Challenges For Non Profit Texting Campaigns

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Writing on Mashable, Geoff Livingston examines the barriers non-profits face when running SMS-based fundraising campaigns, prompted by the widely-publicised success of the Red Cross’s post-earthquake Haiti texting appeal. He points to a range of obstacles working against most 501(c)(3) organisations, including mandatory use of aggregators and application service providers to reach mobile carriers, a stringent vetting process for new campaigns, small per-message donation limits of $5 to $10, limited short codes and shared setup costs with wireless partners, arguing that a campaign’s success ultimately hinges on its ability to generate broad public awareness rather than the technology itself.