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"Text message campaigns are fundraising miracles. They allow almost any cellphone user to instantly turn his or her support into a donation. \nThese paper-free, link-free, check-free campaigns rid the donation process of several steps that may dissuade donors from giving. If you\u2019re a small non-profit, a mobile campaign could be your dream come true.  Unfortunately, it can be challenging to navigate the mobile-giving world.\nWe spoke with Jenifer Snyder, Executive Director of The mGive Foundation, an organization which claims to oversee 85% of all mobile giving campaigns, and rounded up some essential tips for non-profits hoping to start their own text-based initiatives. \n1. Know The Rules\nThe mGive Foundation has some pretty rigorous standards in order to approve organizations. Among the eligibility requirements, organizations must have 501(c)(3) non-profit status, file a form 990 demonstrating an annual budget of at least $500,000, have been in operation for at least a year and report all of its expenses to the public.\nBut what if you don't have a half a million dollar annual budget, or can't afford mGive's $499 monthly fee? There are now solutions for smaller non-profits with shorter histories. MobiPledge is designed specifically for small non-profits, for example.\nAnother option is to start a text-to-commit program using a text marketing service like Momares. While it doesn\u2019t offer the benefits of direct donations attached to constituents' phone bills, it is a way for smaller non-profits to create fundraising opportunities through mobile. \n2. Build Your Foundation\nSuccessful mobile campaigns can do much more than just text subscribers and ask for money. Before you can think about fundraising, you need phone numbers. Use all of your existing platforms to ask your community for their phone numbers. If you already have a strong database, great; but you should always be thinking about new ways to gather this information. Think about asking through direct mailings or via your social media accounts. Add a widget to your blog or website where your community can opt in to mobile alerts. \nOnce you\u2019ve collected a large group of phone numbers and organized your lists, you are ready to kick off your campaign.\n3. Engage\n\n\n\n\nFurther develop a relationship with your subscribers. Don\u2019t send an immediate request for money without first explaining your organization and your mission. You can start by appealing to your subscribers emotions and latch on to the things they're already thinking about (like a special event or holiday). \nTennyson Center for Children, a Denver-based non-profit for at-risk teens, ran one of Snyder\u2019s favorite campaigns. After building a list of numbers, they sent a text on Valentine\u2019s Day saying \u201CHappy Valentines Day! Our Hearts are with you and you have all of our Hearts.\u201D Later that month, they asked for a $10 gift. Tennyson Center for Children increased their annual budget by 8.7% after integrating mobile into their organizations\u2019 infrastructure. \n4. Think Big\nBig events with big audiences are the best opportunity to solicit text message donations. Because text campaigns seek micro-donations, the moment your non-profit has its largest captive audience is best time to launch a campaign. \nOne of the first successful instances of a text donation campaign was during the 2008 Superbowl, when United Way asked for a $5 donation via text message to help prevent child obesity.   Since then, mobile giving has been integrated into other major events, like the New York Center for Autism\u2019s Night of Too Many Stars: An Overbooked Concert for Autism Education in partnership with Comedy Central. For example, when actors Olivia Munn and Will Forte came onstage in the same dress, audience members could vote for best dressed. There was also an ongoing poll as to which type of milkshake \u2014 chocolate, strawberry or vanilla \u2014 should be poured on John Hodgman's head. Each text response made a $10 donation to the autism center. By the end of the night, the event raised $130,000 just from those texts. \nDon't worry if you lack the scale of the United Way (and the budget to buy a Superbowl commercial) or the celebrity connections of the New York Center for Autism. There are ample opportunities non-profits with fewer resources to capitalize on crowds \u2014 high school sports games, county or town fairs, and fundraising galas are ideal times to recruit excited donors. \n5. Think Outside The Box\nMobile campaigns can do much more than just solicit donations. Mobile is a great channel to find volunteers for specific events or inform people about a rally. Organizations can also text bit.ly links to more information about their programs and where their work is being done.\n6. Don\u2019t Oversaturate \n\n\n\n\nOne of the biggest challenges in today\u2019s market is the risk of oversaturation. While we might ignore emails in our inbox, text messages generally have a better conversion rate. Snyder claims that 85% of text messages are read within 15 minutes of being received. This means that there is a higher chance your audience will read text messages you send their way.\nSnyder warns her clients to strike a balance between engagement and oversaturation. The worst thing that could happen after you\u2019ve acquired mobile subscribers is to drive them to unsubscribe. This can happen if your messages become overwhelming and unwanted. \nTry to limit donation inquiries to once a month, followed by a message of appreciation to those who donated. Beyond that, only send one additional message each month, such as acknowledging a relevant holiday or event at your organization.\n7. Know the Limitations \nMobile campaigns are usually simple, but that can be a mixed blessing. The no-fuss nature of mobile communication means it can be more difficult to collect additional information about individual donors. Most mobile campaigns also don't allow donors to select how much they want to give. While this sets a minimum (usually $5 or $10) for donations, it also limits larger donations, unless users want to text you 100 times.\nWe've weighed the pros and the cons and offered some tips, but we'd love to hear your thoughts on mobile giving campaigns. What are your own success stories? How has mobile made a difference in your organization? Let us know in the comments below.\n\n\n\n\nImage courtesy of iStockPhoto,Uros78, via Flickr, kurichan*"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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