WeGive Text Messaging SMS Overview

WeGive’s text messaging feature lets you communicate with supporters via automated SMS—great for reminders, resource delivery, follow-ups, and campaign nudges. Texts can be sent from a Journey, to a segment, or triggered by supporter actions.

1) Message Type: SMS (only)

Standard text messages billed per 160-character segment (see encoding below).
Best for short updates and links to content (podcasts, devotionals, impact pages, etc.).
No images or media attachments are supported (MMS is not supported).

2) Character limits & encoding

SMS encoding	Segment size	What triggers it
GSM-7	160 chars/segment	Standard keyboard (A–Z, 0–9, basic punctuation)
UCS-2	70 chars/segment	Any non-GSM character (e.g., emojis, some symbols/accents)

Tips

Use a short link to save characters and track clicks.
Avoid emojis/special characters if you want the full 160-character segment.

3) Links & attachments

Links are supported and count toward your character limit.
Attachments/media are not supported.
Carriers sometimes mis-handle long URLs; prefer short links and test.

4) Phone number options

Type	Typical throughput	Approx. monthly line cost	Good for
Local	~2 msg/sec	~$2	Regional/personal feel
Toll-free	~3 msg/sec (optionally higher w/ special provisioning)	~$5	Most orgs / nationwide
Short code	High (requires separate program)	$$$	Very high volume (not typical)

Recommendation: Start with toll-free for broad comms (cost-effective, solid deliverability). Use multiple local numbers if you need a “personal/local” feel.

5) Opt-in / Opt-out

Carriers enforce opt-outs. If a recipient replies STOP (or carrier keyword), the number is blocked at the network level for that sending line. There is no manual override.
WeGive does not auto-append “Reply STOP to opt out.” Add this to your copy if desired.
You can configure auto-responses and keyword handlers (e.g., “Reply LINK”).

6) Send limits & billing

Throughput is per phone number (e.g., ~3 msg/sec for toll-free, ~2 msg/sec for local).
Billed per segment (160 GSM-7 or 70 UCS-2 characters).
WeGive passes through Twilio carrier costs—no markup.

7) Journeys & automation

SMS is available as a channel in Journeys alongside email and other steps.
Common patterns:
- Welcome/confirmation immediately after form submit
- Drip series delivering resources over days/weeks
- Post-gift follow-ups and program updates (transactional)

Example (GSM-7, short link):
“Thanks for signing up for the Life Skills Starter Pack! Episode 1: bit.ly/xyz123”

8) Reporting

In the dashboard you’ll see core SMS metrics such as:

Sent
Delivered (where available)
Replies
Opt-outs

Note: Opens and bounces aren’t available for SMS.

9) Compliance & best practices

Obtain explicit opt-in for marketing texts.
Transactional texts (e.g., donation updates, program notices) may rely on passive consent—confirm with your policies.
Identify your org in each message: “This is {Org Name}…”
Keep frequency reasonable (often 1–2 texts/week per journey).
Prefer short links; avoid emojis if you need the full 160 characters.

10) Verification & list quality

Add basic phone validation on your forms (10-digit format, country as needed).
If desired, implement API-based phone verification on the form.
Optional “light” confirmation: first message asks the user to reply with a keyword (e.g., GO) before starting a series.

11) Setup checklist

Buy numbers
Settings → Messaging → Phone Numbers → Buy Number
Suggested lines: Fundraising, Marketing, Prayer, Alumni Engagement.
Build journeys
Add SMS steps, schedule delays, use short links.
Validate forms
Ensure phone fields are properly validated before enrollment.
Monitor metrics
Watch Sent/Delivered/Replies/Opt-outs and adjust content/frequency.

12) FAQ

Can supporters reply?
Yes. Replies show in WeGive; you can respond or set auto-replies.

Do links count toward the limit?
Yes—every character counts.

Do you support images/GIFs?
No. MMS is not supported.

International texting?
Supported where carriers allow; international rates apply.