FAQ
We know Text2Give and other mobile fundraising services can be a bit confusing at first, so here are some answers to a few of the most common questions we receive.
General:
Q.) How does Text2Give Fundraising Work?
A.) Donors receive a call to action to donate $5 or $10 to your organization from a friend, at a live event, through Twitter/Facebook, on television or through other forms of marketing. Donors pull out their cell phones and text unique 2-to-8 letter keyword “KEYWORD” to short code “85944”. A donor will then receive a confirmation message. The donor confirms the donation by replying “YES,” and then receives a thank you message. The donor will see the nontaxable donation charge on their monthly phone bill.
Q.) What is a short code?
A.) Similar to a telephone number, short codes are special 5 or 6 digit codes used to route text messages from mobile phones to interactive mobile messaging applications, typically in combination with a keyword. They are designed to be shorter to read and easier to remember than normal telephone numbers.
Q.) What is a keyword?
A.) Used in combination with a short code, a keyword is a word that differentiates a mobile campaign from others on the same short code. The keyword and short code combination allows mobile phone users to make a donation to a specific organization’s mobile donation campaign. For example, an organization called Global Green might choose the keyword GREEN. In order to make a donation, mobile phone users would send the word GREEN as the body of his or her text message to the short code 85944.
Q.) Are only $5 and $10 donation options available?
A.) Currently, Text2Give is limited to $5 and $10 donations by the carriers. We offer another service, included for no additional cost called Text2Pledge. Text2Pledge gives your organization the ability to collect any dollar amount. Donors will be given the option input the amount they would like to pledge, and will receive an automated call to collect their donation pledge via credit card.
Q.) Does the phone carrier take any percentage of that donation?
A.) No. The carrier passes the donations directly to the trusted third party, The Mobile Giving Foundation, who then passes the donation on to Causecast.
Q.) What type of donor information can we collect through Text2Give?
A.) Through Text2Give, you can easy download and import to your existing donor database a CSV file containing the following information; Donor cell phone numbers, State, carrier, amount donated, and date/time of donation.
Q.) Are donors sent a tax-deductible receipt?
A.) Donors will see a charge on their cell phone bill paid to the Mobile Giving Foundation which they can use as a tax receipt. Additionally, donors can text HELP to the donation short code and get instructions on getting a tax receipt.
Q.) Who is the Mobile Giving Foundation?
A.) Mobile Giving Foundation (MGF) is a nonprofit organization that serves as a trusted third party (TTP) between mobile carriers and eligible nonprofit organizations. They provide accreditation of the charity so that a mobile carrier knows that donations made through their system actually go to a legitimate tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization and so that a charity knows that donations made on their behalf to a carrier will be credited to the charity. Causecast is an approved agency of MGF.
Q.) Does Causecast send text solicitations to donors?
A.) No. Causecast does not send any solicitations to your donors.
Setup:
Q.) What does my organization need to get started with Causecast Mobile Fundraising?
A.) The following documents need to be collected to set up your organization:
- Letter of Determination proving 501(c)3 status
- Your latest Form 990
- Organization Bylaws
- Articles of Incorporation
- State Registration Checklist
- Officers and Directors Form
Once Causecast receives and verifies all of your documents, we will send you a Causecast Mobile Agreement to sign and return. For nonprofits over $500k a year in revenue, we will send you an additional Mobile Giving Foundation standard agreement.
Q.) How long after approval can we begin receiving donations?
A.) Typically, from time of approval it takes approximately 15 days for your keyword to be activated by the different carriers. We will notify your organization the moment the keyword is up and ready to go.
Q.) What is the length of the contract?
A.) Our agreement is an industry standard of one year.
Fees/Payout:
Q.) What are the fees associate with Text2Give?
A.) Causecast Mobile Fundraising offers highly competitive and transparent pricing. Please click here to view our pricing.
Q.) Is there a minimum amount of activity (donations) required? Could we be dropped if we don’t meet a specific number of donations in a certain period of time?
A.) There is no minimum, and we will not drop you!
Q.) When does our organization receive our donations? Is this by check or direct deposit?
A.) The distribution of funds is based on the quarterly carrier payout schedule. Every 90 days the carriers disburse the donations through the Mobile Giving Foundation. Your organization will then receive a check from the Causecast Foundation.