Text to give lets a supporter text a word such as GIVE to your organization's number and receive an automatic reply with a link to your giving page. The supporter taps the link and gives on the page you already use, through the payment processor you already have. The text delivers the link, and the gift itself happens on your giving page.
This means the gift is not added to anyone's phone bill, and no payment details pass through the text message. Your giving platform handles the payment, the receipt and the donor record exactly as it does for any other online gift. This guide explains how the process works, what you need before you start, how to set it up in CampaignCNX+, sample keyword replies, and how to announce it during a service or event. Text to give is one part of a wider texting program, and our guide to sending text messages at scale covers the rest.
How text to give works, step by step
From the supporter's side, the process takes four steps.
- They text a keyword to your number, for example GIVE or DONATE. You announce the keyword and the number from the front of the room, in the bulletin, on a slide or on a printed card.
- They receive an automatic reply with a short thank-you and a link to your giving page.
- They give on your giving page. They choose an amount, enter payment details, and complete the gift the same way they would from your website.
- Your giving platform sends the receipt, as it does now.
On your side, the keyword request is recorded in CampaignCNX+. If your organization also uses CoreCNX, our CRM (the software that keeps one record for each person), the GIVE or DONATE request is also logged in CoreCNX.
A keyword answers only when the whole text is that word. GIVE, Give or give all work. A message such as "How do I give to the building fund?" does not trigger the keyword. It arrives in your inbox instead, where a staff member or volunteer can answer it.
What you need before you start
A giving page that works well on a phone. Most people will open the link on their phone, often during a service or an event. Open your giving page on a phone and complete a small gift yourself. If the page is slow, asks for an account before giving, or is hard to read on a small screen, fix that first, because the text cannot make up for a difficult page.
A texting number approved by the carriers. The carriers (the mobile phone companies, such as AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile) must approve any organization's texting before it sends. A toll-free number is usually verified in about three business days. 10DLC registration (registering a standard local-style number for texting) has a one-time $75 fee. CampaignCNX+ files either registration for you. Plan on setting this up at least a week before you announce text to give.
Your keywords. Choose words that are short, easy to spell and hard to confuse. GIVE and DONATE cover most needs. Add a keyword for each fund that has its own giving page, such as BUILDING, MISSIONS or PANTRY.
The keyword and inbox features. In CampaignCNX+, keywords with automatic replies are a $20 monthly add-on. The two-way inbox, where questions arrive, is a $12.49 monthly add-on on most plans and is included on Enterprise.
Set up text to give in CampaignCNX+
- Open your account and buy your number. Every new account includes 100 free SMS, and your number is $5 a month. CampaignCNX+ files the carrier registration for you.
- Turn on keywords and create your first rule. Enter GIVE as the keyword and write the reply, including your organization's name and the link to your giving page.
- Create DONATE with the same reply. People use both words, so it helps to have both answer.
- Add a keyword for each fund. Point each one to that fund's page, if your giving platform has separate pages for each fund.
- Test every keyword from your own phone. Check that the reply arrives, that it names your organization, and that the link opens the correct page on a phone.
- Brief the people who will answer questions. Add them as team members, so they can see and answer messages in the shared inbox during the service or event.
Sample keyword replies
Each reply below is under 160 characters as written. Because the automatic reply is usually the first text a supporter receives from you, each one includes the STOP line. Keep your link and your organization's name short, since both count toward the total.
GIVE
Thank you for giving to [Church]. You can give here: [Link] Reply STOP to opt out.
DONATE
Thank you for supporting [Organization]. Donate here: [Link] Questions? Reply to this text. Reply STOP to opt out.
A building or capital fund
Thank you for supporting the [Church] building fund. Give here: [Link] Reply STOP to opt out.
A food pantry or program fund
Thank you for helping [Organization] keep the pantry stocked. Give here: [Link] Reply STOP to opt out.
An event appeal
Thank you for joining us at [Event] tonight. Give to [Cause] here: [Link] Reply STOP to opt out.
A reply that also invites people to join your text list
Thank you for giving to [Church]. Give here: [Link] Reply START for occasional updates. Reply STOP to opt out.
The last reply asks permission before you send anything more. When someone texts START, CampaignCNX+ records the date and how they joined.
How to announce text to give during a service or event
People give by text when the instructions are simple and they hear them at the right moment. A few practical habits help.
Say it plainly and at the moment of giving. Announce it during the offering, the appeal or the fundraising portion of the program, not only at the start. A short script for the person at the front could read:
"If you would like to give by phone, text the word GIVE to [number]. You will get a text back with a link to our giving page."
Show it as well as say it. Put the keyword and the number on the screen, in the bulletin or program, and on table cards at an event. Write the number the way people will type it.
Give people a minute. Pause after the announcement so people can take out their phones. At an event, the emcee can repeat the keyword once more before moving on.
Include online viewers. If you stream your service or event, put the keyword and number on screen during the giving time.
Have someone watching the inbox. Questions such as "Can I give to missions instead?" arrive in the inbox. A staff member or volunteer who answers them during the service helps people complete their gift.
Keep the other ways to give. Text to give is one option alongside the plate, envelopes and your website. Mention it alongside them, without pressing anyone to use it.
Consent and follow-up messages
The automatic reply answers a request the supporter made by texting you. Adding that person to your regular messages is a separate step, and it needs their permission. The START reply above is one way to ask. A sign-up card or an online form with clear wording about texts is another. Keep a record of when and how each person agreed. For other ways a church or nonprofit can use texting, such as volunteer and event reminders, see our post on texting donors, volunteers and members.
Every first message you send to a new contact should include "Reply STOP to opt out." CampaignCNX+ handles STOP replies automatically, so anyone who opts out receives no further texts from your number.
Your giving platform sends the official receipt. A short personal thank-you by text a day or two later is a good habit for people who have agreed to receive your texts. Our fundraising text message examples include thank-you messages, year-end appeals and event follow-ups you can copy.
Common questions
Does text to give add the gift to the donor's phone bill?
No. The text contains a link to your giving page. The donor gives on that page through your existing payment processor, and the gift is not charged to their phone bill.
What does text to give cost?
As an example, if 200 people text GIVE in a month, the 200 automatic replies cost $12 at the pay-as-you-go rate of $0.06 per text. Add $5 for the number and $20 for the keywords add-on, for $37 that month. Your payment processor's fees are separate and are set by your processor.
Can we use more than one keyword?
Yes. Many organizations use GIVE and DONATE with the same reply, plus a keyword for each fund that has its own giving page.
Is text to give secure?
The text carries only a link. Payment details are entered on your giving page, so the security of the payment depends on your giving platform, the same as for any online gift.
Do churches need to register to send texts?
Yes. The carriers require registration for organizational texting, including churches and nonprofits. CampaignCNX+ files the registration for you, and a toll-free number is usually verified in about three business days.
Set up text to give for your organization
Choose your keywords, check that your giving page works well on a phone, and set up your account at least a week before you plan to announce it. Every new account includes 100 free SMS, and your number is $5 a month. Our page on texting for nonprofits and churches covers what else an account can do.