March 2026: Your SMS Questions Answered
I hope you're already aware that registration is OPEN for Text For Good, a new SMS/MMS workshop series I'm co-teaching with Amanda Speer! The first workshop is on April 14th.
Before officially launching Text For Good, I posted this poll on LinkedIn. You asked some fantastic questions in the comments. Here are our answers:
Your SMS Questions Answered
Question 1: Platform pricing
Cameron asked: “Have you found any platforms that send in a way that doesn't charge you per message or makes it virtually free? Basically, allows you to send unlimited texts when you pay a normal subscription fee to the tool?"
Our answer: No. All of the major nonprofit texting platforms still charge some kind of per-message fee, even if they also include a monthly subscription or bundle of credits.
Compliant nonprofit SMS platforms look something like:
Platform fee: ~$200–$2,000+/month depending on list size and features
Per-message cost: usually $0.01–$0.05 per message
The reason is structural. Messaging platforms are charged by wireless carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile each time a message is sent. Those carrier fees, along with compliance costs (like 10DLC registration and campaign registry requirements), get passed through to the platform—and ultimately to customers.
You may see some tools advertising “unlimited texting,” but in most cases, that simply means the subscription includes a large bundle of message credits before overage fees kick in.
In the first session of Text For Good, we'll walk through the major nonprofit texting platforms, compare their pricing models, and explain what to look for to stay compliant while keeping costs manageable.
Question 2: Email + text automations
Meghan asked: “How are nonprofits integrating SMS/MMS with existing email automations?”
Our answer: We recommend simple SMS welcome journeys layered alongside existing email automations. For example, when someone opts in with their phone number, whether they're a new or existing email subscriber, you should send:
An immediate welcome text: “You're in! Save our contact so you know it's really us in the future.”
Follow-up message 1–2 days later: A quick note explaining what kinds of texts they'll receive and how often
1-3 optional engagement messages: A poll, quick question, or short impact update to get them interacting
From there, many nonprofits segment contacts by donor status, geography, or volunteer participation, just like they do with email.
You can also use your email automations to grow your SMS list. Your welcome emails and regular newsletters can both invite people to opt in to texts for faster, less frequent updates or exclusive content.
One best practice we strongly recommend is the double opt-in, where someone confirms they want to receive texts after signing up. This protects your organization from compliance issues.
We'll map out an SMS welcome journey step-by-step in the workshop series with real text examples!
Question 3: Texting fails
Mica asked: "Given that my teens suggest I'm 'aggressive' on text when I use a period (punctuation matters, people!), I'd love to hear from seasoned texters: What were your biggest fails?"
Our answer: First off, Mica, thank you for giving us both a laugh. I have definitely scolded my mom about this.
One big text fail is the same as email: name personalization without a fallback. If your system doesn't have someone's first name, the message reads “Hey, ______!"
Another common misstep is starting with a donation ask right away. Many of us have received a random text from an organization asking for money when we don't remember giving them our phone number.
Overdoing it is also a pitfall. Text is a much more personal channel than email, so weekly or daily texts can quickly feel like a bad ex.
A few more technical things to watch for:
Donation links should always go to mobile-optimized donation pages.
Emojis, bolding, italicizing, etc. turn an SMS into an MMS message, which costs more (so just be aware).
Messages over 160 characters become multiple messages, so you want long messages to cut off in the right spot.
And despite what your teenagers may say, proper punctuation is recommended. We'll share real examples in the workshop series!
Question 4: What to send & how often
Christina asked: "I'm interested in what's working re: frequency, types of messages, etc."
Our answer: The texts that tend to perform best are engagement and stewardship messages, like:
Polls (“Which program update would you like to hear about first?”)
Quizzes
Quick yes/no responses
Thank-you messages
Short videos or photos
Celebrations of milestones/good news
Fundraising texts can absolutely work, but they tend to perform best when they're part of a broader relationship, not the only type of message someone receives (same as email).
In terms of frequency, 1–2 texts per month is usually the sweet spot, with occasional ramp-up periods around major campaigns. In the third workshop of our series, we'll dive deeper into this and provide a texting calendar template participants can customize for their organization.
Question 5: Cadence in combination with email
Chris asked: “What should the overall approach look like? How often? If you're doing weekly nurturing emails, should a text replace one or supplement?”
Our answer: Think of SMS as a complement to email, used much more sparingly.
If you send weekly email newsletters, texting can highlight the most important moment or call-to-action rather than duplicating everything.
One thing we definitely want to avoid is what I call the Dentist Office Effect, when you get an email and text about the same thing on the same day. That's when people start unsubscribing (or switching dentists).
But what you can do is pull the #1 story or CTA from an email and turn it into a short text. For example:
Email newsletter goes out Tuesday afternoon
A text goes out on Thursday saying something like “Did you see this story we emailed you on Tuesday? You made this happen!”
This approach helps texts feel more personal and valuable, rather than redundant.
In Text For Good, we'll share a recommended cadence and help participants build a schedule that fits their team's capacity.
The Text For Good group will be small enough for each participant to ask questions and receive personalized recommendations.
This program frankly isn't going to be a big money maker for Amanda and me, but we're pouring a lot of time into it because we want to reduce the confusion and nervousness around SMS/MMS, so more of you can unlock this lucrative channel.
We really hope you'll join us—and share this with your friends, too!
New article: How to get donors to say “I do (want to give monthly)”
If you're fresh off the Monthly Giving Summit, you're in the perfect mindset for this one! We're all bought in on the importance of monthly giving, but what actually drives acquisition? I broke it down in this piece for iDonate.
On a personal note, I'm soaking up our final weeks in Costa Rica before we toss everything in duffels and return to very snowy New Hampshire.
This has been a fabulous adventure for my itchy-footed little family, and our son—who turns 2 later this month—is now proudly saying “hola” and “grah-cias."
Pura vida!
-Caroline
