Posted , by Nancy Chapman. Topic: Fundraising.

The buzz around the text-to-give option for charities has yet to die down since the Haiti earthquake. So much money was donated to the relief efforts this way that we’re still getting questions from nonprofit staff and board members who wonder if they should offer potential donors this option.

A fellow blogger at “Future Fundraising Now” cautions that it might not be as great as it sounds: “Text giving has the lowest per-donor value there is. One new online donor is as valuable as about 14 new text donors. The figure is similar for new direct mail donors and all other media.”

According to a post at Mashable, “5 Real Challenges for Nonprofit Texting Campaigns,” obstacles include the use of mandatory foundations and application service providers, a rigorous vetting process for acceptance, and shared costs with partners. Plus, as we noted here in our Jan. 20 post, 24/7 coverage by traditional media brought global attention to the needs of Haiti, creating a critical mass of $10 text donations that totalled millions of dollars. That’s not likely to happen for a smaller nonprofit that garners little media coverage.

Has your organization been discussing this? Let us know below.

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