SMS for charities, community groups and non-profits

Keep volunteers organised and supporters informed without stretching a small budget. Orbis SMS offers simple pay-as-you-go texting with no monthly commitment.

The challenge

Why charities & non-profits turn to SMS

Charities often run on a small paid team supported by many volunteers, and coordinating them is hard work. Rotas change, shifts go unfilled and volunteers miss emails about where to be and when. Events such as sponsored walks and fundraising dinners need reminders and last-minute updates to reach participants on the day. Supporters want to hear how their money is used, but fundraising messages must be handled carefully to keep trust and stay within the rules. Every pound spent on communication has to justify itself to trustees and donors.

Charities & non-profits
How Orbis SMS helps

Messages that make a difference

  1. 1

    Volunteer shift reminders

    Remind volunteers about upcoming shifts at shops, food banks, helplines or events, including the location, start time and who to report to. Fewer gaps on the rota means services run smoothly and paid staff spend less time ringing round on the morning.

  2. 2

    Urgent volunteer call-outs

    When a shift is suddenly short, send a message to a group of volunteers who are happy to help at short notice. A quick text is more likely to be seen in time than an email or a social media post, especially at weekends.

  3. 3

    Event reminders and updates

    Send participants the start time, meeting point, parking advice and what to bring before a fun run or sponsored walk, and update them on the day if the weather changes plans. Event messages are welcome when they are timely and useful.

  4. 4

    Supporter thank-yous

    Thank supporters after an event or appeal and tell them briefly what their help achieved. A short, warm message builds the relationship without asking for anything, although promoting your aims or asking for further support in it can still count as marketing, so check your consent records first.

  5. 5

    Consented appeals and campaigns

    Send fundraising appeals, campaign actions and event promotions to supporters who have opted in to texts. Scheduling and groups help you target the right supporters, and every message includes a clear way to opt out. Removing people who opt out keeps your list healthy and your supporters happy.

Good practice

Compliance notes for charities & non-profits

Under PECR, promoting a charity's aims and fundraising appeals counts as direct marketing, so you need consent to send them by text. The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 introduces a soft opt-in route for charities, being brought in in stages, so check current ICO guidance before relying on it. Follow the Code of Fundraising Practice, record consent clearly and keep volunteer messages operational. This is general information, not legal advice.

General information only, not legal advice. See our guide to UK SMS marketing rules and Acceptable Use Policy.

Use cases

Popular with charities & non-profits

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Purely operational messages about a volunteer's agreed shifts are not usually marketing. If the message also asks for donations or promotes campaigns, it may be. Keep rota messages separate from appeals. This is general information, not legal advice.
Generally yes. PECR treats promoting a charity's aims as direct marketing. The new charity soft opt-in under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 is being introduced in stages, so check the ICO's current guidance before using it.
No. Orbis SMS uses pay-as-you-go credit bundles with no monthly fee, so a charity can buy credits for an event or campaign and top up only when it needs to. That helps keep communication costs predictable.

Ready to send your first business text?

No monthly fee and no contract. Create an account, buy a bundle and start sending, from 5p per SMS.