Create Your First SMS Nonprofit Campaign in 6 Steps

Just a few decades ago, nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups had limited reach with existing and potential supporters. Marketing efforts included expensive TV ads, billboards, radio spots, and piles of direct mail. Although these methods are often still part of an effective marketing strategy, text messaging has made it much easier to reach supporters.

Partnering with a nonprofit text message platform like momoGood Messaging makes text messaging much more effective than traditional marketing channels.

Data shows SMS messaging has a 99% open rate, far better than the 28% open rate for email marketing. Additionally, 90% of text messages are read within three minutes, making nonprofit text messaging the most efficient, direct, and cost-effective fundraising and communication tool available.

According to the Pew Research Center, 97% of Americans now own a smartphone, which means SMS gives nonprofits access to a nearly universal communication channel — one that does not require supporters to download an app, create an account, or check a website. The message comes to them.

In this guide, learn how to create your first SMS nonprofit campaign in six simple steps.

What Is Text Message Marketing?

Text message marketing, sometimes referred to as SMS marketing or mobile messaging marketing, uses text messages to share an organization’s or brand’s services and products while building loyalty. Text message marketing — similar to email marketing except via text message — is great for sending coupons, promotions, updates, events, and other information that organizations want to share with their customers or supporters.

SMS messages can contain up to 160 characters, consisting of text, emojis, and links, whereas MMS messages can include media content such as images, GIFs, videos, QR codes, and audio files. With momoGood’s platform, MMS messages can include up to 5,000 characters and a subject line.

momoGood has been helping nonprofit organizations reach their audiences through effective text message marketing campaigns — and our clients consistently see strong returns on their text messaging investment.

It is important to understand the distinction between application-to-person (A2P) messaging and person-to-person (P2P) messaging, because the type of messaging you choose affects your compliance obligations, deliverability, and cost structure. A2P messaging — which is what nonprofit SMS campaigns use — involves an organization sending messages to individuals through a messaging platform. P2P messaging is what happens when two individuals text each other. Carriers treat these two types of traffic very differently, applying stricter rules and registration requirements to A2P traffic. Using a platform designed for A2P nonprofit messaging ensures your campaigns are properly classified and compliant from the start.

Six Steps to Creating Your First SMS Nonprofit Campaign

Creating your first SMS nonprofit campaign can feel overwhelming, but partnering with the right provider makes the whole process easier. Follow these six steps, and you’ll be on your way to running a successful SMS nonprofit campaign in the U.S.

1. Choose an SMS Marketing Platform Specializing in Advocacy Organizations

The first step to creating and running a text message campaign is to partner with an SMS software provider. Ideally, your SMS software provider specializes in text message fundraising so they can help you design a creative and effective strategy for your organization.

When analyzing the SMS software providers available, look for one that understands your needs, knows how nonprofits work, and is an expert in the fundraising space. momoGood is built specifically for advocacy and nonprofit organizations, helping clients generate meaningful returns on every dollar invested in text message marketing.

When evaluating platforms, pay attention to several key capabilities beyond basic message sending:

• Compliance infrastructure: Does the platform handle TCPA compliance, carrier registration, and opt-out management automatically? Non-compliance can result in fines of up to $1,500 per message under the TCPA.
• Deliverability track record: Ask about delivery rates. Reputable platforms maintain delivery rates above 97% for registered senders.
• Analytics and reporting: Can you track open rates, click-through rates, conversions, and donation attribution per campaign? Without analytics, you cannot optimize.
• Integration with your existing tools: Does the platform integrate with your CRM, donation processor, and email marketing tool? Siloed data limits your ability to understand supporter behavior across channels.
• Support and strategy: Does the provider offer hands-on support from people who understand nonprofit fundraising, or are you on your own after sign-up?

2. Select an SMS Keyword and Short Code

Once you’ve partnered with the right SMS software provider, you’ll work with them to select and set up a short code and an SMS keyword for your campaign.

A short code is the five- or six-digit phone number you’ll use to send text messages to your subscribers. Short codes require no work for our clients other than adding a simple piece of code. Short codes help grow your subscribers quickly and easily, get more donations at a higher rate with more frequency, and integrate easily with your website or donation pages.

To run a campaign, you’ll also need an SMS keyword — a word or phrase supporters can text to your SMS short code from their mobile phones to join your SMS subscriber list. Your SMS keyword can be a word like "donate," "join," "nonprofit," or another word relevant to your organization. Choosing the right keyword for an SMS campaign can impact an organization’s reach and the number of subscribers who join the campaign.

SMS marketing experts recommend selecting a keyword relevant to your nonprofit or your SMS campaign. Keep keywords short, memorable, and easy to spell. Avoid keywords that could be confused with common words or that require unusual capitalization. The best keywords pass the "could I shout this across a crowded room and have someone type it correctly?" test. For example, "GIVE" is better than "GIVENOW2026" — it is easier to remember, faster to type, and less prone to errors.

If you are using a 10-digit long code instead of a short code, you will need to register through The Campaign Registry (TCR) before you can begin sending. Registration is required by all major U.S. carriers for A2P messaging on 10-digit numbers, and sending without registration can result in your messages being blocked entirely.

3. Grow Your List

In order to grow your subscriber list, all you have to do is add a small piece of code to your website’s donation page, checkout page, or webpage that already has a mobile number opt-in integrated. This syncs the mobile subscriber’s phone number with the text messaging system, enabling you to quickly grow your subscriber list and raise more donations more quickly.

You can also promote your keyword and short code across email, social media, event signage, and printed materials to capture opt-ins wherever supporters encounter your organization.

List growth is important, but list quality matters more. A list of 1,000 genuinely opted-in, engaged supporters will outperform a list of 10,000 scraped or passively collected numbers on every metric — open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, and donation totals. Here are proven tactics for growing a high-quality SMS list:

• Website opt-in widgets: Add an SMS opt-in checkbox or pop-up to your donation confirmation page, volunteer sign-up form, and newsletter subscription flow. Supporters who are already engaging with your organization are the most likely to opt in.
• Event sign-ups: Display your keyword and short code prominently at events — on signage, presentation slides, and printed programs. Events are high-intent moments where supporters are primed to deepen their engagement.
• Email cross-promotion: Include an SMS opt-in CTA in your email newsletter. Your email subscribers are already engaged — invite them to join your text list for time-sensitive updates and exclusive content.
• Social media promotion: Post your keyword and short code on your social channels with a clear value proposition: "Text GIVE to 12345 for exclusive campaign updates and matching gift alerts."

4. Send Engaging Messages Frequently

Once people have opted in to your subscriber list, it’s time to start sending text messages. The key to a successful SMS campaign is sending messages regularly. The ideal frequency depends on your target audience. An SMS software provider like momoGood can help determine your SMS nonprofit campaign’s ideal frequency.

Don’t start with a donation ask. Build trust first with a welcome message, then share a mission update or impact story, and only after one or two engagement messages, make your first fundraising appeal. For message inspiration, see our guide to text donation message examples and templates.

Your welcome message is one of the most important texts you will ever send. It sets the tone for the entire relationship. A strong welcome message includes: a thank-you for opting in, your organization’s name, what kind of messages they can expect (and how often), and a prompt to save your number as a contact. Many organizations also include a small engagement action in the welcome message — like a link to an impact story — to establish the pattern of interaction from the very first text.

5. Measure Your KPIs and Optimize Accordingly

Your SMS nonprofit campaign will be successful if you track and measure results and optimize as frequently as needed. Key metrics to watch include:

• Open rate: How many people see your message.
• Click-through rate: How many click your link.
• Conversion rate: How many complete the desired action (donate, register, etc.).
• Opt-out rate: How many unsubscribe per message.
• Donation metrics: Total raised, number of gifts, and average gift per message.
• Cost per acquisition: How much it costs to acquire a new donor or subscriber through SMS compared to other channels.
• Revenue per message: Total revenue divided by total messages sent — a single metric that captures the overall efficiency of your program.

momoGood Messaging offers easy-to-use subscriber and messaging analytics features. Use these tools to analyze trends and modify your campaign to increase your engagement and open rates.

Do not wait until the end of a campaign to look at your data. Review performance after every send. If click-through rates drop, test a different message format or call to action. If opt-out rates spike, you may be sending too frequently or with too many asks. A/B testing — sending two versions of a message to small segments before sending the winner to your full list — is one of the most effective ways to continuously improve performance.

6. Get Support from Nonprofit Industry Experts

The right partner is key to successfully creating your SMS nonprofit campaign. At momoGood, we understand the challenges of running a nonprofit. We built our platform to help you meet and overcome those challenges, reach supporters, and raise more donations.

Some of those common challenges include crafting text messages and designing media content. Many nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups don’t have the knowledge, budget, or time. momoGood’s in-house designers and SMS marketing experts work side by side with our clients to create compelling campaign content — so your team can focus on your mission.

Compliance Matters

Every SMS campaign must follow TCPA compliance requirements. Every subscriber should be a genuine opt-in — it’s both a legal requirement and the foundation of a healthy, engaged list. Your platform should handle carrier registration, consent management, and opt-out processing automatically.

Compliance is not a one-time checkbox — it is an ongoing requirement that affects every aspect of your SMS program. The FCC enforces the TCPA and has the authority to impose fines for violations. Beyond the legal requirements, the CTIA’s Messaging Principles and Best Practices outline the industry standards that carriers use to determine whether your messages are compliant. Violating these guidelines — even unintentionally — can result in carrier filtering, throttling, or suspension of your sending privileges.

Key compliance requirements for nonprofit SMS campaigns include:

• Express written consent: You must obtain clear, affirmative consent before sending marketing text messages. A pre-checked box on a web form does not count as consent.
• Clear disclosure: At the point of opt-in, supporters should know what types of messages they will receive, how frequently, and that message and data rates may apply.
• Immediate opt-out processing: When a supporter texts STOP, your platform must immediately cease all messages to that number and send a single confirmation. Failing to honor STOP requests is one of the most common — and most serious — compliance violations.
• Required message elements: Every message should include your organization’s name, and periodic messages should remind subscribers how to opt out.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Your First Campaign

First-time SMS campaigners often make a few predictable mistakes that can undermine their results:

• Starting with an ask: If your first text to a new subscriber is a donation request, you will see high opt-out rates. Build the relationship first with a welcome series before asking for money.
• Using public URL shorteners: Generic shortened links (like bit.ly without a branded domain) can trigger carrier spam filters and reduce deliverability. Use your platform’s built-in link shortener instead.
• Ignoring time zones: Sending a text at 9 AM Eastern means it arrives at 6 AM Pacific. Be mindful of your supporters’ time zones, and use send-time optimization to deliver messages at appropriate local times.
• Skipping the welcome message: New subscribers who do not receive an immediate confirmation may forget they opted in. A prompt welcome message sets expectations and reduces future opt-outs.
• Sending too many asks in a row: Balance your content mix. A healthy ratio is roughly one fundraising ask for every two to three engagement or stewardship messages.

Launch Your First SMS Nonprofit Campaign

SMS marketing has evolved over the years and has become more accessible for nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups — from adding fun emojis and videos to shortening links and personalizing messages at scale.

momoGood’s experience in nonprofit text messaging offers everything you need to launch successful SMS marketing campaigns and achieve your goals. Talk to our team today and learn how momoGood can help you strategize and launch your first SMS nonprofit campaign.