It's understandable that non-profit organizations have to watch their budgets. Because of this, experimenting with new ways of reaching out to donors and potential contributor may not be high on the list because such moves could be regarded as economically risky. If, however , you're willing to consider texting as one of your techniques for making contact, here are some ways that nonprofits can usefully employ text messaging, if SMS is, actually a mode of communication that your target audience uses.

If you are willing to try SMS texts, you may actually find some benefits. Text messages are so short that they're more likely to be opened instantly than saved along with the dozens of other emails that many people get each day or set aside with all the other postal service email that doesn't seem so interesting or important that it must be opened right now. Texts are also less likely to end up in a junk e-mail filter.

You'll get more out of SMS messaging as a nonprofit organization if you don't consider it as a single thing, but as the multi-faceted tool that can be adapted easily to different purposes. For any non-profit, SMS messaging can be used to:

Provide reminders for forthcoming events. When you've spent the time and energy arranging a fund raiser, a bake sale, a silent public sale, a dance, a bazaar, or some other type of money-raising event, the results won't be worthwhile unless people show up. Along with today's busy schedules, even reminders for board conferences may help ensure you have your full membership available to talk about your crucial issues. SMS text messaging is an effective and easy method to reach your contacts for these purposes.

Donation solicitations could be handled by email, postal service mail, phone calls, or even text message. Many non-profits are accustomed to using one of the first 3 items on the list, or some combination of them. But not that you're considering text messaging as a possibility, consider it as a tool to get donations. A mobile marketing campaign is worth considering as a means to perform an annual or biannual donation campaign.

Many nonprofits possess a task beyond simply running an operation, and that is advocacy for your cause they represent or the people they serve. Flack is another nonprofit task that can-at least partially-be carried out via text.

Other uses for text messaging include: providing educational updates, such as Congressional action on matters pertinent for your non-profit's mission or local developments, changes in personnel, achievements, etc .; polling your contributors for any of a number of purposes (guide in choosing type of fund-raiser, opinion on most important action to undertake next, etc . ); and driving traffic to your own non-profit's website.