Texting donors from CoolFocus isn't available right now. This isn't a CoolFocus preference. Phone carriers treat texts to donors as a different kind of messaging from client care, and it needs its own registration and approval. This article explains why and what to use in the meantime.
The short answer
Inbox texting is set up for client care: appointments, reminders and follow-up.
Your organization's texting number is registered with the carriers for that purpose only. Texting donors needs a separate number with its own approved registration.
We're moving every organization to a new texting provider between now and December 2026. Once that's finished we'll revisit donor texting and group texting.
Until then, reach donors by phone, email, an email campaign or mail.
Exception: you can still text a donor a secure Payment Method Update link from their record, as long as the donor has opted in to texts. See Managing Saved Payment Methods.
Why donor texting needs its own registration
U.S. carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and others) require every business texting number to be registered with a national system called The Campaign Registry. A registration has two parts:
Brand: your organization's legal name, any "doing business as" names, tax ID, website, privacy policy and terms of service.
Campaign: what the number is used for, with sample messages.
Your current number is registered for client care. Thank-yous, updates and appeals to donors fall into a separate donor and fundraising category, which carriers review more strictly because it's widely abused for spam. Carriers won't approve one number for both client care and donor messages, so donor texting needs its own number and campaign.
Why approval takes weeks
Each campaign is reviewed by a person, and approval usually takes 2–4 weeks.
Names must match exactly across your legal name, "doing business as" names and website. Many centers use different names for incorporation, donors and clients. A difference as small as "Pregnancy Center of Springfield" vs. "Pregnancy Centers of Springfield" can get a registration rejected and restart the wait.
Approval doesn't guarantee delivery. Each carrier also runs its own spam filters and can quietly drop a message even after CoolFocus reports it as sent.
Why not text donors from our client number?
Please don't. Your client number's registration covers client care only. Donor or fundraising texts from that number fall outside what was approved. If carriers flag the number, every text on it can be blocked, including appointment reminders and client conversations, and getting a replacement number approved takes weeks.
The Client and Donor boxes on a person's record describe their real relationship with you. Check both only when someone really is both, for example a client who also gives. Don't change them to make someone textable.
What to use instead
One donor: call, or email from the donor's record.
Many donors: send an email campaign to a saved segment. See Texting More Than One Person.
Common questions
Can we start a donor texting registration now? Not yet. We'll revisit donor texting after the provider move. Message us if you'd like to hear when it's available.
Will the provider move change our texting number or reminders? It shouldn't. The move happens behind the scenes and we re-register your campaigns for you.
What about group texting? It also needs its own campaign and is on the same timeline.
Can I text a donor a link to update their payment method? Yes. That's the one exception. Send the Payment Method Update link from the donor's record. The donor must have opted in to texts first. See Fixing Failed & Missed Payments.