Have an event coming up and want to provide your donors a way to easily and quickly give from their phone? Is your recent fundraising campaign is coming to an end, and you want to drive urgency to capture those last minute-yet-crucial gifts?

Network for Good's Text-to-Give and our bulk text messaging tools are a perfect way to accomplish these things and are easy to set up!

How does Text-to-Give work?
After your donors text "Give" or "Donate" through your Donor Management system, they will receive an immediate text back with a link to the mobile version of whichever Everyday Giving or Essential Events page, where they can complete their donation. The funds are then sent to you just like any other standard donation.

Because you control the Everyday Giving page or Essential Events page where your donors are directed to complete their donation, you can also change this page at any time.

What's the difference between text-to-give and bulk text messaging? 

Bulk text messaging is for sending a message to your donors in a manner similar to an Email Blast - just sent directly to your donor's phone. You can send a bulk text message as another outbound communication to your contacts stored within your Donor Management system, and donors can then reply if they choose. It's another excellent way to reach donors where they are most - on their phones.

Text-to-Give gives existing donors and new donors the opportunity to quickly and easily donate through your mobile-friendly donation page, or your Essential Events page. When donors or participants are ready to give, they can simply text your organization's unique ten-digit number, and the response they receive will include a link to your intended giving page. This saves your donors the trouble of having to open their mobile browser and typing in a URL - it takes them right there.

IMPORTANT NOTE: In order to use Text-to-Give or send bulk text messages you will need to have text messaging enabled in your donor management account. If you have not completed this step yet, don't worry. We'll show you how to do this here.

How do I set up Text-to-Give in my Donor Management system?

Go to "Settings" in your Donor Mangement system, and click on the option for "Your Organization."

Scroll down until you see the section called "Text-to-Give Settings".

Finally, select the Everyday Giving Campaign or Essential Events Campaign that you would like to direct your donors to after they text GIVE or DONATE.

You can select any of your active Everyday Giving pages, or active Network for Good Essential Events pages. If you do not have any active pages, you will see a message with a link that will direct you to your Fundraising Page Dashboard to get one setup.

Please Note: Text-to-Give can only be used for Network for Good Essential Events pages that include added features, and cannot be used for Events Lite pages.

How do I instruct my donors to use Text-to-Give?
You will have your own unique 10-digit phone number that you can promote on flyers, on the big screen at your event, in communications, or anywhere else you like. You can find this number under "Settings," in your Donor Management system, in the "Text-to-Give Settings" section. Your donors can text either "Give" or "Donate" so pick which one you prefer and get the word out!

What if I want to use a shortened phone number (i.e. less than 10 digits)?

Shortened phone numbers, or "short codes," aren't available for use with our Text-to-Give feature; this is because using a unique, 10-digit phone number allows your contacts to reply directly to the text messages that you send. It also helps many donors feel as if they're corresponding with a real person - and not an automated message.

Why don't I see Text-to-Give in my settings?
If you do not see the option to set up Text-to-Give, it may not be a part of your subscription at this time.

Not to worry! If you think you should have access, or if you would like to add the option to your subscription, you can contact our team at success@networkforgood.com, and we will help you gain access.

Can I use Text-to-Give for my event?

Yes, you can use Text-to-Give for any live Network for Good Essential Events page (event pages that are setup using our additional features such as livestream, attendee chat, sponsorship management, etc.). However, this feature is not available for Events Lite pages.

If your organization does not have access to our Network for Good Essential Events pages and you would like to learn more about upgrading your account to include them, please reach out to our team at success@networkforgood.com.

How can I tell if my page is an Essential Events page, or an Events Lite page?

We have helpful guides on both types of pages, which will help in differentiating between the two.

For more information on Essential Events, please check out this guide.

For more information on Events Lite, please check out this guide.

Can my donors make a pledge by using Text-to-Pledge?
Yes! Your donors can text the word "Pledge" to the same ten-digit number, and they will be able to create a pledge that will be automatically added to your Donor Management system.

Will my donors get a tax receipt after they use Text-to-Give?
Yes, your donors will receive an emailed tax receipt immediately after they use text-to-give. You don't have to do anything differently!

Will any new donors be added to my Donor Management system through Text-to-Give, and will existing donors' contact records be updated with their new donation?
Yes! It doesn't matter if the donation was completed via mobile device or on a desktop - new donors will be added to your Donor Management system and,(as long as the email address the donor used to complete their online donation matches the email address in your system) existing donors' records will be updated with this new gift.