real-time so donors can better visualize the impact of their gifts.
Since texting to give is much more convenient than other in-person donation methods, your event proceeds should soar!
Giving Days
Giving days have become all the rage in the fundraising world recently (looking at you, #GivingTuesday!).
Since these efforts are so condensed (just 24 hours!) nonprofits need a way to collect donations quickly.
Furthermore, since they have so little time to contribute, donors need to be able to drop what they’re doing and give from anywhere once they hear about the campaign.
Given that it’s one of the fastest donation channels and meets donors where they are, text-to-give is the perfect solution.
Implement it for your next giving day, and you’re sure to see success.
Disaster Relief
Text giving first came into popularity in 2010, when the Red Cross used it raise funds to help Haiti earthquake victims.
The Red Cross’ Haiti Earthquake Relief campaign managed to raise nearly $490 million dollars, suggesting that text giving was a successful way to administer aid—and fast.
Nonprofits still use text to donate to help them with emergency relief efforts.
Since the platform is so quick and convenient, organizations can raise a lot of funds and help those in dire need within a short amount of time, when it counts most!
Weekly Church Service
Text-to-give (referred to as text-to-tithe in the religious sector) has become increasingly popular among churches and other faith-based organizations.
More and more churches are providing text giving as an alternative giving method during their weekly services.
Instead of putting cash in the offering plate, congregants can simply text in their tithes, making the process more convenient.
Not to mention, since many people don’t carry around cash anymore, using text-to-tithe during church service can open up tithing to a larger portion of the congregation.
If your church would like to see more weekly tithes (and who wouldn’t?) consider offering text-to-tithe as an additional giving option at your weekly church services.
General Fundraising
Your organization doesn’t need a specific reason to implement text giving. It can come in handy for general fundraising, too!
Many nonprofits make text donations a staple of their fundraising strategy, offering it as another standard donation channel that donors can use at any time, for any campaign or project.
The advantage of using text to donate regularly is that it provides your donors with more variety when it comes to donating. The more giving channels you have open, the more of your donors’ preferences you can appeal to.
When donors can give on their terms, based on what’s most convenient for them, your gifts should skyrocket!
Considerations to Make When Implementing Text-to-Give
Incorporating Text-to-Give Into Fundraising Events
Before the Event
Step 1: Find a Provider
The first step to incorporating text-to-give into your event will be finding a provider, if you haven’t selected one already. If you need a little help with this process, click on the title of this step to jump down to the section on choosing text-to-give software.
Step 2: Try it For Yourself
Before the event, your organization should try out the text-to-give software for yourself. By knowing exactly how it works, you’ll be better able to explain text-to-give to your donors in your event promotions and answer any questions that arise during the event.
Step 3: Promote Text-to-Give
If you want your donors to get on board with using text-to-give at your event, you’ll have to let them know it’s an option! In your promotions leading up to the event, make sure to tell donors about text-to-give and explain how they can use it.
During and After the Event
Step 1: Conduct a Live Appeal
One of the most common uses of text-to-give during fundraising events is to collect donations after a live appeal. Have one of your staff or board members get up and request donations from your guests. Spell out a clear goal and briefly walk guests through how to use text-to-give.
Step 2: Display a Scoreboard
Many text-to-give services come with a scoreboard that displays a fundraising thermometer, which updates in real-time as guests submit their gifts. Project your scoreboard after your appeal has been made to show guests how close they are to reaching your goal and boost giving!
Step 3: Encourage Giving
Even if you meet your fundraising goal before your auction or event is over, you should still encourage more giving after the event! Let guests know that text-to-give will still be available to them if they missed out on the live appeal or would just like to make another contribution after your event.
Example of Text2Give® Scoreboard
Text-to-Give Best Practices
Choose the Right Provider
Not all text giving software is the same. Each service offers various packages, feature sets, and services.
It’s important to do some research into text donations and different providers before you enter into the buying process.
When you know what you need from both your software and your vendor, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t end up purchasing a solution that’s the perfect fit!
Explain How it Works
Since text 2 give is a relatively new channel, many of your donors are likely unfamiliar with how to use it. You’re going to have some explaining to do!
Any time you’re promoting text giving, briefly walk your donors through how to use it.
When they understand how text-to-give works and know how to get started, your donors will feel more confident and comfortable using it to make donations!
Activate Supporters
If you’re using text-to-give during a fundraising event or in another in-person setting, think through how you are going to motivate and inspire your supporters to give.
Creating engaging giving moments is key. Be sure to connect the appeal to your mission and why the donation is important.
Connecting supporters to your cause in a virtual world will move them from thinking about a donation, to actively giving!
Connect Gifts to Results
Since they’re digital, text-to-give transactions can seem less tangible. It’s crucial to actively build trust with your supporters.
Make sure to connect gifts with concrete results so that supporters know their donations are actually being put to good use.
Send text donors an acknowledgment telling them specifically how their gift will be used, and give them frequent updates on your projects and campaigns.
Promote Through All Channels
Since you’re implementing an entirely new giving channel, it’s important to promote text donations to your donors.
Take a multichannel approach to promotions that includes offline and in-person outreach, too.
By promoting text-to-give through all channels, more of your donors will be aware of this giving option and able to give through it if they prefer mobile.
Acknowledge Donations
Another crucial part of retaining donors and building trust is showing your gratitude!
Don’t forget to thank text donors so that they’ll know their donations have been received and are appreciated.
You can automate acknowledgements using your text-to-give software, but you should still follow up with a more personalized thank-you within 48 hours after the donation.
