SMS case study
Text Messaging -
Supporting a Matching Challenge Deadline
Through a strategic combination of urgency and multichannel message cadencing, peer-to-peer text messaging optimizes net income generation on one of the busiest fundraising days of the year.
01
The Audience
An internationally recognized advocacy organization.
02
The Appeal
The objective of this peer-to-peer text message campaign was to optimize net income generation on one of the busiest fundraising days of the year, through a combination of urgency and message timing.
03
The Strategy
The cadencing of this text message was carefully constructed, to support both a direct mail and an email outreach. The organization was promoting a “Giving Tuesday” matching challenge campaign, that was set to expire Tuesday at midnight. Several hours prior to that deadline, a text message deployed to the entire donor base (from 0 to 109 months!), informing them of this “last chance to stand with us and to have your gift doubled in impact.”
By launching an urgent message of this magnitude, so close to the match expiration, the client was betting that this text would drive incremental revenue above and beyond that which they had seen so far through other channels promoting this Giving Tuesday appeal.
the results
Peer-to-Peer “Giving Tuesday” Text Message Results
The campaign was a terrific success, delivering above and beyond all expectations. Not only did the program result in nearly $200,000 of incremental revenue – it reactivated over 2,200 lapsed donors in ONE NIGHT, and realized positive ROI on every donor segment, all the way out to 109+ months.
| 0-24 Month Active Donors | 25 –108 Month Lapsed Donors | 109+ Month Lapsed Donors | Total Donor File | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Messages Sent | 238,612 | 247,292 | 539,027 | 1,024,931 |
| Total Gifts | 2,283 | 846 | 1,371 | 4,500 |
| Gross Revenue | $144,848 | $50,981 | $101,489 | $297,318 |
| Average Gift | $63.45 | $60.26 | $74.03 | $66.07 |
| Cost of Texting | $23,861 | $24,729 | $53,903 | $102,493 |
| Net Income | $120,987 | $26,252 | $47,586 | $194,825 |
| Return on Investment | 6.1 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 2.9 |
| Reactivated Donors | 846 | 1,371 | 2,217 |
