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Duke Health Increases Giving Tuesday Donations by 47% with Mongoose Text

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Case Studies

Duke Health’s donor engagement strategy has reached new heights thanks to Mongoose Text. By replacing an outdated keyword-based texting system with Mongoose’s interactive, two-way platform, Duke Health increased Giving Tuesday donations by 47%, grew donors by 85%, and saw 29% of donors give as a direct result of a text message.

The Challenge: Improving Donor Communication and Engagement

Before Mongoose, Duke Health relied on a keyword-based texting system that lacked two-way engagement, limiting their ability to connect meaningfully with their donor base. Key challenges included:

Limited outbound texting: Messages could only be triggered by specific keywords, preventing proactive outreach.
Ineffective event communication: Important updates were buried in emails and direct mail, leading to logistical confusion for attendees.
Lower donor engagement plan effectiveness: Messages sent from a national shortcode lacked credibility, reducing participation in fundraising events.

Duke Health needed a more dynamic and personalized communication tool to strengthen donor relationships, improve event coordination, and maximize fundraising efforts.

The Solution: A Two-Way Texting Platform Built for Engagement

After receiving positive feedback from Duke University’s Annual Fund team, Duke Health selected Mongoose for its two-way messaging, local 919 area code for credibility, and segmentation tools for targeted outreach.

“We needed a tool that could do more than just keyword-based texting. Mongoose gave us everything we needed and more, with the ability to proactively engage donors and participants in a meaningful way.”
Lori Apicella, Director of Engagement for Duke Children’s Development

Mongoose helped Duke Health enhance donor management by providing tools to improve donor appreciation, track donation amounts, and develop effective donor engagement strategies.

The Results: Record-Breaking Donor Engagement

1. Most Successful Giving Tuesday in 5 Years

Mongoose became the top-performing donor engagement plan channel, helping Duke Health raise 47% more dollars and secure 85% more donors on Giving Tuesday. 29% of donors gave as a result of receiving a text, including one who saw a message, engaged in a real-time conversation, and personally delivered a $5,000 gift to the hospital.

“We never would have secured that $5,000 check without Mongoose. The ability to respond in real time turned a casual inquiry into a significant gift.”
Lori Apicella

2. Improved Event Participation & Logistics

For Duke Health’s ‘Over the Edge’ fundraiser, where participants raise $1,000 to rappel down a building, Mongoose helped drive participation and event-day coordination:

Participants received text reminders to meet fundraising events goals.
Event-day messages boosted check-in efficiency and attendance.
Post-event surveys confirmed that Mongoose texts were invaluable for last-minute updates.

3. Strengthened Donor Relationships

Duke Health leveraged real-time text interactions to foster stewardship and build lasting connections with donors. Those unable to give shared their reasons, allowing for compassionate follow-ups. Segmentation tools helped target outreach more effectively, improving engagement and conversions.

“We assumed people wouldn’t want texts, but the response was overwhelmingly positive. Donors engaged in personal conversations, shared their reasons for giving, and appreciated the direct communication.”
Lori Apicella

4. Higher Donor Engagement with Local 919 Area Code

Switching from a national shortcode to a local 919 number significantly increased donor response rates, as donors were more likely to trust and engage with a familiar area code.

“When donors saw a local number instead of a generic shortcode, engagement skyrocketed. The credibility factor made a huge difference.”
Lori Apicella

The Mongoose Difference

Two-Way Conversations: Duke Health moved from automated keyword-based texts to meaningful engagement, strengthening donor retention and relationships.
Targeted Messaging: Segmentation improved outreach strategies, increasing response rates and improving the donor experience.
Event Coordination: Automated text reminders simplified logistics and check-ins.
Exceptional Customer Support: The Mongoose team provided hands-on strategic guidance to optimize campaign success.

Future Plans: Expanding Mongoose’s Impact

Looking ahead, Duke Health plans to expand its use of Mongoose by:

Enhancing corporate partnerships: Using Mongoose to engage retail associates in real-time during fundraising campaigns with partners like Walmart, Ace Hardware, and Costco.
Refining donor segmentation: Leveraging Mongoose’s tagging and insights to improve targeted outreach and increase conversions.
Scaling fundraising campaigns: Expanding Giving Tuesday and event-based texting strategies to drive even greater participation and donations.

Conclusion

Mongoose has transformed Duke Health’s donor management and engagement efforts. By replacing a one-way texting tool with an interactive platform, Duke Health strengthened relationships, improved event communication, enhanced donor appreciation, and achieved record-breaking fundraising milestones.

“Texting has become our top-performing donor engagement channel. Mongoose allows us to meet donors where they are, improve response rates, and create deeper connections—leading to our most successful Giving Tuesday ever.”
Lori Apicella

As Duke Health continues to refine and expand its donor outreach strategy, Mongoose will remain a critical part of its communication success.