Managing SMS for Donor Communication¶

This section explains how SMS works within Evergiving, including sending messages to leads, new sign-ups, and other prospects.

SMS Pricing¶

Single-part Welcome SMS are free, while other SMS messages are charged according to the pricing table at list-of-call-cost-rates.

Countries Without Alphanumeric Sender IDs¶

Not all countries allow Alphanumeric Sender IDs. Check the list at list-of-countries-without-alphanumeric-sender-ID.

Phone Numbers for SMS¶

For countries that don’t support Alphanumeric Sender IDs, you will need an SMS-capable phone number in your account. Some regions require paperwork to purchase these numbers, though there are exceptions, such as SMS-capable numbers with a United States country code.

Maximum Attempts and Rate Limiting¶

You can control how often the same SMS template is sent to a donor:

Maximum times a template can be sent to the same donor (default: twice).
Minimum time between sending the same SMS (default: 20 seconds).

Ensure that SMS messages are either transactional or that you have obtained proper consent for marketing messages. Consent can be recorded during phone calls. Welcome SMS messages are always transactional, as they confirm a donor's action.

SMS Length and Pricing¶

You can send SMS messages of any length, but it's important to understand the character limits and how they affect costs.

Single-part SMS: Includes up to 160 characters in the GSM-7 character set, or 70 characters if using Unicode.
Multipart SMS: If you exceed these limits, your message will be split into parts. A multipart SMS consists of 153 characters for GSM-7 text or 67 characters for Unicode, with some characters reserved to stitch the parts together.

Keep in mind that a single Unicode character (e.g., names like Nguyễn) will switch the entire message to Unicode, which can impact the price.

Maximizing Allowed Characters (GSM-7)¶

The GSM-7 character set includes common Latin letters, numbers, and symbols (e.g., !@#$%). Some accented characters are included, but not all. Check this Wikipedia article for the full list of GSM-7 characters.

Note: Some GSM-7 characters, like {, take two character spaces.

Using Unicode Characters¶

If you need to use characters outside the GSM-7 set (e.g., non-Latin scripts or emojis), your SMS will be sent as Unicode. This reduces the number of characters per message but allows for a wide range of symbols, including emojis. Keep in mind that Unicode SMS is more expensive due to the character limitations.

Sending SMS from an Alphanumeric Sender ID¶

In supported countries*, you can send SMS from an alphanumeric sender ID (e.g., OXFAM, UNICEF). To request this feature, email support@evergiving.com. Here are the rules for Alphanumeric Sender IDs:

Must clearly identify the sender.
Must be 3-11 Latin characters with no spaces or special characters.
Can include numbers (e.g., A4UNHCR), but not exclusively.