Why Text to Donate is the Tool of Choice for Canada’s Leading Fundraisers

The Canadian Red Cross, CAMH, UNICEF,  SickKids – all examples of leading charities with innovative, best in market, fundraising teams. What’s another thing they have in common? They have all effectively implemented text-to-donate campaigns.

Data provided by the Mobile Giving Foundation Canada (MGFC) shows donations in March 2020 were up 980% over the same time-period last year. In addition, more than 21,000 people used their mobile device during the month to respond to appeals from qualified registered charities.

If your organization is on the fence about mobile giving or hasn’t considered it yet as part of your annual plan, here are a few simple reasons you should be engaging your audience via mobile.

The Appeal of Instant Gratification

Text-to-donate has a very simple call to action that can be undertaken immediately, with a built-in payment system. Potential donors are inspired to action through compelling artwork, then instantly given a channel to support.

The immediacy of text-to-donate is why it works so well in the event of an emergency. Donors are looking for ways to support in a crisis and text puts that ability literally in the palm of their hand.

Perfect for a Virtual Audience

Text-to-donate is the simplest solution for asking a virtual audience to donate (and we have tested them all). As a fundraiser, there is nothing more frustrating than watching a beautifully produced, inspiring virtual gala – that instructs its viewers to leave the page and head on over to a donation page or worse, not ask for a donation at all.

Text has the simplest instructions, fewest points of donor friction, and ensures that donors are donating on their phones while watching your incredible production on their screens.

Simple Integration Across Channels

A text-to-donate call to action can be simply implemented on any channels where your donors live. From a quick addition to your regular newsletter to compelling (no link required) Tik-Tok content, ‘Text REDCROSS to 30333 to donate $5’ fits just about anywhere, under any character constraint.

Moving from a cash gift to a monthly donor

Text-to-donate has previously been complicated to navigate as a lead generation tool. As organizations have successfully lobbied the MGFC to ease restrictions around contacting donors, with the right partner, text-to-give can now become one of your most cost-effective monthly giving lead generation activities.

If you’re looking to see how you can dramatically increase your donation revenue for the end of the year or how text could fit into your ongoing fundraising strategies, contact us today for a free consultation.