A Legal Seesaw

At the center of the debate is whether SMS/text messages qualify as “calls” under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), particularly for Do-Not-Call (DNC) purposes. The TCPA was enacted to protect consumer privacy by regulating telemarketing and automated communications, long before text messaging became ubiquitous. Now, as texting has overtaken voice calls as a primary engagement channel, courts are grappling with whether the law’s definition of a “call” extends to SMS.

The answer carries high stakes: a finding that texts are “calls” could expose organizations to significant liability, while the opposite conclusion could reshape compliance expectations.

Where the Courts Stand

For years, courts and regulators treated text messages as equivalent to phone calls under some parts of the TCPA. But application of that logic to the DNC rules has been inconsistent.

As of late 2025, federal district courts were evenly split on the issue — with three courts holding that SMS messages are TCPA calls and three ruling they are not. That balance shifted with Mujahid v. Newity, where a federal court in Illinois concluded that text messages do qualify as calls, relying on statutory purpose, common definitions, and FCC guidance. Legal commentators described the decision as tipping the score to 4–3 in favor of SMS being treated as calls.

Why This Matters for Advocacy and Fundraising

If text messages are ultimately ruled to be “calls” under TCPA DNC rules, the impact could be significant:

• Expanded liability for texts sent outside permitted hours or to people who have opted out
• Increased class-action risk, with penalties assessed per message
• Higher compliance standards for list management, consent tracking, and opt-out handling

While nonprofits and political organizations often rely on consent-based texting (and benefit from certain exemptions), these rulings raise the stakes for operational discipline and vendor oversight.

What Organizations Should Do Now

Until appellate courts provide clarity, nonprofit and political professionals should assume scrutiny is increasing. Best practices include:

• Maintaining clear, documented consent
• Honoring opt-outs immediately across all systems
• Reviewing send times and message frequency
• Working closely with trusted texting vendors on compliance safeguards

Bottom Line

Texting remains a critical engagement channel — but the legal ground beneath it is constantly shifting. As courts continue to debate whether a text is legally a “call,” nonprofits and campaigns should treat compliance not as a technical detail but as a core part of protecting their supporters, reputations, and missions.

The post Text Messages vs. TCPA “Do Not Call” Rules appeared first on Smart As A Fox.

Mobile List Growth and Engagement

According to the latest Benchmarks Study, mobile messaging subscriber lists grew by 8% year over year, signaling continued adoption and audience appetite for SMS/MMS communications. Engagement metrics also improved substantially:

• Average click-through rate (CTR): 2.82%
• Average response rate: 0.14%

Both metrics increased compared to the prior year and outperformed average email click-through and response rates, reinforcing mobile messaging’s effectiveness as a high-engagement channel.

Revenue Impact

While mobile messaging still accounts for a relatively small share of overall online revenue—approximately 1% on average—its impact can be significant. Some organizations consistently generate more revenue from a single text message than from a full-file email send, highlighting the channel’s efficiency and potential when strategically deployed. Firms like Moore Marketing found that texting revenue grew 62% on average, with early-afternoon sends on New Year’s Eve performing the strongest.

Growth of Paid SMS Acquisition

One of the most notable trends is the increased adoption of paid SMS acquisition. For many organizations, this channel delivered positive return on ad spend (ROAS) and supported both donor acquisition and list growth. In addition, data append strategies enabled organizations to reach existing donors who lacked mobile numbers on file. In several cases, these combined efforts produced returns as high as 300% ROI.

Importance of Mobile Optimization

As mobile messaging continues to drive a growing share of nonprofit traffic, mobile-optimized experiences remain critical to converting engagement into donations and action.

Paid Peer-to-Peer SMS

This past year M+R noticed more organizations using paid P2P outreach to reconnect with supporters who stopped engaging on other organizational channels. It’s also a great tool to conduct outreach to lapsed donors and sustainers whose credit card information simply needs updating. The number of vendors offering paid SMS options have expanded in the last year, leading to more organizations either trying it for the first time or scaling existing mobile programs to reach certain target audiences. Smart As A Fox is one of those vendors, so if you are interested in using Paid SMS to reach a wider audience, send us a message.

Looking Ahead

Organizations now have the time to invest in building out their mobile program, incorporate a good mix of cultivation and fundraising messaging, and reassess their recent year-end giving performance. If you are interested in taking advantage of the beginning of this year to develop your organization’s mobile program, let’s chat!

We look forward to seeing M+R’s insights in April 2026 when this past year’s benchmarks are released.

The post Mobile Giving on the Rise appeared first on Smart As A Fox.

Join me and Rally founder James Martin on Episode 22 of his Your Rally Point Podcast.

Together, we unpack what human-centered text messaging really means, why misuse is hurting trust and results, and how nonprofits can build sustainable engagement instead of burning their lists. Text messaging is one of the most powerful engagement tools nonprofits have—but only when it’s done the right way.

This episode is a must-listen for nonprofit leaders, marketers, and digital strategists who want to grow impact without sacrificing integrity.

The Biggest Problem in Text Messaging Today: Burn-and-Churn

One of the strongest themes of this episode is the danger of importing political texting tactics into nonprofit work. Sandi explains how many political professionals are trained to:

• Cold text without consent
• Immediately ask for money
• Prioritize volume over trust

When those tactics move into the nonprofit space, the result is predictable:

• Higher opt-outs
• Donor fatigue
• Long-term damage to the organization’s reputation

“It’s not engagement. It’s extraction. And it doesn’t belong in nonprofit work.”
Human-centered texting requires permission, context, and conversation—not just asks.

Permission-Based Text Messaging Is Non-Negotiable

Both James and Sandi emphasize that consent is foundational.

There are limited cases—such as civic information or voter education—where outreach without opt-in may be appropriate. But asking for donations without permission is not only ineffective, it’s unethical and increasingly risky.

Nonprofits that succeed with SMS:

• Earn opt-ins intentionally
• Explain why texts matter
• Treat supporters as participants, not targets

Text Is Not Email (And It’s Definitely Not Social Media)

A common mistake Sandi sees is organizations copying email content directly into text messages. That doesn’t work.

Text messaging is:

• Immediate
• Conversational
• Personal
• It should feel like a dialogue, not a broadcast.

Successful programs:

• Ask questions
• Invite replies
• Use short, clear language
• Respect timing and frequency
• When texting becomes a conversation, engagement rises naturally.

Stop Obsessing Over “Open Rates”

One of the most practical sections of the episode tackles metrics. Sandi explains why “open rates” for SMS are meaningless:

• They’re based on outdated carrier assumptions
• You can’t truly measure opens without read receipts
• People open texts to delete or opt out

Instead, nonprofits should focus on metrics that matter:

• Response rates (real replies, not STOPs)
• Click-through rates
• Conversions (donations, sign-ups, actions taken)

“If 4% of your ‘responses’ are opt-outs, that’s not success.”

How Text Messaging Fits Into a Healthy Digital Ecosystem

Texting should not live in a silo.

Sandi recommends nonprofits:

• Build a solid email program first
• Ensure social channels are active and aligned
• Integrate SMS intentionally, not impulsively

If an organization struggles to measure email performance, adding text will only amplify confusion—not results.

When capacity is limited, Sandi often recommends adding SMS before launching another social channel (like TikTok), because texting is:

• More direct
• Less resource-intensive
• Easier to tie to outcomes

Discovery Before Strategy: Why One-Size-Fits-All Fails

Sandi’s consulting process always begins with discovery:

• What’s working now?
• What’s not?
• Who is the audience?
• What does success actually mean for this organization?

There is no universal SMS playbook. Every nonprofit’s mission, audience, and maturity level matters. As James notes, skipping discovery is “digital malpractice.”

Looking Ahead: RCS and the Future of Text Messaging

Sandi also previews what’s coming next:

RCS (Rich Communication Services) is here. While RCS brings new opportunities, it also introduces cost and complexity—especially for nonprofits. The key is preparation, not hype. We’ll have access to read receipts, richer media messaging, embedded reply buttons, et al.

Final Takeaway: Texting Is About People, Not Platforms

Technology doesn’t mobilize people. Meaning does.
Text messaging works when it:

• Respects consent
• Builds trust
• Invites participation
• Measures what matters

Used well, it can mobilize communities, deepen relationships, and drive real-world impact. Used poorly, it burns lists and erodes trust.

The post Text Messaging Myths That Hurt Nonprofits appeared first on Smart As A Fox.

The trusted source was key: because the texts were coming via a platform used by hundreds of nonprofits and political groups, they avoided the typical red flags of spam. The short codes involved are not only tightly regulated, but each organization is fully vetted before being assigned its unique five-digit number. This is why they are rarely flagged as spam.

Who Was Affected

Mobile subscribers to several kinds of organizations’ reportedly received the scam text messages: the state of New York (via their texting alerts), Catholic Relief Services, PETA, and Fight for a Union. On Thursday evening, I received a similar message from the old shortcode of a former Smart As A Fox client. This shortcode hasn’t been used by the client since 2022 and is now apparently a Mobile Commons test account. I also received the following alert after 7pm from Mobile Commons:

As of November 13th, 2025 at 19:28 Eastern Time, outgoing (broadcast) messaging is temporarily paused on the mCommons platform due to a recent security incident. Incoming messages and platform access remain available. Our team is working urgently with security partners to review and strengthen all safeguards. We’ll post updates here and notify you as soon as outgoing messaging resumes. For urgent questions, contact our support team.

While Mobile Commons told journalists that there is currently no proof that subscriber bank data was accessed, the fact that messages were distributed via trusted organizations is itself alarming.

Why This Matters

• Trusted channels exploited: Many people sign up with charities or political groups for legitimate alerts and expect the texts to be safe. Using those same channels gave the scam a veneer of credibility.
  
• Short-code legitimacy: Because the texts originated from properly registered short codes (via Mobile Commons and the Shortcode Registry), they bypassed common filters that catch spam or unknown senders.
  
• Social-engineering leveraged fear: The message used a familiar scenario — a “denied transaction” — to provoke a quick reaction, compelling recipients to call or respond without pausing to verify.
  
• Scale risk for nonprofits/political groups: Organizations that use bulk‐SMS services may be viewed as low-risk targets, but this event shows how they can be leveraged to reach many people quickly for further fraud.

How Organizations Can Protect Their Texting Programs from Future Breaches

Incidents like the Mobile Commons breach reveal just how vulnerable nonprofit and political messaging programs can be. These organizations often rely heavily on SMS to mobilize supporters, fundraise, and deliver critical updates — which makes them valuable targets. Strengthening security doesn’t just protect the organization; it protects every subscriber who trusts that those messages are legitimate.

1. Require Strong Authentication and Access Controls. Nonprofits should insist that their texting vendors support multi-factor authentication (MFA), role-based permissions, and restricted access to message-sending tools. Only essential staff should have the ability to launch or schedule texts.

2. Audit Vendor Security Regularly
Organizations should review their vendor’s security posture at least annually. If a vendor cannot answer basic security questions, that’s a red flag. This includes:

• Penetration-testing results
• SOC 2 or similar certifications
• Encryption practices
• Policies for monitoring unauthorized access

3. Monitor Outbound Messaging in Real-Time
Make sure multiple members of your organization’s staff are subscribed to your mobile program. Set internal alerts for unusual behavior — such as large batches sent at odd hours, unexpected message content, or messages outside your regular segment lists. Some SMS platforms offer real-time log access and anomaly detection; nonprofits should turn these on.

4. Prepare an Incident Response Plan
If a breach occurs, speed matters. Organizations should have a clear plan. This prevents confusion and minimizes harm. 

• Decide who is notified internally.
• Immediately notify and coordinate with the mobile platform vendor
• How subscribers will be informed
  • Ex. Send a message to your mobile list instructing subscribers to ignore the previous message, apologize, and explain the security breach.
• Determine the steps needed to stop outgoing messages.

5. Create a ‘Message Verification’ Protocol for Subscribers
Organizations can protect their audiences by educating them on what legitimate messages look like. A simple webpage, updated regularly, can reinforce this. For example:

• “We will never ask for financial info by text.”
• “We will not send bank-related alerts.”
• “Our official short code is XXXXX — verify before responding.”

6. Demand Higher Security Standards from SMS Vendors. The nonprofit sector often relies on legacy texting platforms. Organizations should pressure vendors to:

• Provide 2FA Logins
• Enforce API key rotation
• Implement suspicious-login alerts
• Add outbound-message approvals
• Provide transparent logs of all activity

This incident is a reminder: even communications from trusted groups can be hijacked, so it pays to treat any unexpected request—especially those involving money or sensitive information—with caution. Nonprofits may not control the technology, but they can demand safer infrastructure to prevent scam text messages like these from being sent out in the future.

The post Scam Text Messages Sent by Trusted Senders appeared first on Smart As A Fox.

First of all, this isn’t new. Google has been segmenting unknown or “likely spam” text messages into a spam box for almost two years now. However, with over 60% of cell phone users owning an iPhone, this update is now impacting a much larger percentage of Americans.

For users, it’s a long-overdue solution to nonstop spam and phishing text messages. For nonprofits and political organizations that rely on texting, it might sound like a crisis.

I don’t see it that way.

Here’s the reality: political campaigns, spammers, and shady vendors have been abusing texting for years.

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act is too outdated for the FCC to regulate SMS effectively, and the carriers had to step in with stronger rules around short codes, toll-free, 10DLC, and verified sender registrations.

And still, people get bombarded with unsolicited fundraising asks. Apple isn’t censoring anyone — they’re responding to real complaints from users.

The good news is, if your program is ethical, opt-in, and engaging, you’ll be fine. In fact, this iOS 26 change may even help you. Here’s why:

(1) Opt-in programs are built to survive filters. If someone signs up to hear from you, then your messages are more likely to land in their text message inbox. Short codes are less likely to end up in the spam folder, and registration for 10DLC or toll-free numbers helps too.

But don’t stop there: create a welcome series that asks supporters to save your number as a contact.

(2) Email is your safety net.
Your first opt-in confirmation text will sometimes get caught in filters. That’s where email comes in.

Send a follow-up email reminding supporters to add your number to their contacts, or pointing them to an important text they might have missed.

Multichannel beats single-channel every time. Mobile does not live in a vacuum—your email list is a critical partner in making sure your texts actually get read (and vice versa).

(3) Like email, engagement improves SMS deliverability.
Apple’s filters look for signals of wanted vs. unwanted texts. Supporters who click a link or reply are showing the system that your texts belong in the inbox.

In my own testing, engaging messages that ask the supporter to reply (ie. YES, multiple choice response), will perform even better than clicks for form conversions and overall engagement.

That means you should design your program to feel human—encourage people to text back, and make sure someone is on the other end.

And always, always monitor your inbox and process requested opt-outs in your replies right away.

At the end of the day, iOS 26 is not going to kill nonprofit texting. But it will raise the bar.

The organizations that build real, two-way relationships—and pair their texting with strong, ethical email programs—will still reach the people who want to hear from them.

Because if you’re texting people who asked to hear from you, this change won’t hurt you. It will probably even help.

This blog was originally a guest post for Civic Shout.

The post Will Apple’s iOS 26 kill nonprofit texting? appeared first on Smart As A Fox.

Due to pressure placed on TMobile by non-profits and political organizations ahead of the 2021 election, they have postponed the Oct. 1 deadline for both the $50 fee per campaign and filtering or blocking of non-registered traffic. There is no new deadline at this time. Despite this, it is still advised that you begin the registration process when you can. Update via Twilio.

In addition, according to the Campaign Registry, the deadline for Brands with active campaigns to obtain the “Verified” status has been extended to 11/01/2021. All campaigns for unverified Brands will be deactivated after that date.

*******************************

Let’s start with the most obvious thing you should do before the 10DLC October 1, 2021 deadline: register with The Campaign Registry! If your mobile platform vendor hasn’t prompted you to do so yet, make sure you reach out to get this process rolling before October 1. I’ve already received messages from ThruText, Hustle, SignalWire, Twilio, Scale to Win, and Politics Rewired reminding me to register. If your vendor isn’t planning on complying with 10DLC requirements, I strongly suggest you switch vendors. 

This deadline is primarily related to TMobile beginning to impose fees and fines. Mobile campaigns that have been registered and already provisioned on the TMobile network before October 1 will not be charged the one-time $50 fee. All future campaigns registered after that date will need to pay the $50 one-time fee per campaign. If you still haven’t submitted your 10DLC brand registration details by September 27 your organization may not be able to send messages starting October 1 and need to wait until up to 5 business days after they have provided their registration info.

Some vendors have connected to The Campaign Registry (TCR) via their API, and you can simply go through them, others will advise and help you go directly through The Campaign Registry Portal. You will have to go through several steps to register

STEP #1 – BRAND REGISTRATION

This is the registration of your organization or political campaign. For instance, your brand name would be “The Nonprofit of America” or “John Doe Committee for Senate.” Please be sure to have the necessary information available, including your organization’s LEGAL NAME, Employer Identification Number (EIN), phone number, email, and official street address. Additionally, you will be asked to verify whether your organization is a nonprofit or political entity. If any of this information doesn’t match your organization’s filings the registration will be rejected and the appeal process will significantly delay your messaging. So please verify all the information is accurate before submitting it. Newly registered non-profit Brands that fail a 501-c check will be eligible for the “verified” status and have all Standard Use Cases available, but not special use cases.

STEP #2 – USE CASE REGISTRATION

You will be asked to select one to five use cases that most likely apply to non-profit, political, and government entities. Each has its own costs & message volume and throughput limits. Learn more here:

Special Use Cases (all not included):

• • • Charities: Communications from a registered Charity / 501(c)(3) Nonprofit aimed at providing help and raising money for those in need. There are no additional network access fees applied by the carriers for this use case. Limited to 501(c)(3) nonprofits. 
    • Emergency Services: Notification services designed to support public safety/health during natural disasters, armed conflicts, pandemics, and other national or regional emergencies. 501c3 nonprofit organizations and quasi-government entities are also allowed to apply for the “Emergency Services” use case. 
    • Political: 501c4 organizations, associations (501c5) and unions/labor (501c6). Part of an organized effort to influence the decision-making of a specific group. 
    • Political with Campaign Verify (CV) Token: Federal, state, and local campaigns, political parties, and PACS. You must wait to be vetted by Campaign Verify to submit your use case with an assigned CV Token. Active “Political” Use Case campaigns will be deactivated upon Campaign Verify token expiration. 527s will soon be under this category as well and require CV vetting.
    • Social: This is defined as communications between public figures/celebrities and their communities. So this could be applied to elected officials messaging their constituents, or possibly their campaigns messaging voters. The other catch is that external vetting through Aegis or WMC Global is required and likely requires a hefty fee.

Standard Use Cases (all not included):

• Higher Education: Messaging on behalf of colleges or universities
• New “K-12 Education” Use Case will be supported for all Carriers beginning 10/7/21.
• Mixed Messaging: Any mobile brand that has 2-5 use cases. 
• Marketing: content and brand promotion

STEP #3 – CAMPAIGN VERIFY (ONLY FOR POLITICAL ENTITIES)

For federal, state, and municipal political campaigns, parties, 527s, and PACs there is an additional step to getting your brand messaging vetted. These entities must register with Campaign Verify to receive their Campaign Verify Token. Begin this process before or while you are beginning to register your brand. I’ve heard predictions that this process could add 5-10 days to the verification process and it is strongly encouraged to get started as soon as possible.

Additionally, there is a fee for verification, payable to Campaign Verify (currently $95 brand). Once you’ve received your Campaign Verify Token you can enter it on the Brand & Use Case Registration page when you are registering with TCR or with your mobile vendor (CSP). Campaign Verify accepts email as a verification method for all campaigns as long as a matching email address is in the campaign filing record; if not, the PIN will be mailed via USPS to the postal address listed, assuming it matches the postal address in the filing record.

Only one Campaign Verify token will be allowed per Brand. Importing a new CV token will replace the existing one (implementation on 10/7/21). All Campaign Verify tokens received in 2021 will be valid until January 31, 2023. So all 2022 campaigns can start registering now. 

You can read more about that process here.

STEP #4 – Register Your Campaign and the 10DLC #s associated with it

Every messaging outreach is considered a different campaign. So if you are doing “Early Vote and Mail Ballot” messaging – that’s one campaign and a text about a rally or Fundraising event for your candidate is another campaign. You need to submit approval for each to get started. 

If you are planning to target a large universe and likely sending 200k SMS or more per day, using 50+ local numbers you’ll also need to submit approval for a Special Business Review (SBR) with TMobile. This will further add time and cost to the process. 

STEP #5 – WAIT TO BE APPROVED TO BEGIN TEXTING

The verification and approval process can take between 5 days or several weeks depending on if there is a need to appeal or if there are issues with your registration submission for either TCR or Campaign Verify. So you need to take this into account. If you are planning for instance to start your GOTV texting during October, depending on when you submit your registration you may not be able to text until mid-October or right before Election Day. 

FEES & FINES

Next here is a quick reminder of what fees and fines will apply for 10DLC and if you don’t register for 10DLC. 

Fees for 10DLC using A2P Channels:

• Brand Registration Fee ($4 one-time)
• Campaign Registration Fee (monthly per campaign)
  • Regular/Political: $10/month for the duration of the campaign
  • Charity: $5/month for the duration of the campaign
  • Low Throughput: $2/month for the duration of the campaign
• TMobile Campaign Fee ($50/campaign)
• Message Cap Increase to over 200k SMS per day ($5,000/campaign) 
• 50+ 10DLC #s ($5,000/campaign)

The per-message segment cost will have a $0.002 – $0.003 fee tacked on. So if you are paying 1 cent per SMS, you’ll be paying around 1.2 cents per 160 character segment. The fees are higher when it comes to MMS.

Fees & Fines if using 10DLC Unregistered:

First of all, there will be higher per-message fees associated with unregistered campaign texts that are sent. For instance, AT&T and TMobile will tack on an additional $0.004 per message, which seems low unless it’s multiplied by half a million messages ($2,000). And that is on top of the regular per message rate. TMobile is playing hardball though and planning to fine $10 for each message segment (160 character SMS) sent by an unregistered campaign, which would be a $10,000 fine for sending only 10k SMS. Check out the 10DLC FAQ

In addition, these penalties will apply if you get caught not following their rules:

• Text Enablement ($10,000 pass-through fee): Imposed if T-Mobile receives a complaint where messages have been sent prior to verification of message sender ownership and/or letter of authorization.
• Grey Route ($10 fee per message): Imposed if A2P messages are found being sent over P2P routes.
• 10DLC Long Code Messaging Program Evasion ($1,000 pass-through fee):  Imposed if a program is found to be using evasive techniques such as snowshoeing, dynamic routing, or unauthorized number replacement. 
• Content Violation ($10,000 pass-through fee): Imposed (each instance) for 3+ notifications of content that is found to be violating the T-Mobile Code of Conduct. This includes SHAFT (Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco) violations, spam, phishing, and messaging that meets the Severity 0 violation threshold per the CTIA Short Code Monitoring Handbook.

For more details on 10DLC I suggest you read:

• • Say Goodbye to the 10DLC Trust Score
  • FAQ: How will carrier changes and 10DLC impact my texting program?

The post What you need to know for the 10DLC Deadline on Oct. 1 appeared first on Smart As A Fox.

Over the last couple of months, the carriers and Campaign Registry have received a lot of pushback from organizations on the lack of transparency around how these trust scores were determined. If an organization got a low trust score they would have to pay a fee ranging from $40 to $2,000 to either the Campaign Registry or an authorized assessor like “Campaign Verify” have it reassessed and increased. This brought on concerns about “pay-to-play” systems being put in place by the carriers as well. 

Well, it appears that the carriers and Campaign Registry were listening, because today they announced the following, “Brand Registration Score* (0-100) will be replaced by Brand Identity Status (Verified/Unverified) as a result of Brand Registration. The “Verified” status is acquired by a Brand whose EIN/Tax-id matches their Legal Company Name as submitted through TCR (The Campaign Registry).“  

Is this a good thing? 

Yes, but with several caveats. This is a simple verification to ensure the brand sending messages is who they say they are so they can be held accountable. If they aren’t verified then they won’t be able to send messages. But, it gets more complicated because once you read the fine print you’ll find things haven’t actually changed. Though it does appear a bit more transparency is being offered. Verification is now simply the first step.

Ok, what is the second step then?

Once you are verified, they separate brands/organizations based on the Russell 3000, which is the top three thousand publicly traded companies. If they are part of the Russel 3000 they get put into “Message Classification” group A or B and if not they are classified as E or F. If they don’t like this placement the group can hire external vetting partners to provide a “Vetting Score” which I’m sure you realize is basically the same as a “Trust Score.” So pay-to-play is still very much a real issue. Plus, this will severely hurt organizations/brands that aren’t in the Russell 3000, which is a lot of brands. 

What is a Message Classification?

This is what the Trust Score originally was used for – to place brands into a classification category that would determine their throughput or how many messages they can send. Now verification, special use case, and vetting score are being used to define the classification applied to each brand. TMobile will attribute daily message caps based on the class and AT&T restricts the number of messages per minute and per second based on class. 

• Standard Message has Class A-F
• Unverified or unregistered are Class T
• Special Use Cases have special Class designations which you can see below.

What about non-profit and political organizations? 

Exactly! These entities have EIN/Tax IDs but are definitely not going to be falling under any corporate or Wall Street umbrella. At first look, it would appear that they are being penalized for not being a large for-profit organization. But, when you dig you’ll find that the Campaign Registry has released new definitions of what they consider “Special Use Cases” and how those use cases are treated for message delivery by the carriers. Here are some of those use cases:

Charities

Charities are defined only as 501c3 organizations, and aren’t held to a TMobile daily cap, BUT they are limited to 60 messages per minute and one message per second. They also do not need outside vetting. This is basically the same as being placed in the E or F group which is the lowest throughput allowed by the carriers. So not necessarily a win. More the status quo in a different package.

Emergency Services

501c3 nonprofit organizations and quasi-government entities are also allowed to apply for the “Emergency Services” use case which offers a better throughput of 3,000 messages per minute and 50 messages per second. So the ideal is for nonprofits to qualify under Emergency special use cases, instead of Charity. They also do not need outside vetting.

Political

According to the Campaign Registry applied to nonprofit organizations only. So my assumption is that they mean 501c4 organizations, and possibly associations and unions (501c6). But that leaves a question mark regarding what political campaigns, parties, or PACs fall under and if there is a special use case for them. This current special use case definition requires more clarification. The catch here is that any entity under this use case MUST be vetted by “Campaign Verify” which currently requires a substantial fee.

Conversational

This is for peer-to-peer app-based group messaging, with proxy/pooled numbers. This type of messaging supports personalized services and non-exposure of person numbers for enterprise or A2P communications. This could apply to the political & civic engagement P2P messages sent by non-profit and political organizations, but further clarification is needed. This special use case allows for 600 messages per minute and 10 per second. So slightly higher than the lower tier groups, no TMobile message caps, and not external vetting requirements.

Social

This is defined as communications between public figures/celebrities and their communities. So this could be applied to elected officials messaging their constituents, or possibly their campaigns messaging voters. But it needs further clarification. This special use case offers the best throughput options at up to 60,000 messages per minute and 1,000 messages per second. But, TMobile hasn’t yet authorized this special use case so we don’t know if caps will be applied. The other catch is that external vetting through Aegis or WMC Global is required and likely requires a hefty fee.

What does this mean for organizations already registered?

Previously registered Brands will be automatically checked without any additional fee and their status displayed on the “Brand details” page of their Campaign Registry profile. If one or more brands fail to pass the identity check they will notify your “Communications Service Provider” directly (ie. Twilio, Signal Wire, Bandwidth, ThruText, etc.). Obtaining a “Verified” status is a requirement for brands to register new 10DLC campaigns. Brands/Organizations will need to apply for special use cases and/or be evaluated by an outside vetting agency to change the “Message Classification” group they’ll be assigned besides the standard A-F for tiers.

What is the impact for new Brands that need to register?

Being identified as a “Verified” Brand is now a requirement for messaging on 10DLC. Providers (ie. Texting Platforms and Aggregators like Twilio, Hustle, etc.) should resubmit those Brands with an “Unverified” status (EIN/Tax-id not matching with Legal Company Name) if they wish to register any 10DLC campaign. Resubmitting a Brand for Identity check will incur a $4 fee.

What is the impact on existing Campaigns that are being run?

The Campaign Registry anticipates that Campaigns from “Unverified” Brands will remain in a “grace period” until further notice from the carriers. After which they will not be able to run on 10DLC unless the Brand is re-registered and obtains the “Verified” status. The old brand registration Trust Score will be still displayed until 8/12/21, will not be a factor for qualification.

If anything, these changes are offering greater transparency than before, though not a lot of major changes, simply rebranding. More to come, as we dig into these new developments. 

The post Say Goodbye to the 10DLC Trust Score appeared first on Smart As A Fox.

Here are some of the key findings from the report for broadcast texting (opt-in only):

• Nonprofit mobile audiences grew by 26% in 2020, compared to a 3% average increase in email list size.
• Nonprofits had 50 mobile list members for every 1,000 email subscribers.
• Mobile message click-through rates were:
  • 6.3% for fundraising messages an increase of 27% from 2019.
  • 10% for advocacy messages a decrease of 20% compared to 2019.
• Mobile message click-through rates were 3-4 times higher than email click-through rates.
• Opt-out rates were below 1% for both fundraising (0.9%) and advocacy (0.47% and for call specific asks 0.4%) messages.

Here are some of the key findings from the report for peer-to-peer texting (cold):

• Peer-to-peer text message audiences received 1.24 messages per month in 2020.
• The average opt-out rate for mobile messages was 3.3% which is 37% higher than it was in 2019. 
• The average response rate was 9.8%, a slight decrease from 2019. 

Here are some promising mobile fundraising findings:

• Half of all nonprofit website visits came from users on mobile devices (56%). The traffic share for mobile devices increased by 9% in 2020.
• Users on mobile devices (phone & tablet) made up 39% donation transactions (same as 2019) and 28% of revenue in 2020 (3% decrease from 2019).
• The average gift made via a mobile device was $42, which is down by $19 from 2019. Compared the average gift on a desktop device which was $80.
• Nonprofits are increasingly prioritizing the mobile experience from the ground up. Users are taking advantage of tools that make mobile transactions easier and more appealing, like Google Pay, Apple Pay, PayPal, and even Venmo.

All of these benchmarks offer incredibly promising news for the future of nonprofit mobile messaging use as a part of their ongoing digital, fundraising, advocacy, and organizing strategies. You can read the full 2020 M+R Benchmarks report here.

Check out the 2020 Nonprofit Mobile Benchmarks here.

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Text messaging, or mobile (SMS), is a valuable tool in campaigns both big and small. Without it, we might have seen a very different outcome in the 2020 election. Texting is the digital engagement tool that helped President Biden’s campaign reach voters and supporters across the country. When many organizations could not knock on doors to register voters, they relied on texting to help register voters and remind them to vote.

Text messaging allows organizations to reach audiences directly with concise and personalized messages and has proven time and time again to have engagement rates that outpace almost any other digital engagement and development platform.

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