Texting is one of the most cost-effective small-dollar fundraising channels a campaign has, a message costs a fraction of a call or a mail piece and gets read at rates neither approaches. But a list you only ever ask for money burns out fast. This guide organizes everything on raising money by text without torching the relationship that makes it possible.
The basics
Start with how campaigns raise money by text and the trend behind it, the small-dollar fundraising boom. Understand the mechanics of text-to-donate and the rules.
Writing the ask
The message is the money. Learn to build a fundraising text sequence, and the psychology that lifts it: reciprocity, give before you ask, loss aversion, and honest urgency. Don't make every message an ask, see ways to use texting beyond the ask.
Keeping donors
The expensive part is acquiring a donor; the value is keeping one. Read turning a one-time donor into a recurring donor and cultivating and upgrading donors by text.
The rules and the waste
Fundraising texts carry FEC disclaimer requirements. And know where the money leaks, how campaigns waste money on texting.
Frequently asked questions
Is texting good for fundraising?
Yes. A fundraising text costs a fraction of a call or mail piece, gets read at far higher rates, and reaches a list you already own, so the return per dollar on small-dollar fundraising is hard to beat.
How do I fundraise by text without burning my list?
Interleave value, updates, thanks, wins, with your asks, thank donors immediately and specifically, and invite recurring giving. A list that hears from you as more than a bill answers the asks at a higher rate.
What's the most under-used fundraising message?
The immediate, specific thank-you after a first gift, sent before any new ask. It's the foundation of the reciprocity that makes the second gift possible.
This guide is a hub, not legal or financial advice. It reflects the linked articles as of the date above.
Keep reading: SMS fundraising and writing a fundraising text sequence.