Aug 21 2025
How Montcalm Community College Gets Higher-Than-Average Reply Rates With Coach-Led Texting
How Duke Health Grew Giving Tuesday Donors 85 Percent With Two-Way Texting
TL;DR
Donors respond to a real conversation from a number they recognize, not an automated reply from a short code. Duke Children’s advancement team moved from a keyword-based texting tool to two-way Mongoose Text from a local 919 number, and in 2024 it had its best Giving Tuesday in five years. Dollars raised grew 47 percent, donors grew 85 percent, and 29 percent of donors gave as a direct result of a Mongoose text.
- 47% more Giving Tuesday dollars
- 85% more Giving Tuesday donors
- 29% of donors gave from a text
- $5,000 check from one conversation
Download the Full Case Study
On Giving Tuesday, a Duke Children’s donor got a text about a match challenge and wrote back. Lori Apicella’s team answered in real time, the conversation kept going, and the donor ended up hand-delivering a $5,000 check to the hospital.
“We never would have secured that $5,000 check without Mongoose. The ability to respond in real time and make a personal connection turned a casual inquiry into a significant gift.”
Lori Apicella, Director of Engagement, Duke Children’s Development
Duke Children’s provides pediatric care and research within Duke Health, supported by the Duke Health Development & Alumni Affairs (DHDAA) team. Lori leads donor engagement, corporate partnerships, and event-based giving, and her team brought in Mongoose Text to modernize outreach.
Why a Keyword Short Code Wasn’t Working
Duke Health’s old texting tool only replied when a donor texted a keyword, like “DUKEKIDS” to 51555. The team couldn’t reach out first or hold a conversation, event updates got lost in email, and messages from a national short code felt less credible to donors.
Lori’s team needed texting that worked both ways, made event days easier to coordinate, and earned donors’ trust.
How Duke Health Switched to Two-Way Text
After hearing strong feedback from Duke University’s Annual Fund team, Lori’s team picked Mongoose for two-way texting. A local 919 area code made messages more recognizable, Segments made targeted giving and event messages easy, and Mongoose’s track record elsewhere at Duke made rollout smooth.
“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
A Local Number Donors Trust
Moving from a national short code to a local 919 number raised donor response rates, because donors were more likely to trust and answer 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
Giving Tuesday Results
In 2024, Duke Health had its most successful Giving Tuesday in five years, and Mongoose was its top-performing donor engagement channel.
- Dollars raised grew 47 percent.
- The number of donors grew 85 percent.
- 29 percent of donors gave as a direct result of a Mongoose text.
A mass text with a match challenge drove strong donor response, including the conversation that became a $5,000 gift. For more ideas, see these tips to prepare for Giving Tuesday.
Conversations Even When Donors Can’t Give
Donors who couldn’t give this year often replied with personal messages, which opened the door to caring follow-ups and kept the relationship going.
“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
Smoother Event Days
For Over the Edge, a rappelling event where participants raise $1,000 for the chance to rappel down a building in downtown Durham, texts gave participants an easy way to pay any difference. On event day, reminders got people there on time, made check-in smoother, and improved attendance. Post-event surveys confirmed attendees valued the texts for last-minute updates.
What Other Advancement Teams Can Take From Duke Health
If your texting tool only answers keywords, it can’t start a conversation, and conversations are where gifts like that $5,000 check come from. Text from a local number donors recognize, segment your giving and event lists, and treat every reply, including “not this year,” as a chance to stay connected. Replies like these are the engagement signals that matter more than open rates, and these FAQs and best practices for advancement teams cover what donors tend to ask.
Other advancement teams have seen similar results. Presbyterian College raised $27,751 from a single Giving Day text, and Carnegie Mellon grew alumni responses 170 percent.
Looking Ahead
Duke Health plans to text retail associates in real time during corporate campaigns with partners like Walmart, Ace Hardware, and Costco, sharpen its donor Segments with tags, and scale its Giving Tuesday and event texting. Lori also credits the support behind it.
“The support we’ve received has been unmatched. The Mongoose team is proactive, responsive, and truly invested in our success.”
Lori Apicella
“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
Download the Full Case Study
For a two-page summary of Duke Health’s results to share with your advancement team, download the Duke Health case study (PDF).
Want to see what two-way texting could do for your advancement team? Book a demo.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can texting increase Giving Tuesday donations?
Should advancement teams text from a short code or a local number?
What’s the difference between keyword texting and two-way texting?
Won’t donors find texts intrusive?
Can texting help with event logistics?
