5 Examples of Using Text Messaging in the Midst of a Crisis

Crisis situations require emergency response, and that means quick communication is essential. Text messaging is ideal in an emergency. Many nonprofits rely on Rally to roll out vital information and ways to donate using texts in the middle of a crisis.

Here are five examples showing how nonprofits responded to a crisis situation using text messaging with the Rally platform:

• Crisis Response in Ukraine
  Founded in 2010 after the Haiti earthquake, CORE responds to crises around the world. This spring, founder Sean Penn met with local officials in Ukraine and mobilized his social media followers to learn more and donate. He shared a simple call to action, encouraging people to text CORE to 24365 to donate using the Rally platform. Simple and direct communication is vital in a crisis and can move supporters to action.

• Redirecting Kindness
  At the height of the pandemic, hospitals were flooded with well-meaning gifts and food from their community—sometimes getting dozens of pizzas delivered to the ER. While the staff were incredibly grateful, the ER was not the place to manage piles of pizza. Stacy Buono oversees annual giving and donor relations for RWJBarnabas Health, a network of independent healthcare providers in New Jersey, and had to help share needs and direct support to where it would do the most good. They invited people to text a keyword to learn how they could help, sharing the number in press releases and on social media to better redirect people’s efforts.
  
  
• Meals After Hurricane Ida
  When Hurricane Ida hit the Gulf Coast, Mercy Chefs quickly launched a text-to-donate campaign using Rally to support their effort feeding victims of the storm. They shared the short, easy-to-remember phone number on social media, and local press shared it in their reporting. That allowed their message to go out quickly and capture donations in the moment of need.

• Shift to Text-to-Donate
  “Once we all realized that the pandemic would prevent us from having in-person events to fundraise for the hospital, we had to quickly shift gears to think of new ways to engage our committees and board,” said Rachael Poer from Queen of the Valley Medical Center. With Rally Corp’s platform, they were able to encourage their friends to give to the hospital through a simple text-to-donate option and follow up with potential supporters who were eager to stay connected to the fight.
  
  
• Tornado Response
  When an unexpected tornado swept through Gaylord, Michigan, killing two and injuring 44, the Eastern Michigan division of the Salvation Army jumped into action. Local officials asked for help, and the Salvation Army, along with other organizations, worked to provide food, housing, and support to the many victims. They asked people to text “Tornado” to 24365 to donate.
  

That’s a brief glance at five examples of nonprofits using texting in crisis situations through the Rally platform. If you need to respond in the moment, get started with Rally today.