A fundraising text works when it reads like a note from someone the supporter already knows: short, specific, and easy to act on. It fails when it reads like a mass ad. Below are examples for the moments nonprofits most often ask for support, written so you can swap in your own name, cause and link. After the examples are the rules that keep these texts delivered and welcome.
The organization in the examples, “Harbor Food Bank,” is made up. Replace it with your own name.
Before you send a single appeal
Fundraising texts should only go to people who agreed to get texts from you. That consent should cover what you are sending: if someone signed up for volunteer shift reminders only, a donation appeal is outside what they agreed to. The simplest fix is an opt-in that names fundraising up front, for example “updates, events and occasional donation requests.” Our SMS opt-in guide shows the full wording.
Your texting number is also registered with the carriers for a stated purpose, with sample messages. Donation asks should be part of that registration. If they were not, update the registration before you start, or your appeals may be filtered.
This is practical guidance, not legal advice. Fundraising and texting rules vary by state, so check with a lawyer for your situation.
Year-end and general appeals
Keep it to one idea, one ask and one link. Say what the gift does in plain, concrete terms you can stand behind.
Only describe impact you can actually point to. “Your gift helps stock the pantry” is honest. A line like “every $10 feeds 30 people” needs to be a figure your own organization has calculated and can explain.
Matching gift and deadline appeals
A real deadline or a real match gives people a reason to act today. Never invent one; if the match is not confirmed, do not send the text.
One reminder near the deadline is usually enough. A series of “last chance” texts in a single day is how supporters end up replying STOP.
Thank-you texts
A quick thank-you is the most welcome fundraising text you will send. Keep it free of any new ask.
Use the donor’s first name only when you are sure it is right. A wrong name is worse than no name.
Monthly giving
Monthly donors are your steadiest support. Texts to them should mostly be updates, with an occasional, gentle invitation for others to join.
Event and campaign asks
Events give you a natural reason to text: an invitation, a reminder, a thank-you, and, if it fits, one ask for those who could not come.
Emergency and rapid response
When something happens in your community, a calm, factual text is better than a dramatic one. Say what happened, what you are doing, and how people can help.
Make sure an emergency appeal still fits the purpose you registered. A sudden shift to a new topic is exactly the kind of change carriers notice.
What makes these examples work
- Your name first. Every text opens with the organization’s name, so nobody wonders who is writing.
- One ask, one link. Two links or two requests split attention and look more like spam.
- A link on your own domain. Use your full website address, not a public link shortener, which carriers often filter.
- Opt-out language. Include “Reply STOP to opt out” on appeals and regularly on other messages, as your registration describes.
- Short enough to read at a glance. Staying within a single text segment also keeps your cost per message down.
- Plain characters. Curly quotes, special symbols and emoji can switch a text to a different encoding that fits fewer characters per segment.
How often to send fundraising texts
There is no single right number, but texting is personal, so restraint pays off. A good pattern is to let appeals be the exception and updates, thank-yous and event reminders be the rule. Tell people how often to expect texts when they sign up, then stay within that. If your opt-in says “about 2–4 messages a month,” do not send six during a campaign week.
Watch your replies and opt-outs after each send. A noticeable jump in STOP replies after an appeal is a sign the message, the timing or the frequency missed the mark.
When to send
- Stick to reasonable hours in the recipient’s time zone, roughly 8 AM to 9 PM.
- Even inside that window, daytime and early evening usually feel less intrusive than very early or late.
- Send deadline reminders early enough on the final day that people still have time to give.
Answer the replies
Supporters will reply with questions, kind words, address changes and sometimes complaints. A fundraising text is the start of a conversation, so read and answer replies within a day or so. Someone who asks whether a gift is tax-deductible and gets a real answer has a much better experience than someone who hears nothing.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Texting donors who gave online or by check but never agreed to texts.
- Copying an appeal from your email word for word. Email is long; texts should be a sentence or two.
- Using an urgent tone for routine appeals. Save urgency for real deadlines.
- Linking to a third-party page your registration never mentioned.
- Forgetting to remove people who replied STOP from every list, not just the one they replied to.
If you have not set up texting yet, our step-by-step guide on how to get texting for your nonprofit covers registration, number types and what to look for in a service.