Real people, real connection: the case for peer-to-peer texting

We live in a time when people are more connected than ever before. But, at the same time, trying to reach people and build meaningful connections can also feel more difficult than ever.

• Email inboxes are crowded
• People are reluctant to answer calls from unknown numbers
• Social media feeds move quickly
• Competition for attention is high

Channels like email, social media, phone calls, and direct mail are all still valuable for nonprofit organizations. However, as friction grows in these channels, adding channels to donor engagement strategies can be an effective way to improve response rates. One channel, in particular, has emerged as a powerful tool for getting the attention of donors: text messaging.

The growth of texting outreach

The 2026 M+R Benchmarks report revealed some compelling insights about texting outreach and nonprofit organizations:

• Text messaging drove 9% of revenue for nonprofits in 2025
• Revenue from text messaging increased 48% from 2024
• Mobile lists grew 4% in 2025
• Nonprofits sent 40% more texts in 2025 than in 2024

While text messaging is currently a small revenue driver for nonprofits, it’s a channel showing potential for growth that organizations have an opportunity to act early on. In M+R’s Benchmark report from 2025, they found that only 29% of nonprofits had a peer-to-peer (P2P) messaging program in 2024.

Text messaging is an effective way to reach supporters in a way that’s extremely difficult to achieve through other channels. Per MissionWired’s 2025 Nonprofit Text Messaging Insights Report, 90% of texts are opened within three minutes.

Even at times when demand for donor attention is at its peak, such as during the holiday season, texting excels at reaching supporters when it matters most.

Donor intelligence meets human-powered engagement

Successful donor engagement requires more than sending messages, it requires starting conversations with the people most likely to respond. Wiland’s peer-to-peer texting solution combines predictive donor modeling with human-powered outreach to help nonprofits create meaningful conversations with supporters who are most likely to:

• Engage
• Give
• Build long-term relationships with your organization

Through a partnership with Synergy, live agents facilitate personalized conversations that create genuine donor connections. This combination helps nonprofits bypass crowded inboxes and turn outreach into opportunities for growth.

Beyond fundraising, Wiland’s P2P texting solution can also help support:

• Re-engaging lapsed donors
• Volunteer recruitment and event participation
• Maintaining donor confidence in times of economic or mission-related uncertainty

P2P texting vs. mass messaging

Personalized messaging is no longer something that’s nice to have, it’s expected. One of the most common reasons why donors stop engaging with organizations is frustration with messaging that feels generic and irrelevant.

Peer-to-peer texting is an antidote to mass messaging, offering organizations a way to engage donors with real interactions with real people. With Wiland’s P2P solution, nonprofits benefit from:

• More than 92% average text delivery rates
• Scalable campaign execution
• Real-time reporting
• Ongoing optimization to improve fundraising performance over time

The end result is outreach that feels more personal and more relevant while delivering more impactful outcomes.

Ready to strengthen your donor engagement strategy?

With Wiland’s P2P texting solution, nonprofit organizations can identify high-potential audiences and turn donor outreach into lasting relationships. Ready to see what smarter, data-driven texting outreach can do for your organization? Contact Wiland to get started.