Text Messaging
for Nonprofits
Your message is important. Instantly connect supporters, sponsors, donors, and volunteers with your mission using the 98% open rate of bulk SMS for nonprofits.
Feature-Rich Text Messaging
for Nonprofits
Grow Contributor Lists
Drip Campaign Templates
Bulk SMS Messaging
Two-Way Messaging
SMS Appointment Reminders
Long-Term Funding
Drive Donations & Engagement with
Text Marketing for Nonprofits
Top 5 Ways Nonprofits Use
Text Marketing
Grow Your Giving Network with
Text Messaging for Nonprofits
Advocacy & Engagement
- Reach your entire list, or communicate with individual team members via two-way texting
- Use Keywords and automated responses to provide helpful resources
- Use our pre-written drip campaign template, or create your own
Fundraising for Nonprofits
- Alert your audience to fundraising sites and campaigns
- Send SMS donation reminders to drive engagement throughout your campaign
- Fundraise faster with text-to-donate messages sent directly to mobile devices
TCPA Compliance: Above & Beyond
functionality, and SafeSTOP, to add required opt-out messaging with one simple click.
Powerful SMS Marketing Features
Dedicated Short Codes
Contact Management
MMS Picture Messaging
Nonprofit Integrations
Connect your nonprofit system to critical online tools, such as donor management software, fundraising platforms, CRM tools, payment processors, and more. including:
- Donorbox
- Bloomerang
- Hootsuite
- Paypal
- Stripe
Learn More About SMS for Nonprofits
Frequently Asked Questions
Nonprofits nationwide leverage SMS services in various use cases to effectively engage with their community of supporters, volunteers and members through personal, authentic conversations that strengthen relationships with their audience and achieve their goals. Here are some examples of how text messaging for nonprofits helps mobilize audiences:
- Donation & Fundraising: Nonprofits can send SMS messages to their supporters, informing them about fundraising campaigns, donation drives, or urgent funding needs. In each text regarding the campaign, EZ Texting allows you to include a donation link or a short code for easy and immediate contributions, making it convenient for supporters to contribute and help the cause.
- Event Promotion & Reminders: Have an upcoming event or gala? Nonprofits can use SMS to promote upcoming events, such as charity galas, community fundraisers, or awareness campaigns. Create thrilling experiences by sharing event details, reminders, and updates to ensure maximum attendance and engagement.
- Volunteer Recruitment & Coordination: Text messaging for nonprofits can be leveraged to recruit and coordinate volunteers for nonprofit activities. Organizations can easily send SMS messages to their volunteer pool, notifying them about volunteer opportunities, shifts, and any necessary instructions or updates.
- Program & Service Updates: Use EZ Texting’s SMS text marketing to keep your beneficiaries informed in real-time about program updates, service availability, or changes via SMS. For example, a healthcare nonprofit can send SMS reminders for medical appointments or medication schedules, ensuring timely access to care. Use text messaging for nonprofits to stay with your audience at home or on the go.
- Emergency Alerts & Disaster Response: SMS text messaging is a critically valuable communication channel for nonprofits during emergencies or natural disasters. You can send SMS messages to affected communities, providing crucial information about safety directives, relief efforts, resource distribution locations, and immediate next steps when it matters the most.
- Advocacy & Call-to-Action: Nonprofits can utilize SMS text messaging to mobilize and drive authentic engagement at scale with their supporters for advocacy purposes. Using EZ Texting, you can send SMS alerts about important legislative issues, encouraging recipients to contact their elected representatives or sign petitions to support specific causes.
- Educational Outreach: Inform, educate, and inspire. Nonprofits focused on education can leverage SMS to provide educational content and resources directly to target audiences. Through SMS text messages, send students study tips, informative articles, or links to online learning materials, adding benefit to the experience of those seeking knowledge.
- Feedback & Surveys: Gather feedback and glean audience intel that you can later be used to galvanize audiences by conducting surveys through text messaging for nonprofits. Use EZ Texting to send SMS text messages requesting feedback on your programs, events, or services, or use SMS-based surveys to gather valuable insights and improve your operations.
The primary benefit of using texting for nonprofits is the 98% open rate of SMS text messages. Leveraging the directness, secure deliverability, and intimacy of text messaging enables nonprofits to cut through the noise of other communication channels target audience engagement, conversations, and next best action steps to moving their mission forward. See more benefits of using text messaging for nonprofits:
- High Open Rates: SMS messages generally have a significantly higher open rate compared to emails. According to various industry reports, SMS open rates are as high as 98%, while email open rates average around 20%. This means SMS messages are significantly more likely to be seen and read by recipients.
- Increased Donor Engagement: Nonprofits that incorporate SMS marketing into their communication strategies often experience higher levels of donor engagement by way of their outbound messaging being received, opened, and engaged. Studies have shown that SMS campaigns can yield response rates as high as 45%, surpassing other marketing channels. The immediacy of SMS prompts supporters to take immediate action, such as making a donation or participating in your upcoming event.
- Improved Fundraising Results: SMS marketing has proven to be effective in driving fundraising efforts for nonprofits. Reports suggest that SMS appeals can generate higher response rates and donation amounts compared to other forms of communication. Some nonprofits have reported a doubling or tripling of their fundraising results after implementing SMS marketing campaigns.
- Enhanced Event Attendance: SMS plays a crucial role in promoting nonprofit events and increasing attendance rates. By sending event reminders, updates, and last-minute notifications via SMS, nonprofits effectively reach supporters and boost event participation. SMS reminders have been shown to decrease no-show rates and increase overall event engagement.
- Targeted & Personalized Messaging: Nonprofits leverage SMS text marketing to deliver timely, targeted, and personalized messages to their supporters. By segmenting their audience based on interests, demographics, or engagement history, nonprofits can send relevant content that resonates with recipients.
- Mobile-Friendly Giving: With the steadily increasing use of mobile devices, SMS marketing aligns well with mobile-friendly giving options. Using EZ Texting, nonprofits can embed shortened, trackable links in their SMS messages, directing recipients to mobile-optimized donation pages or crowdfunding platforms. This seamless donor experience helps facilitate quick and convenient giving, leading to higher conversion rates.
Nonprofits can measure the success of their SMS marketing efforts by analyzing performance metrics in their EZ Texting account dashboard including delivery rate, open rate, click-through rate (CTR), response rate, and subscriber growth. Together these metrics offer valuable insights into the reach, engagement, impact, and ROI of your SMS campaigns. By regularly evaluating these indicators, your nonprofit can better assess the effectiveness of its messages, optimize content, and make well-informed decisions to improve future SMS marketing strategies.
Learn more about how to measure success using EZ Texting here.
Yes! SMS marketing is perfect for targeting specific donor demographics or interests...all you need is their mobile contact number and consent to text. In your EZ Texting account, nonprofits can segment their SMS subscriber lists based on various criteria such as shared similar interests, locations, preferences, and more. By collecting and analyzing data from supporters, nonprofits can tailor their SMS messages to resonate with different segments of their audience more effectively. This allows for more personalized and targeted communication, ensuring that your contacts receive messages that are relevant and meaningful to their specific demographic or interest within your organization and its mission. Effective segmentation and targeting can lead to higher engagement, response rates, and ultimately, better donor relationships.
Yes! It's Important for nonprofits to consult legal counsel or seek guidance from regulatory bodies to ensure full compliance with applicable laws and regulations specific to their jurisdiction. When implementing text messaging for nonprofits, compliance with legal requirements and regulations is mandatory, and here are the key considerations:
- Consent: Nonprofits must obtain explicit consent from individuals before sending them SMS messages. This can be achieved through opt-in mechanisms, such as having supporters voluntarily provide their mobile numbers and agreeing to receive SMS communications. Consent should be freely given, specific, informed, and documented.
- Privacy: Nonprofits need to handle personal data collected for SMS marketing in accordance with applicable privacy laws, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the United States. This includes safeguarding personal information, implementing data protection measures, and providing transparent privacy policies.
- Unsubscribe/Opt-Out: Nonprofits must provide an easy and clear way for recipients to opt-out of receiving SMS messages. Every SMS should include instructions on how to unsubscribe, such as by replying with a specific keyword. Once a recipient has opted out, their number should be promptly removed from the SMS list, and no further messages should be sent to them.
- TCPA Compliance: In the United States, nonprofits must comply with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) when sending SMS messages. The TCPA regulates telemarketing and mandates certain requirements, including prior express written consent for promotional messages, clear identification of the sender, and the provision of opt-out mechanisms.
- Messaging Regulations: Nonprofits should be aware of any specific regulations or guidelines set by mobile network operators or regulatory authorities in their region. These regulations may include restrictions on message content, frequency, or commercial promotions. Complying with these guidelines helps ensure that SMS messages are delivered effectively and legally.