A Complete Fundraising Guide to Text-to-Give for Nonprofits

Smartphones have become essential to our everyday lives—from messaging friends to staying updated on news to engaging with causes we care about. In fact, the average American checks their phone 96 times a day—nearly every 10 minutes.

For nonprofits, this shift toward mobile behavior presents a unique opportunity: text-to-give fundraising. This simple, fast, and mobile-friendly giving method meets donors exactly where they are—on their phones.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations turned to text-to-donate tools as a socially distanced alternative to in-person fundraising. But the value of mobile giving goes far beyond temporary fixes. Today, it’s a proven strategy to increase donations, expand reach, and streamline the donation process for modern supporters.

In this guide, we’ll break down exactly how text-to-give works, why it’s effective, and how your nonprofit can launch a successful campaign.

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What is text-to-give?

Text-to-give is a mobile fundraising method that allows nonprofits and other cause-based organizations to collect donations via text message. With the support of a text-to-give platform, donors can contribute to your organization simply by texting a keyword or donation amount to a designated phone number.

While the process can vary slightly between providers, it typically looks like this:

1. A supporter texts a keyword or dollar amount to your unique text-to-give number.
2. They receive an instant reply with a secure link to your mobile-responsive donation form.
3. They complete the donation process by submitting their payment information, often in under a minute.

This mobile-friendly experience removes friction and makes giving fast, intuitive, and accessible from any smartphone.

You might also hear text-to-give referred to as:

• Text-to-Donate
• Text Giving
• Mobile Giving
• Text-to-Tithe (for churches and faith-based organizations)

No matter the term, the concept remains the same: empower your supporters to give quickly through their mobile devices and increase donations through convenience.

In this complete guide, we’ll explore:

• The Basics of Running a Text-to-Give Campaign
• Text-to-Give Best Practices
• What to Look for in a Text-to-Give Platform

Mobile giving has reshaped the way modern donors support their favorite causes—so let’s dive into how your organization can make the most of it.

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The Basics of Text-to-Donate

Before launching a successful text-to-give campaign, it’s important to understand how this powerful fundraising method works. Even if you’re familiar with mobile giving, revisiting the fundamentals ensures your nonprofit can build a solid strategy that drives results.

How does text-to-donate work?

Text-to-donate fundraising is a straightforward process that makes it easy for donors to give via their mobile phones—anytime, anywhere. With the right fundraising platform, like Donately, you can set up a campaign in minutes. Here’s how the typical text-to-give process works:

1. Create a mobile-responsive donation page with your platform.
2. Choose a custom keyword and receive a dedicated phone number or shortcode.
3. Share your text-to-give details across your fundraising channels—email, events, social media, and more.
4. Donors text the keyword to your number and instantly receive a secure link.
5. They tap the link, complete your donation form, and submit their payment information.

That’s it! The entire donation process takes less than two minutes and works seamlessly on smartphones and mobile devices.

This simplicity is what makes text-to-give fundraising so powerful: it removes barriers to giving, encourages real-time action, and increases donations—especially during events or urgent appeals.

When launching your campaign, be sure to clearly explain these steps to your donors so they feel confident and empowered to give via text.

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What are the benefits of text-to-donate?

Mobile giving has become a go-to fundraising method for nonprofits of all sizes—and for good reason. Here’s why text-to-donate works so well in today’s digital world:

1. Meet Donors Where They Are

With over 81% of Americans owning a smartphone, texting has become one of the most common—and comfortable—forms of communication. Text-to-give donations allow supporters to give directly from their mobile devices, without needing to log into a computer or navigate a full website.

2. Make Giving Fast and Friction-Free

The entire donation process takes just a few taps. From texting a keyword to completing the mobile donation form, donors can make a gift in under two minutes—perfect for spontaneous generosity and last-minute appeals.

3. Integrate with Fundraising Events

Whether you’re hosting an in-person event or a virtual gathering, text-to-give can boost visibility and make giving seamless. Display your text-to-donate number on event signage, livestreams, registration pages, or printed materials to encourage real-time contributions during fundraising events.

4. Boost Donor Engagement

This mobile-first method increases donor engagement by making giving feel immediate and accessible. It works especially well for impulse donations, seasonal campaigns, and quick responses to urgent needs.

In short, text-to-give fundraising is a fast, convenient, and powerful way to raise money through the devices your supporters use every day. The ease of use keeps donors excited to participate—turning interest into action in just moments.

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Is text-to-give safe?

Yes—text-to-give donations are safe when processed through a secure and reliable fundraising platform. Just like any online donation, the key to safety lies in the software provider and the protocols they follow.

When evaluating a text-to-give platform, make sure it includes the following security standards:

• PCI-compliant payment processing: This ensures that all payment information—including credit card and bank details—is handled according to strict industry regulations.
• SSL encryption: Look for platforms that use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to create a secure, encrypted connection between your donor’s mobile device and your donation form.

At Donately, we take security seriously. Donately's text-to-donate tools use Stripe and PayPal—both industry leaders in secure payment processing. This ensures that every mobile donation is fully encrypted, authenticated, and compliant with the highest standards.

With these safeguards in place, your supporters can give confidently—knowing their information is protected every step of the way.

Learn more in our complete Donation Payment Processing Guide.

How do you promote a text-to-donate campaign?

Promoting your text-to-donate campaign effectively is key to hitting your fundraising goals—and that starts with knowing your audience and meeting them on the platforms they already use.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, but a multichannel outreach strategy is your best bet. By combining traditional and digital marketing channels, you can increase visibility and drive more text-to-give donations.

Smart Ways to Promote Your Text-to-Give Campaign:

• Social Media Posts: Share your text-to-give keyword and shortcode in graphics, videos, and stories. Pin a post with clear instructions on how to give.
• Email Signatures and Newsletters: Add your text-to-donate number and a short CTA at the bottom of every email your team sends.
• Direct Mail Campaigns: Print your text-to-give details on postcards, flyers, or brochures to connect with offline supporters.
• Event Promotion: Whether virtual or in-person, display your keyword and number on screens, registration forms, or printed programs to encourage giving in real time.
• Website and Landing Pages: Add your text-to-give callout on your homepage, donation page, and campaign-specific website pages for maximum visibility.
• Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers: Equip your supporters with the tools to promote your campaign by including your text-to-give instructions in their outreach.

With clear messaging and consistent promotion and proactive marketing, you’ll empower supporters to act fast—turning interest into impact through mobile fundraising.

How much does text-to-give cost?

Text-to-give pricing varies depending on the fundraising platform and provider. Most text-to-give services charge a flat monthly or annual fee, along with standard credit card processing rates for each donation.

Some key factors that affect cost include:

• Number of keywords and text messages allowed
• Access to support, automation, or custom features
• Integration with other mobile giving tools and CRMs

At Donately, we offer affordable plans designed for growing nonprofits, with:

• Unlimited keywords and outbound texts
• Customizable donation forms built for mobile fundraising
• Integration with Stripe and PayPal for secure payment processing
• The ability for donors to cover fees, helping you keep 100% of the donation amount

Both Stripe and PayPal offer discounted nonprofit rates, and our platform lets you give donors the option to cover the transaction fees themselves—so more of their gift goes directly to your cause.

When evaluating cost, consider not just the price tag, but also the features, flexibility, and support included. The right text-to-give platform should help you save time, raise more, and grow donor relationships.

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Text-to-Give Best Practices

As with any fundraising strategy, running a successful text-to-give campaign takes more than just setting it up. To drive real results, it’s important to plan ahead, track progress, and use proven techniques to increase donor engagement and donations.

Here are six essential best practices to make your mobile fundraising efforts stand out:

1. Collect and Analyze Donor Data

Every text-to-give campaign generates valuable donor data. Use these insights to optimize future campaigns and identify trends that can increase giving over time. Look for a fundraising platform that tracks:

• Frequency of text donations
• Top-performing days/times
• Average mobile donation amount
• Your most active donors

A robust fundraising software like Donately will compile this data into a dashboard so you can adjust your messaging, timing, and appeals for maximum impact.

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Peer-to-peer fundraising is a great way to expand your reach and promote your text-to-give number. Encourage your volunteer fundraisers to include your shortcode and keyword on their giving pages, emails, and social media posts.

This turns peer-to-peer supporters into ambassadors—helping you engage new audiences with trusted, personal outreach.

3. Choose a Simple Keyword and Shortcode

Avoid long or complicated keywords that are easy to mistype. Use a short, memorable phrase (like your organization’s name or a campaign-specific word). Your shortcode should also be easy to remember and type quickly.

Clear and concise = more conversions.

4. Incorporate text-to-give across all fundraising channels.

Maximize visibility by incorporating your text-to-give details across all marketing channels:

• Include your shortcode and keyword in direct mail, email newsletters, and website banners
• Display them prominently during fundraising events—both virtual and in-person
• Mention the option during live streams, event registration, or donation appeals

This consistent outreach helps your audience connect the dots and take action.

5. Offer a recurring gift option.

If your organization isn't prioritizing recurring giving, you're missing out on one of the most reliable and sustainable forms of revenue. Enabling recurring donations through your text-to-give platform can turn one-time supporters into long-term champions of your mission.

Here’s how to maximize recurring giving through your text-to-give services:

• Make the option visible and easy to select. According to one study, only 14% of organizations feature more than one recurring gift prompt during the donation process, making it incredibly easy to overlook. Ensure your mobile donation form includes a clear checkbox or toggle for making the gift monthly (or weekly, quarterly—whatever frequency you offer). This reduces friction and encourages a recurring mindset from the start.
• Promote recurring giving during follow-up. If a donor completes a one-time text-to-give donation, send a thank-you text or email with an invitation to turn that gift into a monthly commitment. This post-gift outreach is a powerful opportunity to boost donor retention.
• Let donors manage their own giving plans. Provide a donor portal or easy link where they can update payment information, change their donation amount, or pause contributions. This builds trust and gives them control—without burdening your staff.
• Automate your gratitude. Use automation to send thank-you messages after every recurring gift—not just the first one. Personalized, consistent recognition reinforces your donor’s impact and keeps your mission top of mind.
• Monitor failed payments. Don't let expired cards or processing issues quietly cancel recurring gifts. Your platform should alert you when a transaction fails, like Donately, so you can follow up quickly and maintain your monthly revenue stream.

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6. Promote matching gift opportunities.

Encourage donors to double their impact through corporate matching gift programs. Since text donors submit their contact and (sometimes) employer details, use that data to identify eligible matches.

Mention matching gifts in your campaign messaging to inspire larger donations. In fact, one in three donors indicates that they'd give a larger gift if a match is applied to their donation.

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What to Look for in a Text-to-Give Platform

Choosing the right text-to-give platform is critical to the success of your fundraising campaigns. The features offered can dramatically impact donor participation, giving experience, and your team’s efficiency. Let's take a look at the tools that are imperative for mobile giving success.

A Comprehensive Text Messaging Platform

A strong text-to-give platform should go beyond simple donation links—it should act as a comprehensive text messaging platform that fuels deeper donor engagement and streamlines communication.

• Send donors customized links to your donation page. Your platform should provide text-to-donate capabilities that automatically deliver a secure, mobile-friendly donation page when a donor texts a keyword to your shortcode. This keeps the donation process fast, seamless, and user-friendly.
• Increase peer-to-peer fundraising participation. Encourage your community to fundraise on your behalf by sending peer-to-peer campaign links and sign-up instructions via text. This helps activate supporters and extend your reach without extra manual effort.

• Share key updates and campaign news. Use outbound messages to keep donors in the loop on initiatives, event reminders, or campaign milestones. Regular communication via SMS helps build trust and momentum.
• Incorporate visuals into your outreach. Add images to your text messages to show your impact—not just tell it. Visuals are a powerful way to spark emotion and drive action, especially on mobile devices.

When evaluating text-to-give services, choose one that makes it easy to engage, inform, and inspire donors through SMS. Whether you're sending updates, growing your community, or launching a mobile fundraising campaign, Donately’s built-in messaging features support smarter outreach with less work.

Mobile-Responsive Donation Forms

A successful text-to-give campaign depends on having fully mobile-responsive donation forms. If your form isn’t optimized for smartphones and mobile devices, donors may struggle to navigate or enter their payment information—leading to frustration and abandoned donations.

Your text-to-give platform should make mobile giving simple, seamless, and intuitive.

With Donately’s mobile giving technology, you can:

• Customize your donation form with options for recurring donations, anonymous giving, and custom fields.
• Edit design elements like font, layout, and post-donation thank-you pages with easy code access or visual tools.
• Offer flexible payment methods, including credit card, ACH/bank transfer, Apple Pay, and PayPal.
• Let donors cover processing fees, so you keep 100% of their intended donation amount.

Your mobile fundraising experience is only as strong as your donation form. A cluttered or clunky form can cost you donations—while a clean, fast, and personalized one helps convert impulse giving into lasting support.

Choose a text-to-give solution that puts the donor experience first—and equips your team with the tools to customize, optimize, and grow.

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Donation Data

Data is one of the most powerful tools you have for improving your text-to-give campaigns. Your fundraising platform should automatically collect and organize donor information to help you better understand giving behavior and refine your mobile giving strategies.

Some key donation data to track includes:

• Average donation amount
• Most popular donation amounts (e.g., $25, $50, $100)
• Peak giving days and times
• Text-giving frequency
• First-time vs. recurring donors

A good fundraising software will compile this data into an easy-to-use dashboard, saving your team time and helping you quickly identify trends, opportunities, and areas for improvement.

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Why It Matters

The success of your mobile fundraising often depends on how well you use data to guide your strategy. By understanding patterns in donor engagement and donation behavior, you can adjust your outreach, fine-tune your messaging, and hit your fundraising goals faster.

Where to go next

If you haven’t implemented text-to-donate yet, now is the time. Whether you want a short-term boost for an event or a long-term mobile strategy, the right fundraising tools can help you raise more, streamline operations, and engage donors where they are—on their phones.

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