A key objective of non-profit communication is to distribute information about current work and the impact being made through campaigns and initiatives. However, non-profit organizations often have limited budget and resources when it comes to communications strategy despite having extremely valuable information to disseminate to their followers.

Non-profits need to connect with their volunteers, donors, clients, and the general public  so they can continue efforts that make a difference in the community. Phone calls and emails just aren’t effective enough, having most of the emails end up in spam and phone calls ignored. And non-profits have large opted in lists waiting to hear from them, thus it’s very important to reach the audience on the channels they are constantly checking. That’s why many non-profit organizations use text messaging as their go-to for reaching more people and making daily communications simple.

The reasons for choosing text messaging are clear: no other communication channel offers higher user engagement – 98% of all delivered SMS messages actually get read. That’s 400% better than on any other channel. The click through rate for content distributed through SMS is nearly 500% better than through e-mail. It’s also among the most cost-effective channels.

There are two types of audiences non-profits need to reach out to: people who want to help them and those who need their help. Both can be reached via the integration of text messaging through a cloud communications provider like Mitto, and there are several ways to engage with them:

Mass texting

Bulk SMS can be used when a nonprofit has information that they need to distribute at a large scale to all followers. This can include: social campaigns, news, organizational changes, alerts and notifications, reminders, events updates, fundraising campaigns, and more. With a simple upload of phone numbers to our campaign manager (available inside the Mitto Dashboard) organizations of all sizes can easily reach their entire database in a few easy clicks.

Two-way messaging

Following up on past conversations is important in order to maintain engagement. Cloud communications integrations of two-way SMS also allow turning on auto replies when specific keywords are triggered. For example, sending thank you notes on message replies, opt-ins and donations, auto replies on questions, following up on events, launching surveys via SMS, etc. Two-way SMS also prevents the need for human monitoring of all channels, which can be difficult to resource when funds are tight.

Text-to-donate / text-to-give

Non-profits can collect donations through texting either via pledge, mobile webform or through embedded links. SMS can also be used to distribute aid during unfortunate events. One example is Tunisian NGO Sustainable Foods who  partnered with a local supermarket in order to provide food aid to families who lost their jobs as a result of Covid-19. The recipients received a text message crediting them with an allowance for groceries.

How to integrate

Mitto can help non-profit organizations reach their goals by leveraging SMS for timely communications to their followers that result in higher engagement and participation. There are several ways non-profits can integrate with Mitto’s platform:

CRM INTEGRATION

Some non-profits are already using CRM tools to ease the communication process. Mitto partners with various CRM tools to simplify texting enablement. Check out the list of our partners that we are already integrated with here, or reach out to us if you’d like to suggest an integration with your CRM tool that is not listed already.

API INTEGRATION

Larger non-profits have their own team of developers that can leverage our API – if this is your case, contact our sales team here and get all the information you need.

SELF SERVICE TOOL

Don’t have either one? Don’t worry, we offer a campaign manager feature within our Dashboard, a self-service tool with no developer needed and no monthly tech fees. Just upload phone numbers, add your content, and reach customers on the channel with a 98% read rate. Sign up here to get started.

To help foster continued and effective conversation that drives positive outcomes during these challenging times, Mitto is offering free SMS services to qualifying nonprofits and advocacy groups able to demonstrate a direct focus on racial equality, the COVID-19 health crisis, or other social good programs. Learn more at: info.mitto.ch/change