Text-to-Give VS Text-to-Donate: A Complete Guide

14 November 2022

“Quick Summary” The act of giving leads back to 2500 BC, when Ancient Hebrews instituted a tax for aiding poor people; ever since the practice of giving has witnessed considerable evolutions. Earlier, the act of giving was limited to a periphery of a city.

Fast forward to today, there are no geographical boundaries. People look up to a cause and step ahead to add their contributions. This wave of giving has been deeply ingrained into American and other cultures all around the globe.

As per the statistics, 25% of donors complete their donations on mobile phones. It's incredible to see how numerous individuals from around the world utilize mobile fundraising to share their contributions.

Today, we will define the two most accustomed methods of giving via cell phones

- Text-to-give VS Text-to-donate.

Let's jump at it! Shall we?

Text-to-Give VS Text-to-Donate

What is Text-to-Give?	What is Text-to-Donate?
A mobile fundraising method works via text	A form based mobile fundraising method works through text
Allows donors to contribute a pre-determined amount fixed by the non-profit organizations	Allows donors to contribute as much as they want and wish

How Does Text-to-Give Work?	How Does Text-to-Donate Work?
You have to set up a short code, campaign keyword, and donation amount	You have to set up a short code, campaign keyword, and donation amount
When supporters feel inspired about the cause, they will text the keyword on the shortcode	When supporters feel encouraged about the initiative, they will text the keyword on the shortcode and in return, the organization will send them a mobile-giving page
At the end, the pre-determined amount is deducted from the donors monthly phone and is transferred directly to the organizations	At last, donors complete the process by filling out their details on the mobile giving page

Why Choose Text-to-Give Method?	Why Choose Text-to-Donate Method?
Simple for donors as they don’t have to go through the process of filling in multiple details	You can send follow up texts since you have their information, leading to more engagement
The donation is adjusted in the donor’s monthly phone bill with a few simple texts	Recurring donation checkbox can be given at the payment checkout page leading to never missed donations

What is Text-to-Give?

Simply put, text-to-give is a mobile-first fundraising method that allows donors to contribute a certain amount via text message. Donors merely write down a keyword to the short code, and the donation amount is counted on the supporter's monthly cell phone bill.

Text-to-give is a carrier-based mobile fundraising method that allows supporters to give via text message. Supporters simply text a keyword to the short code and the donation amount is added to the supporters’ phone bill.

Moving forward, how does it work?

How Does Text-to-Give Work?

After your organization is qualified for a text-to-give method, the following steps will be;

1. You have to set up a short code, campaign keyword, and donation amount, limited to $5, $10, $15, $20, $25, $30, $35, $40, or $50. The donation can also be dependent on the platform you use. What’s more, you can also form a recurring donation option.

2. Once the supporters know about the initiative and feel inspired, they will text the keyword to a short code. The predetermined amount is later calculated in the supporter's phone bill.

3. Lastly, the phone carrier processes the donations and transfers them directly to the organization.

Why Choose Text-to-Give?

To begin with, the process used in this method is extremely simple for supporters. They don't have to go through the hassle of filling out multiple details. The donation gets directly adjusted to a supporter's mobile phone bill with just a few simple texts.

Important Note - To qualify for the text-to-give process, you must apply, and after you are eligible, the next step will be to set up a short code, keyword, and donation amount.

What is Text-to-Donate?

Text-to-Donate is a form-based mobile fundraising method initiated via a text message from organizations or donors. Then the donors are sent a link redirecting them to the mobile giving form. The donation is successful when the contributors complete the form by adding their requested information.

Let us explore how to set up a

text-to-donate campaign.

How Does Text-to-Donate Work?

Once you opt for the text-to-donate method, further actions will be;

1. You will have to set up a short code and keyword for the campaign and create a mobile giving form.

2. When the donors feel encouraged by your cause, they will text the campaign keyword to the shortcode.

3. Consequently, they enter the amount for the donation; then, your organization will have to send them a link which in turn redirects them to the mobile giving page.

4. Finally, donors complete the process by filling out their details on the mobile giving page.

Why Choose Text-to-Donate?

The text-to-donate method does not hold any minimum requirement for donation, which is why every fundraising organization can use this method.

This is the only significant difference between the text-to-give and text-to-donate methods.

Moreover, the text-to-donate method allows supporters to donate as much as possible; there is no fixed amount for the same.

What Are Some Best Practices For Mobile-Based Text Fundraising?

Go for A Simple Keyword

As mentioned earlier, when setting up a text-to-give or text-to-donate campaign, you must choose a keyword that your supporters can use before donating. It is imperative to optimize your keyword since this is how your supporters will seek their way to your organization.

While your keyword has to be unique, you will also have to ensure that it's relatively simple and easy. Suppose your keyword is tough to remember, then there are high chances for supporters to mistype it, or the autocorrect is likely to modify it for them.

Ultimately, these blunders can lower your organization's chances of receiving donations.

Design A User-Friendly Donation Page

The design of a page plays a critical role in the user experience. Thus you must create a user-friendly and fully responsive design on every device, especially mobile. Doing this will give you the edge in user engagement.

Here are a few measures you can undertake to guarantee the look and functionality of your page on any screen size.

1. Minimize the required field.

2. Use large texts.

3. Do not cram your page with design elements.

Keep it Short and Simple

No one likes an overly lengthy and complicated donation process, and too many questions can lead to withdrawal from the donation form. Hence keep the required fields to an absolute minimum, as it will help you raise more donations.

You can include other fields as well by making them an optional choice. Nonetheless, it will be better to have additional questions in a follow-up donor survey.

Offer Recurring Automation

You can add a field on the donation form for supporters who want to opt for a regular donation to your organization instead of a one-time gift.

By setting up this feature, your donors will never miss out on donating their share. On top of that, consistent gifts will offer significantly better support to your organization in the long run.

Leverage the Use of Outbound Texts

Many nonprofits leverage outbound texts because it is an easy way to reach out to donors, whether to remind them about a campaign or to appreciate them for their donated gift.

This feature is a great way to update the donors regarding the latest news, the impact of their gift, and event reminders. Besides, you can send appeals during a crisis or natural disaster recovery.

Track Performance with Reporting

Data is the future of everything, and every nonprofit organization understands its value. With more data from your donors, events, and multiple outreach efforts, the better your nonprofit organization can enhance its operations and forthcoming engagements.

Ensure to integrate this feature into your fundraising system. This way, you can evaluate your current campaign and adapt to changes accordingly. Also, you can form a better plan for future text fundraising events.

The DonateMo team and software will help streamline your processes, contact us today!

Where to Integrate Current Fundraising Campaigns?

Social Media

Social media is a prominent tool to channel and create awareness regarding a cause or event. Your nonprofit organization can easily reach its supporters through the medium of Social media.

You can share your phone number and keywords across multiple sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter which will help a broader range of audiences to support your cause.

Fundraising Letters

This is a conventional yet helpful solicitation method in which you have to share your text-to-give or text-to-donate information through direct mail or email outreach.

This allows your supporters to read your letter rather than needing to mail back a check or change the exposed credit card details on a remit slip.

Events

Associating fundraising events with a text-to-give or text-to-donate method is a perfect way to excite your attendees. Even though the event will be held in person, you can draft and send a piece of digital information that permits your donors to donate a gift without giving any cheque or cash.

To summarize,

Hope this article gives you a vivid understanding of text-to-donate VS text-to-give methods. Both methods are equivalently effective when utilized in the right format. Therefore, representing any cause or method through either of the two methods will help you attain a fruitful outcome.

DonateMo is a Stafford, Texas-based company that provides a robust platform for numerous religious entities, nonprofit organizations, foundations, and trusts to fulfill their fundraising goals. You can connect with us to know how a simple text-giving service can do wonders for your organization.

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