Every job comes with its challenges, but working for a nonprofit can be complex in an entirely different way. It often seems like no matter how many items you check off the to-do list, there are just as many to add. In those times, motivation usually boils down to sheer passion for the cause at hand. When it’s a non-profit government organisation or a smaller grassroots charity, chances are there’s a lot more going on than what your role’s description actually states.
Given the hustle and bustle of completing tasks, are you able to communicate enough with supporters? A large number of nonprofit professionals end up making use of a text messaging service to address that. Now more than ever, mobile giving is on a meteoric rise. Nonprofits are seeing more and more benefit in text giving.
Read on for tips on how nonprofits can make use of text messaging:
COVID-19 Communication
It goes without saying (sometimes literally) that donors have a stake in your cause. They care about what’s happening for the mission to be achieved as well. In times of crisis, such as the current coronavirus pandemic, it’s key for proactive nonprofits to express their care for donors. Keeping them in the loop on updates and developments will help to show how valued they are.
Fundraising
Campaigns Encouraging Text-To-Give
A great way to get help is through using an automated SMS service, asking donors to send a text message “keyword” to a certain “shortcode”. DONATE to 12345 is a good example of this. The donations will either get added to the donor’s phone bill or through a donation page link. It should be noted that these need a solid marketing strategy to be truly successful. The upside of this method is the speed and ease with which donations can come in real time.
Emergency Aid Appeal
Sometimes, a crisis will emerge that requires an urgent response in real time. Funding is crucial with every second that passes in those situations. Texting can help in this arena, and it’s been proven to help. A good example is the Haiti earthquake relief campaign of Red Cross; with text donations alone, they raised over $43 million.
P2P donation solicitation
P2P, or peer-to-peer, adds a more human touch to fundraising. This is given the lowering response rate to door-knocking and phone calls that political canvassers have noted in recent years. Texting has taken the lead, which adds convenience on both ends. Moreover, with a mass texting service no additional time is spent by your nonprofit.
Gratitude
Never underestimate the difference thanking your donors can make. It can mean a second gift, especially for first-time donors. You can always reach out in a more personal way later on, but in the meantime, they won’t feel undervalued after giving.
Conclusion
Nonprofit professionals often have their hands full, running to complete the tasks on their to-do list. A great way to make sure there’s still good communication with supporters is through text messaging. This can be made use of to express gratitude, hold fundraising for emergency aid appeal, and text-to-give campaigns.
Looking for a text messaging service for nonprofits? Check out Main Street Contact today! It’s a powerful web-based platform created to help you send voice and text messages with ease.