Within nonprofit circles, donor engagement and stewardship for fundraising have kept permanent seats at the table of best practices over the years, and rightfully so. Fundraising and the generous contributions of believers in your mission-based work are essentially what keep operations in motion. So, what does nonprofit fundraising look like? In 2022, more ways than ever through events, crowdfunding, direct mailers, email marketing, online donations, door-to-door solicitation, text-to-give campaigns, and more. We’ve seen the success of text-to-give fundraising following tragedies like the 2010 Earthquake in Haiti, the 2019 Amazon wildfires, the 2019 – 2020 Australian Bushfires, and even some pandemic relief efforts leading up to now. Texting is a viable communication channel because we know people are on their phones, particularly during business hours.
While many groups incorporate texting their target audiences to save time and extend reach, it’s important to understand there is no “one size fits all” fundraising solution, because when implemented the wrong way, there are disadvantages to any fundraising strategy. Whether you’re new to the Hustle community or a preexisting client, we want to help you make well-informed decisions about your next fundraising communication strategy because Hustle is an educational resource as much as a texting solution and engagement tool. That said, let’s jump into some pros and cons of text-to-donate campaigns below.
Pros and Cons of Text-to-Donate Fundraising
Pros:
Immediate, Intuitive, Simple. Texting to donate is a convenient, user-friendly process that’s fast and optimized to reach people on the go anywhere. Usually initiated by replying with a data point like a phrase, zip code, or clicking on a call-to-action button, donors avoid having to fill out time-consuming forms or even input their credit card information in some instances.
Every Dollar Counts! Not every donor is willing to commit a large-sum contribution, nor should they have to in order to participate and help your mission. As we continue through economically trying times, some people want to contribute a few dollars at a time and still feel like they’re contributing towards accomplishing your goals. Text-to-donate campaign strategies help tap into the segment and turn new donors into long-term advocates.
Gigantic Reach. Over 97% of adults own a cell phone, smartphone, or other text-friendly mobile devices. Every month, 180 billion texts are sent, and in addition to boasting a 98% open rate, Americans check their phones 344 times per day on average.*
Cons:
Fund Timeliness. One aspect of texting that Hustle has no control over are carrier rules and regulations. In addition to various fees, typically, text-to-give donations processing times depend on the provider and can take up to a month.
Negating Donor Data. Be careful not to focus on making text messages too focused transactionally and miss an opportunity to glean valuable donor data such as their location, if they’re a new or repeat donor, and their interest level in receiving more information from your organization like email newsletters.
Flatlined Donor Stewardship. Organizations fundraising with texting solutions have to incorporate aspects of their branding and mission into donor stewardship during fundraisers or run the risk of gaining a one-time donation at the most.
Text-to-Donate Fundraising with Hustle
Single-Day Implementation. We believe the tools you use should help you do more while saving you on time. Hustle requires no more than 24 hours to implement and start sending actual text messages to your supporters. In three quick steps, your team is engaging on a 1:1 basis with a personal touch from your organization:
- Define Your Goals: Set a measurable goal for every campaign to track the impact of your promotional fundraising messages.
- Create Your Script: Create fully customizable scripts to make it easy for your team (however big or small) to talk to supporters and other audience members.
- Start Texting: Hustle’s desktop and mobile app allow your team to text 1000+ people an hour in messages containing up to 500 characters. Your contacts see a regular SMS or MMS from a local number, with the added benefit of an extended message fully encompassing your message and fundraising ask.
Who Do You Text?
While, the Hustle Customer Success Managers are available to help you optimize your text messaging campaigns and contact list for success, generally speaking, organizations and businesses use our platform to send messages to:
- Advocates, Donors and Supporters
- Members
- Event Alumni
- Customers
- Prospective Students
- University Alumni
- Volunteers
- Decentralized Employees
Hustle Testimonials: Texting Solutions Driving Nonprofit Fundraising
“I was someone who didn’t believe that this would work for our organization. I was so thrilled with how things turned out. The comparison between people who pledged vs. those who declined to give was easily 5 to 1.”
– Warren Egershei, Annual Campaigns Manager | Mercy For Animals
“For the organizations with whom we partner, adding Hustle to our communications mix has increased engagement, reinstated donors, enhanced revenue in other channels, and even triggered gifts of $1,000 or more. For organizations who are serious about focusing on donor-centric strategies, I’d enthusiastically recommend Hustle as the right way to level up your current efforts.”
– Chrissy Hyre, Vice President | Fearless Mobile Strategies
“We’ve used Hustle for both fundraising campaigns and general engagement with our audience members. Both have been very successful in starting conversations and answering questions in a very personal way. Our texters all feel like they are really getting to know the community members who text us back.”
– Taylor Beard, Associate Director of Direct Response Fundraising | KQED
More Ways Hustle’s Text Messaging Platform Helps You Save Time
- Easy-to-use mobile app
- Audience Segmentation
- Customizable Scripts
- Tailor messages with agility for every situation
- Tagging & Custom Fields
Fundraise with Conversational Peer-Based Messaging
Do you have questions about how Hustle can help make your next fundraising round a success? Are you new to texting solutions designed to drive authentic engagement at scale? Contact us and let us answer those questions and show you why Hustle’s the modern way to manage relationships through a demo showcasing our platform’s functionality in greater detail. Reach out today, and let’s start turning text into action!
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Sources:
U.S. Texting Statistics – The Local Projecthttps://www.localproject.net › docs › texting-stats
