Text messaging overview

At this time, only certain customer have access to text messaging functionality.

To see whether you're one of those customers:

1. Go to Site, Settings, Content.

2. If you see Text Message Settings, you have access to text messaging. For more on system setup, see Set up text messaging.

Tip: If you don't have access to text messaging, pay attention to the Blackbaud Community. We'll post announcements as we enable the functionality for more customers.

• Remind applicants of important deadlines

• Invite small groups of applicants to apply for a specific award

• Set up meetings between award recipients and donors

• Direct applicants to relevant information on your website or previous emails

Before you can send text messages from your system, you need to:

1. Capture applicant phone numbers:

   1. Create a Phone Number question on your General Application or add a new field to your import file.

      Note: If your organization has multiple phone numbers—one collected from applicants and another from your import file—you may need to add an additional Phone Number question.

   2. If you already capture phone numbers in a Short Answer question, you'll need to:

      1. Add a new field to your import file.

      2. Remove the Import Header from your existing Short Answer question.

      3. Archive your existing Short Answer question.

      4. On your General Application's import data, create a new Phone Number question and use your new import header.

   3. If you're asking applicants for their numbers on the General Application, you'll probably want to deselect Clear Each Cycle.

2. Enable texting:

   1. Go to Site, Settings, Content.

   2. Under Text Message Settings, select Enable Texting.

      • Your Organization name for Texting appears in the opt-in message sent to applicants:

        Please reply YES to receive updates from [Organization_name_for_texting]. Std msg&data rates apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to cancel.

Note: If you want to disable text messaging, go to Site, Settings, Content and select Turn Off All Text Messages. You can update this setting at any time.

Text messaging functionality has the following limitations during limited availability:

• Only available for applicants and accessible through application grids

• No templates or scheduling functionality

• Can't see applicant responses

• Can't re-send opt-in requests

• Limited to 15,000 messages a month