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Text to Give for Churches: The Easiest Way to Give

Text to Give for Churches: The Easiest Way to Give

Text to Give for churches, a popular mobile giving platform, shines in today’s culture. Why? Because of the ‘perfect storm’ of three phenomena we’re currently experiencing:

  • PROLIFIC MOBILE PHONE USE: Not only have 96% of American adults adopted cell phone use (Source), but their usage is astounding. The average user will tap, swipe, and click their phone 2,617 times a day (Source). Mobile devices are so ubiquitous there’s even a disorder related to them: “Nomophobia” (fear of being without a mobile phone).
  • EMERGING PREFERENCE FOR TEXTING: In general, text messaging has become a preferred communication method for most demographics. It’s even emerging as a leader for communications between consumers and organizations. Open rates are as high as 98%, compared to just 20% of all emails. And, on average, it takes 90 seconds for someone to respond to a text. (Source)
  • RISE IN MOBILE GIVING. Mobile giving includes gifts made through 1) an app, 2) a church’s website via a mobile device and 3) text to give. For charitable giving, the number of transactions completed through mobile devices increased by 50% last year. At the same time, the number of gifts made through a desktop decreased by 10%. (Source) Consumers now expect these engaging features.

3 Ways Text to Give for Churches Shines

  • It’s the mobile giving “silver bullet”: Inexpensive, fast, easy and nearly 100% accessible, anytime, anywhere for givers.
  • It leverages the “moment.”
  • It appeals to certain givers.

Literally the Easiest Way to Give and Accept Gifts


Text to Give for churches is a simple giving platform that is quick, easy and inexpensive (often free) for churches to get up and running. It’s also fast and simple for givers to use. We always hear that there’s no silver bullet in technology, but Text to Give comes pretty close.

With Text to Give for churches, givers can make one-time or recurring gifts by simply texting the amount they want to give the number or keyword you share with them. They then follow a quick series of prompts to give their gift. The prompts even let them give to multiple funds via that same number or keyword.

Sure, it doesn’t take long to donate a gift on your website giving page with a phone. But a mobile text gift can be completed in a minute or two (less than that after the first gift).

Finally, many Text to Give platforms integrate text gift data with your giving data from your online giving platform.

 

Strike While the Mood is Hot


When givers feel enthusiastic or compassionate, they are more likely to act generously in that moment if it’s possible. But even if they intend to give later, it doesn’t always happen.

Events or text message alerts about an urgent need can get givers to pull out their phones and give immediately. With the open rate of 98%, emergency text message calls for donations will be the first (and possibly only) channel many see.

Remember the first major evidence of the power of Text to Give witnessed by the world? In 2010, a text message asking for $5 donations was sent out and circulated two hours after a devastating earthquake in Haiti. More than $800,000 was raised for relief in less than 24 hours.

That’s without mass prior awareness or instruction on how it works.

The combination of mobile’s potential viral reach + ease of giving + compassion was astounding. You never know when this combination might be needed on your church’s behalf.

 

To Each His Own


The reason it’s important to offer different giving “channels” or methods is to make giving easy on givers’ preferred devices. The easier you make giving, the more generosity will flow. Dedicated givers will give no matter what their choices are. But there are givers who only want to give by text giving. And many others will utilize it in the moment.

Text to Give makes it easy to act on generous impulses. Some churches report that text giving has surpassed other channels for giving. But even if it captures only a small percentage of gifts, its low cost and ease of implementation can still provide a positive ROI. Most importantly, text to give engages more givers in the discipline of tithing.

Vision2 Text to Give for Churches

Vision2’s Text to Give for churches is a pure SMS texting solution (not a text-to-website solution). It has the exact same features as our online and mobile giving options, including:

  • Multi-site/campus
  • Recurring gifts
  • Pledge campaigns
  • Funds to choose from

…all in a simple, conversational-style text exchange that features your church’s branding at the top of screen and addresses your giver by name.

 

Reach out today to learn more about text-to-give.

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