Using Text To Give Correctly

These should be used when people are NOT reading them on their phones. Think about it, if you receive an email with instructions on how to give via text, you'll probably bail. I mean, a clickable link would do just fine.

You should use these options when people can see them, point their phone, and give without needing to type in a long URL. Here are great places to use Text-To-Give and QR-Code giving options.

1. On any snail mail.
2. On your business cards.
3. On the big screen during an event.
4. On table tents at an event.
5. On printed material.
6. In a partner business near the checkout line.

Links that lead directly to a donation form are great! It lowers the number of clicks and steps for a donor. It also increases the donation amount and likelihood of follow-through. These should be used whenever people already know who you are, and want a quick easy way to give.

Here is my donation form link for reference:

Donation Form: https://www.continuetogive.com/hopethroughjesus/donation_prompt

Public Fundraising Profile: https://www.continuetogive.com/hopethroughjesus

Donation Form vs. Public Fundraising Profile.

If prospective donors do NOT already know who you are, you should share your public fundraising profile with them.

The public fundraising profile tells people who you are, what you do, and who is all donating to you. This can get them excited about giving!

If donors already know you, and just want to give, you can save clicks by sending them directly to your donation form. The donation form is simply the form where people type in their amount and payment information.

These links work great when used correctly!

Don't use these links on printed material of course, as people do not want to type in long URLs on their phones. Instead use them in places such as:

1. Text messages.
2. Emails.
3. Social media posts.
4. Possibly on your website (although redirects are not advised).
5. Or any medium where people can click as they read.

Giving kiosks work great for in-person events such as:

1. Church.
2. Fundraising events.
3. Your office where visitors can see.
4. In a business near the checkout line.

Your website is all spruced up and ready to go! You want to share it with the world. That is great. Your website will help people learn more about what you do, who you serve, and how you do it. You should do your best to drive traffic there, and educate people who care about your cause. Our advice though is when you ask people to donate or give to you, give them the correct simple option from above, and not your website. They might not have time to navigate your website, and abandon the donation!

While Continue To Give has created many great donation avenues, you want to keep it simple for the donor. This means presenting one and only one option at a time. Choose wisely and you’ll succeed!