UK SMS / Text Donation FAQ's
General Questions
Yes, effective July 2009 the "framework for charitable donations" created a dedicated range of short codes ( the 70xxx range ) to be used only by approved UK charities.
YES - With the creation of the new short codes, any charitable donation collected via a 70xxx range short code is now passed to the approved charity without deducting VAT.
NO. In the past, Carrier and aggregator fees have totaled as much as 50% of premium Text campaigns including donations, making mobile-fundraising impractical. This has now dramatically changed effective late 2009 with the creation of special designated charity short codes. This now means that the mobile operators can identify charity donations and thus are reducing their charges.
Your charity receives 100% of the text donation from all mobile network operators
All charities independent of size can apply and utilise this service. Mobile donations can and should be pursued by national, regional, and local charities who wish to increase their fundraising revenue. InstaGiv brings your charity a full mobile donation infrastructure as a viable "no risk- low cost" fundraising mechanism.
We have tailored solutions to suit charities of all sizes. please call to discuss the best solution for your charity.
InstaGiv can provide to participating charities the following services: Shared 70xxx short code, Charity specific dedicated keyword, Unlimited sub keywords for campaign monitoring, Full cross carrier mobile funds collection mechanism, Real time on line reporting, Full detailed donations audit trail, Mobile donation website widget, Full SMS messaging capability, Gift aid recovery, Coordination re Marketing campaign notificataion and filing requrements, Regulatory and compliance guidance, Subscriber care facility.
Yes – the regulations stipulate that to utilize a charity short code and avail of VAT free donations; you must be registered as a charity with HMRC.
At present, instaGiv have the facility for donors to contribute £1.50, £3, £5 and £10 per each mobile donation.
Absolutely. Small donations, especially in volume, create strong grassroots donor structures, which tend to expand exponentially. Also, this tool will allow you to connect with a younger audience who will hopefully continue to support your organization with greater frequency and, as they age, with larger donations. Opening a mobile channel to accept donations is an important way to engage your donor with further levels of involvement and charitable giving.
We do not ask for lengthy committments, 90 days is our minimum term.
Similar to a telephone number, short codes are special five digit codes used to route text messages from mobile phones to interactive mobile-messaging applications, typically in combination with a keyword. They are designed to be shorter to read and easier to remember than normal telephone numbers.
Marketing Questions
Once you create a campaign you can drive awareness via volunteers, posters, flyers, emails, e magazines, billboards, newspapers, radio, TV, direct marketing, website widgets etc. Text giving mechanisms can be easily integrated into your normal fundraising programs.
Yes. Please contact us and we can advise you re - case studies and alternative Text marketing campaigns and strategies.
A mobile website widget is an online application that instaGiv will provide to your charity to encourage and enable online mobile donations. The mobile widget can be attached to your website and allows visitors to make donations via their mobile phone from your website. You can embed the mobile application anywhere within your website and can sit well as a alternative giving method on your donations page. The mobile widget is fully customizable with your charity logo etc and enables visitors to your website to make spontaneous donations without the need for credit cards.
InstaGiv does not expect problems with any general campaign that is not offensive or misleading, meets the carrier and community standards for fundraising, and is in compliance with applicable mobile best practices.
Yes. Individual campaigns and campaign duration must be notified in writing with individual networks before they become operational. VAT exemption for qualifying charitable organizations cannot be applied retrospectively. InstaGiv will fully assist you in this process.
Yes. InstaGiv will provide the mechanism for your organization to access this information at your convenience through our Web site.
No unique hardware or software is required to access the ongoing donation status of your marketing campaigns.
Every instaGiv Client works closely with a dedicated account manager who will help with the launch and management of every aspect of your mobile strategy. We'll assist you with anything you might need, We're here to show the way!
You may contact a donor via text as many times as you like, provided the contact is reasonably within the scope of the original donor authorization. The key is not to over do it.
InstaGiv recommends using its designated shared short code. Obtaining an individual short code for your organization is possible, but it is time consuming and expensive.
Each Charity is allocated 1 keyword. Additional keywords can be allocated but may incur a cost.
Technical Questions
SMS stands for Short Message Service, commonly known to consumers as text messaging. The protocol is designed to send text messages to and from mobile phones. The messages may be up to 160 characters in length, including spaces. Almost 100% of today’s mobile phones can send and receive text messages.
Similar to a telephone number, short codes are special five- or six-digit codes used to route text messages from mobile phones to interactive mobile-messaging applications, typically in combination with a keyword. They are designed to be shorter to read and easier to remember than normal telephone numbers
Used in combination with a short code, a keyword differentiates a mobile campaign from others on the same short code. The keyword and short code combination allows mobile phone users to make a donation to a sponsored mobile-donation campaign. Keywords can also be used for campaign monitoring, e.g Radio Ads are keyword 1, Billboards are keyword 2. Allowing you to drill down into the data to find what works best for your organisation
InstaGiv allows your organization to raise money through Premium text message donations. Supporters of your cause send a text message to your keyword and short code and donation is applied to their mobile phone bill. - As simple as 1 2 3
1) The mobile user see your campaign and sends an text starting with your keyword i.e. ‘action’ to short code 70xxx
2) The charity sets up a custom reply in InstaGiv – an automated reply message to thank donors, provide more information about the charity or send relevant web links
3) User receives the reply which also deducts a set value £3 - £10 from their phone bill.
Our customizable donation widgets allow you to upload an image and call to action copy unique to your campaign. Every charity has it's own widget and each is customizable in these regards.
Yes - instaGiv works with all major UK carriers giving your organization access to a potential 66 million mobile subscribers. Participating Carriers include:
Orange
Vodafone
O2
3
T-mobile
Each message typically notes that “Standard fees apply”, which means that what a subscriber pays to send a text depends on his or her arrangement with their respective mobile carrier. Those consumers with unlimited text messaging in their mobile plans incur no text messaging costs when donating through instaGiv.
Pricing & Financial Questions
Yes. Along with your remittance check from instaGiv, your organization will have a detailed remittance report outlining each marketing campaign through the use of a specified keyword.
InstaGiv has pricing structures suitable for all different sizes of Charities. Please contact us to see which package is best suited to your charities requirements.
You charity has at its disposal a full mobile donation infrastructure across all mobile carriers and potential access to 66m donors. There is no capital investment required, Pricing structure is variable and tailored to your organisation & we do not ask for long contracts.
Your charity receives 100% of the text donation from all mobile network operators
InstaGiv is flexible in its approach to billing for its services and is agreeable to work with your organization to facilitate the process. Typically, we bill our service fee on a monthly basis.
Per Ofcom regulations the short code settlement rules apply. As MT shortcode charges are considered by Ofcom to be a premium rate service, no payments can be made in less than 30 days. InstaGiv will aim to pay the charity within 10 days of receipt for the mobile operators.
