Getting people to donate to your nonprofit can be a challenge, so the easier you make it, the better. Using text messaging is a simple way to get an instant response.
Here are seven examples of nonprofits using texting to make it easier to donate:
- Easy Donate Option in Video
The First Responders Children’s Foundation has a video featuring Ryan Seacrest urging people to support first responders: “Let’s show up for the people who show up for us everyday.” The video encourages people to text ‘brave’ to 24365 to donate.
- Simple Pitch From the Stage
Tarek Abujabarah from Palestine Children’s Relief Fund used Rally Corp during a large event to encourage his audience to donate. “The event was great and a big success for us,” he said. “We managed to hit our target in terms of donations, and about 50% of them came through the text-to-donate system.” The event’s emcee repeatedly invited the audience to text a keyword to 24365 to donate. Abujabarah added that it was a simple way to get people to act in the moment and they were able to get it set up just a few days before the event. - Meeting a Stranger
Darryl Carnley from My360Project has never met a stranger. In fact, he loves to meet new people and is always sharing his passion for putting shoes on the feet of kids around the world. One afternoon while sitting in a coffee shop waiting on a friend, he met a woman and struck up a conversation. During the exchange, she asked Carnley if he had a card. Embarrassed, he didn't, but he offered a simple option for her to find his website by suggesting she text ‘shoes’ to 24365. When he returned to the office later that day, he discovered that not only did she visit the site, but gave $1,000. He now carries a business card with a QR code to his text-to-donate number/keyword—that way he is sure to capture their number to thank them for their interest (or donation). - Association Donations
The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA), the largest association for agri-marketing professionals in the country, uses Rally’s text-to-donate feature. They encourage people to text ‘NAMA’ to 24365 to donate. - Festival Donations
Attendees at the Richmond Folk Festival have stopped carrying cash, which means the festival’s donation buckets weren’t being filled. So they added a text-to-donate option with Rally, where people could text ‘folk’ to 24365 and donate. “We’re thrilled how easy it is for the user,” said Stephen Lecky, director of events for Venture Richmond, in Style Weekly. “The analytics are going to be amazing. We’ll be able to quickly see how donations are going and where they’re coming from, if there’s a particularly great performance on one stage. I’m excited to see it happen in real time.” - Toy Drive
The Los Angeles County Fire Department used Rally for their annual toy drive. The Spark of Love toy drive encouraged supporters to text ‘spark’ to 24365 to donate. By the end of the drive they were able to deliver more than 27,000 toys and sports equipment to children and teens in the Southern California area.
- Share a Win
Ascencia is a nonprofit that lifts people out of homelessness. They texted a picture of Juan in his new home and told the story of how Ascencia case managers worked with Juan to get him a new start. Then they made a quick pitch to "please support others in need of a home"—simple and compelling. Sharing your successes is a huge way to both encourage your supporters and prompt more donations.
Those are just seven quick examples of nonprofits using texting to encourage donations with the Rally platform. If you want to make donating easier, book a demo now to see how Rally can work for you.
