{"id":31161,"date":"2023-08-08T14:12:02","date_gmt":"2023-08-08T18:12:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test.donorperfect.com\/nonprofit-technology-blog\/?p=31161"},"modified":"2025-09-25T09:47:29","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T13:47:29","slug":"how-and-when-to-text-donors-on-giving-tuesday-ideas-for-using-text-to-give-tools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.donorperfect.com\/nonprofit-technology-blog\/fundraising-software\/how-and-when-to-text-donors-on-giving-tuesday-ideas-for-using-text-to-give-tools\/","title":{"rendered":"How and When to Text Donors on Giving Tuesday (Ideas for Using Text-to-Give Tools)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Texting is a surefire way to ensure your message is received, with 90% of messages being read within 3 minutes of being sent<\/a>. That\u2019s why more and more nonprofits are leveraging fundraising software and integrations that allow them to text donors, often called text-to-give tools, especially on Giving Tuesday when it\u2019s important to act fast and stand out.<\/p>\n

Here are some ideas to help you with the content and timing of your text messages.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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How to use text-to-give on Giving Tuesday<\/h2>\n
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Strategy<\/h3>\n

When developing the communication strategy behind your nonprofit\u2019s Giving Tuesday campaign, think about the way you want constituents to receive and understand your messages. Decide which methods of communication are most important to your donors, compared with how much time your staff will be able to spend. Your approach will likely differ between communication channels. For instance, you may want your appeal letters to inspire heartfelt emotion, while you want your text messages to inspire immediate action\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Theme<\/h3>\n

Once you\u2019ve come up with a campaign theme, start thinking of ways to sum it up in just a few words, including a call to action. A \u201ccall to action\u201d (CTA) is a statement encouraging donors to act now, providing them with the means to do so, usually in the form<\/a> of a hyperlink. Your CTA could be a link to your general online donation form<\/a>, or it could be a link to a specific landing page or form<\/a> that you\u2019ve created for the campaign.<\/p>\n

You might want to consider sending more than one text message if you want to communicate more than just your theme, like options to get involved, invitations to upcoming events, and links to check campaign progress. For example, DonorPerfect Online Forms allow you to include a goal meter that tracks donations in real time.<\/p>\n

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Length<\/h3>\n

Marketing best practices will encourage you to keep each text message to 300 characters, including any links. Keep in mind that donors will need a link to opt into your text service in order to receive subsequent updates on Giving Tuesday and beyond.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Here\u2019s an example of a text message under 300 characters:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cNow is your chance to make your biggest impact yet! Today only, [NONPROFIT NAME] major donors are matching your donations. For just $25, you can provide a single mom with Christmas gifts for her children: [ONLINE FORM LINK]\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Frequency<\/h3>\n

With a text-to-give solution like DP Text that integrates with your fundraising software, you can set up multiple updates that will be sent straight to your donors\u2019 mobile devices at peak giving times during the day.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you plan on continuing to send text message updates after Giving Tuesday, or in general, make it easy for donors to opt into your text service. If you have space in your message, explain that it\u2019s the easiest way to stay informed about your nonprofit\u2019s happenings.<\/p>\n

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Segment<\/h3>\n

If there is a particular donor group that you think will appreciate text updates and the option to donate from their phone, you can use customized CRM reporting to create a targeted list for your text-to-give tool.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For example, you might want to pull a list of donors under the age of 50 who gave through your online donation form<\/a> last Giving Tuesday. You could even break up your donor list into smaller segments based on how much they gave last Giving Tuesday, and create different text messages that recommend different ask amounts.<\/p>\n

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Need help writing text messages? Generate them with Artificial Intelligence!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nonprofit AI tools allow fundraisers to go straight from brainstorming to the finished product. For example, you can ask your generative AI tool to write a text message geared to donors under 50 who donated online last Giving Tuesday inviting them to give again.<\/p>\n

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Here are some ideas:<\/p>\n