Text to Donate: How Nonprofits Can Turn Giving Tuesday Into a Conversation

Giving Tuesday is one of the biggest fundraising days of the year, and it’s one of the most crowded. Every nonprofit a donor has ever supported is emailing, posting, and texting them on the same day.

Text is where nonprofits can stand out, because a donor reads a text when it arrives. But a single “text GIVE to donate” message with a link isn’t enough anymore. This guide covers how text to donate works, how to run a Giving Tuesday text campaign donors trust, and how to turn one-day gifts into year-round support.

What is text to donate?

Text to donate, also called text to give, lets supporters make a donation from their phone through a text message. It’s built for the way people actually give today: quickly, on mobile, in the moment they feel moved to help.

How does text to donate work?

There are three common approaches.

Carrier-billed donations. A supporter texts a keyword to a short code, and a small, fixed amount is added to their phone bill. It’s simple for donors, but gift amounts are limited, it requires an approved provider, and the nonprofit has to wait to receive the funds.

Link-based text to give. A supporter texts a keyword, or the nonprofit texts them, and they receive a link to a mobile donation page. Donors can give any amount, but every gift depends on them tapping a link from a number they may not recognize and then filling out a form.

Conversational giving. The donation happens through a conversation. The supporter sees your organization’s name, logo, and a verified checkmark, taps a gift amount, and goes straight to a secure donation page with that amount already filled in. After they give, the same conversation thanks them and keeps them updated on their impact.

Conversational giving uses RCS, the upgraded version of texting built into Android and iPhone. Supporters whose phones don’t support RCS automatically receive an SMS version.

Why Giving Tuesday needs more than a link

• Inboxes are crowded. On Giving Tuesday, your message competes with dozens of other worthy causes.
• Donors are cautious. Fake charity texts circulate around the holidays, and an unrecognized number with a link is exactly what scammers send.
• One-way texts end the relationship. A “donate here” link with no follow-up treats a supporter like a transaction.

A verified, branded conversation addresses all three. Donors know the message is really from you, they can give in a couple of taps, and the conversation continues after the gift.

A Giving Tuesday text campaign, step by step

These examples use a fictional nonprofit, Riverbend Food Network.

Before Giving Tuesday: build your list and tell the story

Invite supporters to opt in through QR codes at events, in newsletters, on social posts, and on direct mail. Give them a reason to join, like being first to hear about a matching gift.

Riverbend Food Network ✓
Giving Tuesday is December 1. Want to be the first to know when our match goes live?
[Yes, text me] [Not this year]

Giving Tuesday morning: launch with one-tap amounts

Riverbend Food Network ✓
It’s Giving Tuesday! Every $25 provides a week of groceries for a local family. Today, every gift is matched up to $10,000.
[Give $25] [Give $50] [Give $100] [Other amount]

Preset amounts tied to real impact make the decision easier. Each button opens your secure donation page with the amount already filled in.

Midday: share real progress

Riverbend Food Network ✓
We’re halfway to our $10,000 match! Here’s what your gifts are already doing.
[Image: volunteers packing grocery boxes]
[Help us finish]

Only share progress and matching details that are true. Donor trust is your most valuable asset, and it’s hard to rebuild.

Evening: the last call

Riverbend Food Network ✓
Last call: our match ends at midnight. Your gift still counts double.
[Give now] [I already gave today]

The “I already gave” button lets donors tell you not to ask again, and it removes them from further reminders.

After the gift: thank, report, and invite

Riverbend Food Network ✓
Thank you, Alex! Your $50 gift was matched, providing two weeks of groceries for a family this winter.
[See the impact] [Make it monthly]

The thank-you is the start of the relationship. A one-tap option to become a monthly donor turns a single Giving Tuesday gift into year-round support.

Giving Tuesday campaign ideas for text

• Matching gift updates. Share progress toward a real match throughout the day.
• Impact-based amounts. Tie each button to what the gift provides.
• Volunteer or event sign-ups. Not everyone can give money. Offer a way to give time.
• Peer sharing. Make it easy for donors to forward the campaign to friends.
• A recurring gift ask. Invite first-time donors to give monthly in the thank-you message.

Text messaging for nonprofits: best practices

• Only text supporters who opted in, and make opting out easy.
• Identify your organization clearly in every message.
• Keep claims honest. Real matches, real progress, real deadlines.
• Don’t over-message. Three or four messages on Giving Tuesday is plenty, and stop asking people who already gave.
• Thank donors quickly, ideally in the same conversation right after the gift.
• Register your texting program. Business and nonprofit texts from 10-digit numbers must be registered with the carriers. See What Is 10DLC? for how it works.

After Giving Tuesday: your year-end giving campaign

Giving Tuesday kicks off the busiest fundraising month of the year. Many donors make gifts in the final weeks of December, so plan a short year-end sequence:

• Mid-December: an impact story from the year, with a giving option
• The last week of December: a reminder that year-end gifts close soon
• January: a thank-you and a look ahead, with no ask

Donors who gave on Giving Tuesday should get thank-yous and impact updates instead of repeat asks.

What to measure

• Opt-in rate: how many supporters join your text list before Giving Tuesday
• Tap-to-give rate: how many messages lead to a donation page visit
• Completed gifts and average gift: compared with your email and social channels
• Recurring conversions: how many one-time donors choose to give monthly
• Opt-out rate: whether your frequency feels right to supporters

Frequently asked questions

What is text to give?
Text to give, or text to donate, lets supporters make a donation from their phone through a text message, either by carrier billing, a donation link, or a conversation that leads to a secure donation page.

How does text to donate work?
A supporter texts a keyword or receives a message from the nonprofit, chooses an amount, and completes the gift on a secure mobile donation page or through their phone bill.

Is text to donate secure?
Gifts should always be completed on a secure donation page. A verified business profile with your name and logo helps donors confirm the message is really from you.

Can donors set up recurring gifts by text?
Yes. Include a “make it monthly” option in your thank-you message and link to a recurring donation page.

Do nonprofits need to register their texting program?
Yes. Texts sent from 10-digit numbers must be registered with the carriers. Short codes and toll-free numbers have their own approval processes.

Build your Giving Tuesday campaign

Build your donor conversation, send it to your own phone, and tap through every step before your supporters do, free.

Start building free →

‍