How to use text messaging for donor engagement & fundraising

Over the past few years, it’s become clear—text messaging isn’t just for friends and family anymore. It's now a powerful communication channel for institutions that want to cut through the noise and connect with their communities in a way that’s timely, personal, and effective.

When every inbox is overflowing and attention spans are shrinking, SMS stands out. Text messaging drives 5 times more responses than emails, making it one of the most effective ways to spark action—whether it’s registering for an event, completing a donation, or simply staying in the loop.

So when our partner institutions told us that emails weren’t always getting the job done, especially for time-sensitive campaigns and updates, we listened.

We heard it often:

“We need a faster way to get people to act.”

“Our email open rates are dropping.”

“We’re using a third-party text tool, but it’s disconnected from our data.”

The real problem wasn’t just about sending messages. It was about:

• Reaching the right people at the right time

• Avoiding fragmented tools that don’t talk to each other

• Staying compliant while collecting and managing consent

We set out to build a solution that would be powerful and seamless. A tool that lived inside your existing Almabase workflows, not outside them.

Integrated Text Messaging on Almabase

We’re thrilled to share that text messaging is now live on Almabase.

Whether you're organizing an event, running a giving campaign, or sending out general community updates, you can now do it all via SMS, directly from Almabase.

This feature is designed to fit naturally into the way you already work, while giving you the speed and reach of text-based communication.

How you can use Almabase Text Messaging in your engagement strategy

Whether you're running a campaign, planning an event, or sharing general updates, text messaging on Almabase fits right into the way you already work:

For events

Text messaging is even more powerful for events because it's built right into the event workflows. You don’t need to go to Data Studio—just access it directly from your event or sub-event page. Send registration reminders, confirm payments, or share last-minute updates like venue changes. You can also follow up after the event with thank-you messages or photo links.

For giving campaigns

Send donation appeals, nudge incomplete donations, or thank donors instantly with personalized texts that feel thoughtful and timely.

For program updates and general announcements

Share program updates, alumni news, or important reminders with your community quickly and effectively.

Key features: How Almabase Text Messaging works for you

Here’s how Almabase text messaging helps you engage smarter:

Send SMS from Data Studio

Target any segment of your alumni or donor base directly through Data Studio, just like you would for email.

Send personalized and targeted messages

Use merge tags and segmented lists to send messages that feel personal and relevant—whether it’s addressing someone by name, following up after an event, sending a tailored giving appeal, sharing a personalized reunion itinerary or nudging them about an upcoming mentoring session.

Seamlessly manage consent

Collect consent during event registration, from alumni profiles, or upload it via Excel using the new "Consent" tab under text communication.

Track results in real time

Monitor delivery rates, replies, and unsubscribes from a central dashboard so you always know what’s working.

Use local numbers for authenticity

Ensure your messages look familiar and trustworthy by sending them from local phone numbers.

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Want to understand how it can work for your unique workflows? Our team is here to walk you through it.

👉 Talk to an expert and see how SMS can elevate your engagement strategy—from giving to events and everything in between.

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A few weeks ago, we laid the foundations to and rolled out the revamped communication center to all our customers globally. We thought it would be a good idea to write about where we are going with this and why we see the 'Communication Center' as a cornerstone to alumni engagement.

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We envision the Communication Center to be hub for all your digital communications with your alumni.

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For those of you who have tried the feature out already, the first release of the communication center encompasses a powerful email editor and campaign manager coupled with a better user interface. As we continue to develop the platform, you will be able to reach out to your alumni on multiple channels to cater to different segments of your alumni, including SMS, In-app messaging, push notifications and more.

Let's take a deeper dive into some of the biggest changes with the email tool in this release.

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Easily switch between Rich Email & Plain Text

You can now create structured, graphic emails with the new email composer. Easy create new email structures and fill them up with images, to send out to your mailing lists.

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If you need to create a simple email that you quickly need to send out, simply toggle the 'Simple Email' switch to switch to the plain text email editor.

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Create and save email templates

Plan on sending out weekly updates or  monthly updates? you can create a set template, that can be reused for subsequent email campaigns.

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Schedule email for a later time

Want to send out an email on Saturday morning? you can easily schedule the email in advance so you have a peaceful weekend.

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Preview email on mobile devices

Close to 66% of all emails sent are opened on a mobile device. So it's imperative that your emails look great on mobile devices too. Switch to the preview mode on the email composer to view what your email looks like on mobile devices.

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Campaign performance analytics

You can now see how well your email campaigns performed with your mailing list. You get a quick glance into how many emails were delivered, opened and what the click through rates were. These analytics let gauge how responsive and welcoming your alumni are of your emails.

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‍Be sure to watch this space for more updates to the Communication Center and for sneak peeks into what we are working on.

‍Tell us what you think in the comments section below. What communication channels do you usually use with your alumni that you would like to see added to the communication center? What are some parameters that you would  like to track on your campaigns?

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Recently when we spoke with some advancement leaders about how they manage complex events like homecoming year after year, a common issue emerged: they are often stuck switching between different workflows for managing events and using various tools to send invites, especially when the team is already knee-deep in the preparation of the big event.

But what if there was a way to make sending invites, managing guests, and tracking invite statuses easier and more efficient?

We hear you loud and clear. That's precisely why we’ve simplified the way you send invites!

All-in-one invitee Management

Managing events communication has always been a hassle, hasn't it? Remember the last time you had to move between different tools just to send an email leading to a fragmented user experience?

The new invites dashboard lets you send invites and manage your guests effortlessly in one place. You no longer need to switch between systems anymore— just add and manage guests by sending personalized invite links unique to each recipient, and tracking them-—all in a single dashboard.

Effortless Follow-Ups and RSVP Tracking

Tracking RSVPs, monitoring invite status, and sending follow-up emails manually can be a drain on your time and energy. The new invites workflow changes that. You can now schedule new invitations and set up follow-up email campaigns on autopilot, eliminating the need to create and send invites from scratch each time and saving you countless man-hours.

Improved tracking to refine guest communication

Setting up your invite workflow is only half the battle won. Tracking the performance of your invitation workflow is equally crucial to understand your guests and improve your future campaigns. With the invitee reports, you can see the status of your invitations at a glance. You can further use these  insights to personalize your follow-ups and create targeted strategies, to drive more registrations

Host Private, Exclusive Events

Planning a board meeting or an exclusive gala for top donors? You can now make these events invite-only for a select group. Each guest will receive a personalized invite link that expires after they register, keeping everything private and exclusive. This will help you manage your guest list smoothly and ensure your events remain secure.

Managing big events doesn’t have to be stressful or complicated anymore. With our all-in-one dashboard, you can easily send invites, track RSVPs, and even host private events without jumping between different tools. It’s a simpler, more efficient way to keep everything in one place, saving you time and making sure your events run smoothly. Now, you can focus on what really matters: making your events memorable.