A good volunteer text asks for one thing and says who is asking. Below are nine messages you can adapt for recruiting, scheduling and thanking volunteers.
Each sample is written as your organization and uses bracketed placeholders. Furcata adds your account name and an unsubscribe footer to every bulk message, so the samples leave out an opt-out line. Change the wording to sound like your group.
Why send one ask per message?
A message with one ask is clear to read and clear to answer. If you ask someone to sign up, bring a friend and donate supplies, they may not know which to do first.
Try putting the ask in the first sentence and the detail after it. Ask for one reply, such as YES, so you can read answers quickly in your inbox. You can also set up an auto-reply under Automation: choose the exact message that triggers it (for example YES) and the message Furcata sends back, such as the shift details. The whole reply must match the word, though upper and lower case do not matter. Other replies arrive in your inbox.
If you have a second request, send it in a separate message on another day. Your volunteers give you their time, and a short message respects it.
What can a recruitment text say?
Name the group, the task, the date and how to answer. Keep the ask short, since the account-name header and footer also count toward the length.
Furcata adds your account name at the start and a short unsubscribe line at the end of every bulk message, and both count toward the length. With them, the examples below use 2 segments each. In the US and Canada, one segment uses one credit, and every message also carries one flat messaging fee.
Hi {first_name}, [organization] needs 3 helpers on [date] for our food drive. Can you give 2 hours? Reply YES.Hi {first_name}, [organization] is looking for a few coaches this season. Want to hear more? Reply COACH and we will text you the details.{first_name}, our [organization] bake sale on [date] needs one more person at the table. Can you help? Reply YES.How do you schedule and remind volunteers?
A reminder is clearer when it repeats the details the person already agreed to. Give the day, the time and the place, and one way to reach you.
Thank you for signing up, {first_name}. You are on the [shift] shift on [date] at [place]. Reply NO if you can no longer come.Reminder from [organization]: setup starts at [time] tomorrow at [place]. Reply YES if you can still make it.{first_name}, plans changed. Our [organization] event now starts at [new time]. Reply YES if that still works for you.Send a change notice as soon as plans change. People can then adjust their own day.
When should you send a thank-you?
Consider sending your thank-you on the day of the event or the day after. The work is still fresh, and your thanks can name the task. A specific thank-you tells the person you noticed what they did.
Keep the thank-you separate from any new request. If you have another shift to fill, wait for a later message.
Thank you, {first_name}. Your two hours at [organization] on [date] made a real difference to our guests. We are grateful.{first_name}, thank you for helping with [event]. Because of you, we set up on time and every family was served.Hi {first_name}, thank you for a year of giving your time to [organization]. We are glad you are part of us.How are these messages counted and billed?
Each message is counted in segments, and a longer message uses more of them. The account-name header and footer count toward the length. In the US and Canada, one segment uses one credit. Every message also carries one flat messaging fee, whatever its length or type.
Replies are billed at the same rate as outgoing texts, so a YES from each volunteer counts too. Current prices are on the pricing page, and the billing guide explains what is included and what you are charged for.
What helps before you send?
- Send only to people who agreed to hear from your group.
- Say who you are in the first line.
- Keep one ask in each message.
- You do not need to write an unsubscribe line, because Furcata adds one to every bulk message.
- Read the message once on a cell phone before you send it.
If you plan to reuse these messages each season, the templates guide explains how to write, test and reuse the messages a service sends.
