Yes. While every organization's audience is different, the strongest-performing text messaging programs typically use a combination of donor data, text messaging engagement, and thoughtful exclusions to reach the right people with the right message.
1. Start with your donor segmentation
For fundraising campaigns, your existing donor segmentation strategy is often the best place to start.
If you already use RFM (Recency, Frequency, Monetary) or similar donor segments across channels like email, direct mail, or paid digital, those same segments generally translate well to text messaging.
In many nonprofit programs:
Recent donors typically generate the highest return on investment (ROI).
Lapsed donors are often the next best audience.
Non-donors can also be valuable, particularly for acquisition or high-performing campaigns.
As a best practice, consider mirroring the donor segments you already use across your other fundraising channels.
2. Incorporate text message engagement
While donor history is important, text engagement can be just as valuable.
Consider testing audiences based on recent text messaging activity, such as subscribers who have:
Clicked a link in the past 6–12 months
Replied to your text messages
Shown consistent engagement over time
You can also combine donor and engagement data. For example:
Target your standard donor segments plus anyone who has clicked a text message in the past 6–12 months.
Include subscribers in Tatango Power Segments, such as Champions and Highly Engaged, which identify subscribers based on engagement signals like clicks and replies.
Testing these combinations can help you reach supporters who are highly responsive, even if they don't fit your traditional donor segments.
3. Use strategic exclusions
Just as with email and direct mail, excluding certain audiences from fundraising texts can ensure your top donors and constituents don't receive certain fundraising asks.
Common fundraising exclusions include:
Recent donors
Major donors
Sustaining or monthly donors
Board members
Other audiences your organization typically suppresses from fundraising appeals
Recommended approach
For most organizations, the best results come from combining donor segmentation with text messaging engagement data:
Start with the donor segments you already use across other fundraising channels.
Layer in recent SMS engagement (such as clicks or Tatango Power Segments) to identify highly responsive subscribers.
Exclude audiences who should not receive fundraising appeals.
As with any fundraising strategy, continue testing and refining your segments over time to determine what performs best for your organization.