Rally Corp

Two weeks ago, I talked to a new customer who is in some hot water. They got bad advice from their previous texting vendor.

It still amazes me that there are bad actors peddling their wares to unsuspecting nonprofits

(If I sound angry, it’s because I am)

That’s the danger of voter texting companies preying on nonprofits in their offseason

Those tactics don’t work — and they’ll likely disappear from political texting too (can I get an amen?!) 🙏

I unpack this in a recent article and share two examples you can use today to build a compliant list, including partnering with other like-minded groups:

https://na2.hubs.ly/H03CK-f0

It's not as hard as you think. And it's worth A LOT more if you do it right.

Stop Renting SMS Lists in 2026 (Even If You’re Using Peer-to-Peer Texting) Stop renting SMS lists in 2026. Using shared lists risks legal penalties, carrier blocking, and damaged deliverability. Learn why consent matters and how to build a compliant opt-in audience.

Don’t design donation pages like a shopping cart
Design them like a moment of meaning

Where online giving must differ

- Online Giving = emotional choice while ecomm = functional choice
- Donors give because of identity, values, and story, while buyers want utility, desire, or convenience
- Impact + transparency matters over "product specs"
- Gratitude + follow-up creates loyalty while order confirmation is often the end of the journey
- 100% of the time, you can lead with (or at least present) monthly/recurring as an option

There is a lot you can learn from ecomm, but the differences shouldn't be overlooked.

Curious — where do you think nonprofits get this most wrong today? 👇

This one evokes a lot of emotion. And where you sit on the issue matters on what kind of emotion that is

A well-segmented list is key to getting the desired results, but perhaps any engagement is important if it creates awareness and conversation

In this case, the message
- Highlights what’s at risk — silence has consequences, so doing nothing isn’t neutral
- Inspires agency — makes the supporter feel like their voice can actually prevent harm
- Urgent tone — taps into a “this matters right now” mindset that boosts response rates

Sending a graphic along with the message would evoke even more feels

Side note: Given the message tone, an emoji didn't seem as necessary. Emojis need to be used cautiously as they can land differently across different groups (e.g. generations)

What do you think? How might this message land for you personally?

This is pretty concerning for nonprofits that depend on getting their Giving Tuesday and year-end messages out

Even well-established brands with dedicated short codes land here. And those messages aint cheap!

This is a screenshot from my phone this week

But there is hope.

Comment Ghostless or 👻 and I'll send you a guide that takes just a few minutes to implement

All of us want a story, but more than that, we want to see how we fit into it

A good story arc has a beginning (all is well), a problem or conflict (something bad happens), and a resolution or outcome (a hero helps, a transformation happens)

Where and how we invite people into that story matters. A lot.

In this example, I think it works because

- Human-first framing — supporters engage faster when they meet a person, not a program
- Clear cause/effect — you (the reader) helped Michael → real change happened (transformation)
- Emotional micro-moment — a single turning point creates intrigue and earns the click

And pro tip: Adding the video as the very last thing in the message and forcing it to send as an MMS (multi-media message) will display a preview on most phones, making the video click much more enticing

Took a story prompt last week from Chris Davenport () and used it on a customer's SMS campaign

Here's why it works
- Leads with a real person, making the issue tangible and relatable in seconds
- Provokes curiosity by revealing just enough of the story to earn the click
- Connects action to impact, helping supporters feel like their involvement matters

Bonus: Adding a heart emoji next to the recipient's name doesn't hurt. It invokes curiosity when they scan their text inbox

Two more going out next week. Follow along to see how it goes

This one had a lot of potential but broke my heart

1. It came from an Unknown Sender (no logo or name)
2. Lack of personalization (fallbacks are okay as a super last resort)
3. No spacing in the message so it landed as one big wall of text
4. Using a non-brand/shared short link, which does not inspire trust

In fact, messages with shared short links will often trip carrier filtering and not be delivered (hence the low click rate)

Bonus: A graphic wouldn't have hurt. A picture is worth a thousand words

If you are getting below 15% click rates on texts, there's something wrong

Would you have clicked bitly from an unknown number?

Brain science (as it applies to giving) would suggest not leading with a statistic. So I was surprised how well this text did

I think it's because the stat they used wasn't hard to get your head around (pun intended) and the ask was small

But like anything in marketing and comms, be sure to A/B test

Comment TEMPLATES and I'll send them to you

The brain avoids overwhelm—Keep It Simple

Cognitive load is real. Too many choices or too much text leads to no decision at all

So, when it comes to donor communications:

✅ One ask per message
✅ One button
✅ One CTA

Use 5-digit Text-to-Give, Tap-to-Give, short links, and simple flows -- just avoid friction, whatever you do

Simplicity increases click-through and reduces drop-off by 30–50%

🌊 On National Philanthropy Day, we celebrate the ripple effect of generosity—one act can inspire countless more. At Rally Corp, we help nonprofits amplify their voices and reach more hearts. How has philanthropy made a difference in your life or organization? Share your story below!

Announcing Giving Games™ by Rally Corp 💙

Fun, interactive fundraising experiences that make giving feel like play—mobile-first, conversion-driven, and built to mobilize people for good. 📲

Let's make giving fun again! 🎉

Comment PLAY and I'll send you a special invite to play along

https://na2.hubs.ly/H0229Lg0