This is lesson sixty. This is towards one of our missions. Education.
You'll learn everything about marketing - from the basics to the most advanced strategies - for free, thanks to VellumWorks.
Two Channels That Interrupt the Feed
Email waits in an inbox. Social posts compete in a feed. SMS and push notifications bypass both.
They arrive as an alert. They interrupt. That is both their power and their responsibility.
Used well, they are among the most effective communication tools available to a charity. Used badly, they are the fastest way to lose a supporter's trust.
SMS: Rules and Best Practice
Always get consent first
This is not optional. Under UK and EU law (PECR and GDPR), you must have explicit consent to send marketing SMS messages. A tick box at the point of signup, clearly stating what they're agreeing to, is the standard approach.
Keep it short
An SMS message should be readable in under 10 seconds. One idea. One action. One link.
Be clear who you are
Start with your charity's name. "Hi, it's [Charity Name]" removes confusion immediately.
Time it right
SMS works best for time-sensitive messages. Sending a fundraising text at 11pm is not the same as sending at 11am.
Don't overdo it
SMS frequency should be low. Think monthly at most for campaigns, with specific triggers for events and appeals. Every message must justify the intrusion.
Push Notifications: For Charities with Apps or Browser Subscriptions
If your charity has a mobile app or has set up browser push notifications, this channel works similarly to SMS but with more flexibility on formatting and slightly lower open rates.
Push notifications work well for:
Impact updates ("Here's what happened because of your gift")
Event reminders
Campaign milestones ("We're 80% of the way to our target!")
Breaking news relevant to your cause
The opt-in rate for push notifications is typically lower than SMS or email, which means the people who do opt in are genuinely interested. Treat that as a high-trust, high-attention audience.
The Hierarchy of Channels
Different channels carry different levels of perceived intimacy:
SMS: most personal, highest expectations of relevance
Push notification: personal, fast, low tolerance for irrelevance
Email: personal, medium tolerance, high volume expected
Social media: public, low barrier, lowest expectations
Use each channel according to its level. Save SMS for the messages that truly warrant the intrusion.
10-Minute Exercise: Write a Campaign SMS
Pick a real upcoming moment for your charity: an appeal, an event, a milestone.
Write an SMS message for it. Follow these constraints:
Under 160 characters
Starts with your charity name
One action only
Includes a link
Read it back. Would you be glad you received it?
Why is this important to know?
Fast, direct communication channels will become increasingly important as email inboxes become more crowded and social media reach becomes harder to control.
Charities that build SMS and push notification audiences now, carefully, with full consent, will have a powerful direct line to their most engaged supporters when they need it most.
At VellumWorks, we believe knowledge should be free. That's why this series will guide you, step by step, through everything from the basics to the most advanced marketing strategies: no jargon, no gatekeeping, just empowering education.
