16 Dec 2024
Nicole Esters
16 Dec 2024
Nicole Esters
Fundraising can be tricky, especially when you want to grab the attention of your potential donors. So, what is more critical in a short donation request message? Do your words make the SMS fundraising more powerful or your cause and relevance to the donor’s concerns and passions? Well, it truly does not matter as long as you reach your fundraising goals of evoking emotions and inspiring actions. SMS makes connecting with potential donors easy, with a 98% open rate and a 45% response rate. If it is your first time, we are here to help you with short donation message examples, tips and tricks to find prospective donors, best practices, and tips and tricks to overcome challenges.
Short donation messages are crisp, clear text prompts encouraging people to donate to a specific cause. These text messages have an SMS character limit of usually between 160 and 320 characters, engaging and easy to read. Their importance lies in their simple, straightforward language that captures the reader’s attention and inspires immediate action.
Short donation messages matter because these days, information is overloaded, so people are more likely to read and act on short and compelling text messages. Text messages have a high open rate, making them an effective marketing channel for reaching donors directly.
Finding potential donors and engaging with them requires blending different strategies across various platforms.
SMS | Social Media | |
Use the existing contact list from your past fundraising event. | Use email marketing campaigns to drive traffic to your SMS donation channel. | You can promote your SMS fundraising campaign through social media posts and videos. |
You can partner with like-minded organizations to reach a wider audience. | You can send a newsletter with a “Donate Now” button that links to your SMS number/online form. | You can include the direct SMS number in your bio for easy access. |
To build the targeted donor list, you can send opt-in campaigns. | Integrate follow-up SMS for people who don’t immediately respond to email. | Design sharable graphics with a clear CTA that motivates followers to text and donate. |
Crafting effective fundraising messages means emphasizing clarity, urgency, and personal touch. Here are the key components to keep in mind.
What to include | What not to include |
A clear CTA – tell your readers what you want them to do. For example, “Text GIVE to 123 to support emergency relief today.” | Don’t include complicated language. Avoid using long, complex sentences. Your short donation request message should be easy to understand. |
Include urgency – Let donors know that their immediate help is required. For example, “Only 24 hours left to donate and 2X your impact.” | Keep the message short and impactful; use email or social media for longer messages. |
Give a personal touch by including the recipient’s name or specific details regarding their past support. | Do not sound spam or pushy. If your writing text message is positive and grateful, people will likely respond. |
Briefly explain how their donation will be used to build trust and encourage action. For example, “Your $20 helps feed a family for a week. ” | Avoid asking for unnecessary details about donors; otherwise, it could discourage potential donors. |
Include specific donation amounts so donors can know how much to give and how your donation makes an impact. For example, “Your $10 donation can help in providing healthy meals for needy people for a week.” | Your tone should not be aggressive. Keep the tone positive. |
Use graphics, videos, or infographics to make your SMS appeal to donors. Images help evoke emotions, so use visuals that showcase positive donation outcomes. | Do not include multiple CTAs, as it will confuse the donors. |
Appreciate donors with a simple Thank You donation message. For example, “Thanks for your donation! Your [$donation amount] will help us reach our mission.” | Avoid sending messages without testing for spelling errors, unclear language, or broken links. |
Make your donation process simple and your donation page mobile-friendly so donors can contribute without frustration. Make the donation form simple and ask for only essential information of donors such as name, email address, payment details, and phone number. | Do not send mass texts with no personal touch. |
Here are a few short SMS templates for donations tailored for various fundraising purposes.
URGENT: Families affected by recent flood need your help. Your $15 can help us provide them with shelter and meals. Donate now to make a difference. Text RELIEF to 12345 to donate. Thank You!
Join us for a charity gala to support unprivileged children. Unable to attend? Donate $10 by texting SUPPORT to 78910 now and be a part of the change. Every bit matters & helps!
Spread Holiday Joy! Donating $10 can bring warmth and gifts to families in need. Text CHEER to join the cheer and donate by 24th December. Make this holiday season special for people in need.
Become a weekly supporter for just $5/week and change lives yearly. Text WEEKLY to 20202 to set up a recurring gift.
Hey, [Name], you can be a hero. A $15 donation fund for critical care for people in need. Join us in saving lives. Text CARE to 10101 to make a difference. Thank You!
Hi, [Name], want to invest in bright futures? Just $20 can provide school supplies to students in need. Join us in empowering young minds. Text SCHOOL to 12345 to donate today!
[Name], Join our charity gala and help provide winter clothes to needy people. Text HELP to 12121 to donate $20 and make a difference.
[Name], your support keeps the music alive in [place name]! Join us by donating $15 to support local artists. Text SUPPORT to 12345 now!
Hey [Name]! Your [donation amount] means a lot. With your generous support, we are closer to changing lives through our [fundraising mission]. Thanks for your support – [Your Name], [Organization’s Name].
[Name], we are thankful for your donation! Your donation is helping us fight [cause detail] meaningfully.
Thank you for your support to [organization] last year. This year, we are raising money for [cause]. Can we count you in again? Details here – [Link].
[Organization Name]: Here is a glimpse of the impact we made together last year [Link]. Want to learn more about this year’s initiatives? Reply YES to learn more.
Hi [Name], Join our charity gala on [date, time] at [place]! Let’s make the difference together! Reply JOIN to 10101 to buy tickets and learn more about the event. Don’t miss out!
[Name], Join us for [fundraising event name] on [Date, Time]. For every ticket purchased, [organization name] will get [donation amount]. Click here to buy tickets – [Link].
Hey [Name]! We are just [$amount] away from our fundraising goal of [$amount]. Help us for [cause] and reach our goal. Click here to donate [Link].
[Name], Only 2 hours left for [fundraising event]. Donate now and help [organization name] to reach its fundraising goal of [$amount] – [Link].
Generally, whenever donors know that whatever donations they make will be matched, they will be motivated to take action. Such matching donation campaigns through SMS are an excellent way to increase donations.
Hi [Name]! Your gifts can go 2X far! For every $5 you donate today, it will be matched! Text MATCH to 34567 to double your impact now! Thanks!
Hey [Name]! Your support can double its impact today. A matching donor will match each dollar you donate. Text MATCH to 12121 and double your difference.
It is one of the popular days for raising money, and it is held every year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Here are a few short donation request messages that you can use for the fundraising campaign.
[Name]! Make a real difference on this Giving Tuesday by donating [$amount] for the [cause]. Text GIVE to 12345 and help change lives today! Let’s do it together!
Hey [Name]! This Giving Tuesday, your kindness can change lives! Join us to make a difference! Text GIVE to 12121 to help those in need.
Do you want to encourage small and tangible sacrifices for a meaningful cause? Sending the following type of SMS adds humor and relatability and makes the message memorable.
Give up one coffee this week and make someone’s day brighter. Donate $5 to make a big difference. Text ‘LATTE’ to 12345 and feel richer in heart.
There are many challenges in SMS fundraising. Let’s explore how to overcome them in this section.
Donor Fatigue: It becomes overwhelming when you send too many messages to donors.
How to Overcome?
For that, keep the campaign balanced by sending informative and thank-you messages. It will keep donors engaged without making them feel pressured.
Lower Engagement Rate: Experiencing lower engagement rates?
Solution: To resolve this issue, experiment with different times and days for sending messages to determine when your audience is most responsive. Incorporate personalized SMS campaigns to make your customers feel valued and enhance engagement.
Limited Character Count: Emphasize the inclusion of key details and clear call-to-action to deal with the SMS character limit.
How to Overcome?
If you want to provide more information, you can add the webpage link or follow up with an email.
In summary, SMS fundraising is an imperative part of modern fundraising strategies. By crafting a crisp, clear, and compelling short donation request message, you can boost engagement and make it easy for donors to take action. Remember to incorporate personalization, transparency, and follow-ups for maximum impact.
Now that you have tips and short donation message examples ready, it’s time to choose the right automated SMS marketing platform like Textdrip to achieve your fundraising goals. With two-way texting, bulk texting, SMS compliance assistance, and other impressive features, Textdrip can help you launch effective fundraising SMS campaigns. Therefore, if you want to try SMS fundraising, sign up for the free trial and see how it makes a difference.
Messages should be sent sparingly to avoid overwhelming recipients. A good practice is to send messages at key times, such as the start of a campaign, during critical fundraising milestones, or as reminders close to deadlines.
If your campaign supports MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), you can include images or short videos to make your message more engaging. For example, you can share a photo of beneficiaries or a video showing the impact of donations.
Yes, automation tools can help schedule messages, personalize content, and manage responses. This ensures timely communication without manual effort, making your campaign more efficient.