Learn How ViewSpark Helps Nonprofits See 5x Higher Response Rates

The inventor of the net promoter score—Frederick Reichheld of Bain & Company—found that a 5% increase in customer retention can lead to a 25% increase in profit. The same is true for nonprofits.

Unfortunately, a study of over 14,000 nonprofit organizations revealed that the average donor retention rate is 45.5%, meaning less than half of all donors decide to give again the following year.

ViewSpark is a technology company that’s changing this statistic. Their platform transforms the way nonprofits engage their supporters. We spoke to Kat Landa, VP of business development, and Jeff Kliewer, CEO, about how ViewSpark makes a difference and what role SMS plays.

What Is ViewSpark?

ViewSpark is a platform with both mobile and desktop applications that allows nonprofits to capture and share real-time content. Say, for example, you run a nonprofit that builds schools. With ViewSpark, you can take a photo or video from the construction site, write a short message, target it to the right people, and immediately share it with supporters right from your mobile phone This raw, real content makes donors feel like they’re a part of the work the nonprofit is doing. And when donors are emotionally invested, they’re more likely to donate again.

How ViewSpark Leverages SMS

ViewSpark offers the ability to send messages across a variety of channels and now, nonprofits can upgrade their subscription to unlock access to SMS capabilities—which are powered by SimpleTexting’s API.

In the nonprofit industry, emails have an average open rate of around 25%. Facebook posts have an engagement rate of 3.6%, according to Hootsuite.

Text messages, on the other hand, are almost always read and the average CTR is around 17%. As Jeff explains, “With texting, we can enter a different level of engagement that no one else is doing in the world of nonprofits.”

It makes sense: the email inbox is oversaturated but the text message inbox is normally reserved for friends and family. It’s the next logical place to reach people. It’s this type of intimacy that ViewSpark wants to foster. They call it, “bringing supporters into the inner circle.”

Here’s an example of a message sent by Evansville Rescue Mission via ViewSpark:

“You see a level of engagement between the organization and the donor that they’re not able to accomplish in any other way, it brings organizations and their supporters face to face,” says Kat.

People are used to seeing overly produced videos and fancy graphics. Authentic content breaks through the noise. This content, paired with the open rates of SMS, has driven a 5x higher response rate from donors. 

Last year, ViewSpark clients received an average ROI of over 9 to 1.

Two-Way Communication Between Donors and Nonprofits

Of course, relationships aren’t built on one-way messages alone. SimpleTexting’s ability to receive messages is also built into ViewSpark’s app. This means that donors can reply to updates right away.

“When you send out a message, and hundreds of people write back—that’s brand new in this space,” explains Kat.

What’s Next for ViewSpark

ViewSpark was founded in 2016 and has already gone on to work with brands such as Best Friends Animal Society, International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, Citygate Network, and Appalacchia Service Project. They’re on the cutting edge of nonprofit technology and will continue to explore new channels. They’ve already started using MMS (multimedia messaging service), which allows their clients to add photos or audio to their messages.

We’re proud to partner with a company committed to helping nonprofits. If your service could benefit from the power of text messaging, we’d love to hear from you! Sign up today for a 14-day free trial.