The Best First Text Message Your Nonprofit Can Send to New Donors

What should you say in your first text message to a new donor or supporter? In this video, Rally founder James Martin shares a proven four-step formula—and real examples—to help you build trust from the start.

Four-Part Donor Text Formula

1. Gratitude: Say thanks. It's simple, but important for nonprofit organization to say thank you.
2. Mission impact: How does this donation support your cause? Fundraising 101 is tie money to mission. Make that connection clear and direct.
3. Soft next step: What can this new donor do to learn more? What's a good next step? But make it a soft pitch. You're not asking for more money, you're giving them an opportunity to engage more.
4. Human sign off: Include your name to make it personal and human.

That's it—simple. Text message marketing doesn't have to be complicated. Implement a thank you as a follow up to your fundraising success and follow this easy formula to build donor relationships.

Donor Text Message Examples

So what's that donor text formula look like in action? Here are some example text messages:

• “Hi [First Name], thank you so much for supporting Demo Foundation 💙. Because of you, a family in crisis now has a safe place to sleep tonight. I’d love to show you how we put your gift to work—watch this 1-min video: [shortlink] –James @ Rally”
• “Hi [First Name], we’re so grateful for your support! Because of you, three local kids started school with brand-new supplies. Here’s a quick video showing what you made possible: [shortlink] –James, Demo Foundation”
• “Hey [First Name], thanks again for your recent gift 🙌. You helped us keep our crisis hotline open one more hour last night. Watch this short clip to see the impact: [shortlink] –James @ Rally”
• “Hi [First Name], your support made it possible to deliver 250 hot meals this week. Thank you! Here's a 1-minute video showing the lives you’re helping change: [shortlink] –James, Demo Foundation”

We're Here to Help Nonprofits

Texting is a highest-engagement channel. When done right, texting doesn’t feel like marketing—it feels like mission in motion.

Want to automate and personalize your donor journey? We can help. We're always sharing practical tips and ideas to help nonprofits with mobile fundraising, whether it's in our podcast or our weekly Rally Coach texts. We love to talk fundraising strategy and help your nonprofit connect with supporters.

You can get started with Rally now.