How to Leverage Social Media to Grow Your Text Opt-In List

Fundraising

Aug 7

When it comes to fundraising strategies, text messaging is known for its efficiency and potential to boost donor engagement and giving. According to a 2025 nonprofit texting report, fundraising texts raised $4.38 for every dollar spent.

But to successfully engage donors via text, your nonprofit first needs to build an extensive subscriber list. This is where social media can help. By generating high-quality social media content about your nonprofit, you can motivate new and existing supporters to sign up for your text messages and deepen their involvement in your organization’s cause.

Specifically, a multichannel social media marketing approach—such as using Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other platforms—helps you create multiple touchpoints with supporters and tap into the many benefits of text fundraising.

In this guide, we’ll explore social media marketing strategies that can help you spotlight your text-to-give program, boosting your brand visibility and fundraising results.

Create Engaging Text Fundraising Content

One of the most important elements of your social media strategy is compelling content. This includes high-impact photos, videos, and graphics that evoke emotion and communicate the value of your organization’s text messages.

There are several ways to create engaging text fundraising content:

Create a video tutorial that demonstrates the process of signing up for your text messaging list. Invite a volunteer to film a step-by-step video that provides clear directions for how to opt in to your organization’s texts.
Develop an informative infographic that outlines the impact of text donations, so followers see how your organization makes a difference and why it’s worthwhile to give. Showcase your nonprofit’s credibility and impact by highlighting key metrics and goals your nonprofit has achieved. Then, share this infographic on social media with instructions in the caption explaining how supporters can opt in.
Share impactful photos and videos of beneficiaries. Tatango’s guide to nonprofit text messaging explains that visuals of beneficiaries capture your supporters’ attention by showing exactly who their donations will go towards. For example, your healthcare nonprofit could post a picture of a patient named Susan who is in need of life-saving surgery. You could then inspire supporters to help patients like Susan by including a call to action in your caption, such as “Your life-saving donation could help Susan receive the surgery she needs. Donate now to help Susan! Text DONATE4CHANGE to 456-789.”

Each of your nonprofit’s social media posts should prominently feature your phone number and keyword in the caption, making it simple for donors to opt in. You might also add these details to your Facebook or LinkedIn cover photo and in your social media bios.

Create a Trustworthy Image

On social media, you will be competing with many other organizations for prospective supporters’ attention. To capture and maintain interest in your cause, your nonprofit needs to cultivate a consistent, professional image. After all, supporters are unlikely to give out their phone numbers to an organization that seems untrustworthy.

A few ways you can create a positive, trustworthy impression on social media include:

Maintain consistent branding. When creating any social media content, refer back to your nonprofit brand guide. While you might post a range of content on social media, core brand elements, such as your logo and colors, should stay consistent across all communication platforms to ensure supporters understand they’re engaging with the same organization.
Leverage SMS short codes. Short codes are 5-6 digit phone numbers used for bulk texting. While short codes tend to be more expensive than long, 10-digit numbers, they appear more professional and are easier for supporters to remember. Moderate and large-sized nonprofits that have the budget for short codes should consider creating one and adding it to their social media pages.
Engage with supporters. On social media, users are far more likely to interact with content if they see others engaging with it. Encourage your followers to share, like, and comment on your posts, and always respond to comments to help form connections.

If your nonprofit is new to social media marketing, a trustworthy image is something you will build with time. Maintain a reasonably active posting schedule—such as at least one or two posts a week—so supporters know your nonprofit is operational and ready to continue conversations about your cause via SMS.

Share Text Fundraising Resources from Your Website

In addition to sharing images and videos, social media platforms are a powerful tool for driving traffic to both your website and online donation pages. Use your social media accounts to share links to resources that provide deeper insight into your text fundraising activities and how supporters can get involved.

For example, your nonprofit could use the following strategies:

Create and share a dedicated landing page: Create a landing page that outlines how you use text messages to engage with donors and how this aligns with your overall mission. Be sure to include clear instructions for how supporters can opt in to SMS. Then, share this link in your social media bios and captions to direct people to learn more about your text messages.
Share your donation page on your socials: Sharing the link to your nonprofit’s donation page on social media provides another opportunity for supporters to opt in to texts. On your donation page, create an entry field where supporters can provide their phone number and consent to receive texts from your nonprofit.
Enhance your online CTAs: When followers arrive on your website from a social media post, they might feel inspired to explore other parts of your site. Optimize your website’s calls to action (CTAs) so your followers can easily take steps to deepen their involvement. This could lead them to sign up for texts or play other roles in your organization, such as volunteering, leading a peer-to-peer fundraiser, or donating online.

Actively check social media metrics, like click-through rates, to see how your content is performing and whether supporters are following through on your calls to action. This can be done within the platforms themselves or by leveraging social media management software.

Host a Social Media Contest

Hosting a social media contest is a fun and engaging way to rally your community around your mission and encourage them to deepen their involvement. Empower supporters and encourage leaders at your nonprofit, like your board, to share content related to your text fundraising efforts. Then, as part of the challenge, all posters will compete to get the most likes, comments, reposts, or other measurable results.

To inspire participation, you might reward the winner with:

Shout-outs on your social media platforms
Free merchandise
An exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of your facility

Attach a catchy and relevant hashtag to your contest to increase visibility and traction and encourage supporters to sign up for texts. For example, a church might make its hashtag #TextToTithe.

Another option could be creating a video challenge and asking supporters to post a one-minute clip explaining why they’re supporting your nonprofit and encouraging people in their personal networks to opt in and donate. This personal touch can inspire new donors to learn more about your organization and give.

Finally, don’t forget to send a digital or handwritten thank-you message to all who participate. When it comes to making your constituents feel appreciated, verbally expressing your gratitude goes a long way. eCardWidget’s guide to thanking donors recommends referencing exactly what supporters did to push forward your cause and how it made an impact, letting them know how much their specific efforts are appreciated.

Conclusion

A strategic social media approach can significantly enhance your text fundraising success, allowing you to reach more supporters, build your subscriber list, and achieve your fundraising goals. Once you successfully convert followers into text subscribers, track your text engagement metrics with the help of comprehensive text fundraising software. This way, you can hone your text messaging strategy as needed to inspire more giving.

Mike Snusz, Director of Nonprofit Customer Experience at Tatango

Mike Snusz brings nearly two decades of digital fundraising expertise to his role as Director of Nonprofit Customer Experience at Tatango, the industry’s leading text messaging platform for nonprofits. A recognized thought leader in SMS fundraising, Mike regularly speaks at national conferences and contributes insights to resources like the Texting Insights Report and other nonprofit publications.

Before joining Tatango, Mike spent 15 years at Blackbaud, where he led a team of digital consultants helping nonprofits optimize their online giving, email marketing, peer-to-peer fundraising, and monthly giving programs.

He began his nonprofit career in Buffalo, NY, managing the Ride For Roswell from 2003 to 2005—an experience that continues to shape his commitment to helping mission-driven organizations thrive in a digital world.