Insights

Cymba , the SMS and Rich Communications Services (RCS) payments and messaging provider to charities, in partnership with the Association for Interactive Media and Micropayments (aimm), is set to produce a new annual charity sector trends report that shines a light on Premium SMS (PSMS) usage, trends, best practice, and innovation across the UK. The report, which will include key insights, data, case studies, and mobile messaging and payments predictions for the future, is expected to feature input from many of aimm’s high-profile charity members. Designed to champion the sector, the report’s announcement has been welcomed by aimm’s board and its members, many of which are competitors, for its potential to share knowledge, further the sector, and unite the organisations that operate within it. As a member-funded specialist trade association for the interactive media and micropayments industries in the UK, aimm has been working closely with industry, regulators, and government since its inception in 2008. The organisation is focused on creating conditions for growth amongst its members and protecting the regulatory environment in which its members operate. Cymba, which will lead the production of the report, joined aimm in 2017. Rich Mullens, Director at the mobile payments and messaging solutions provider, joined aimm’s Board in 2025, having replaced Steve Matheison, the business’s Product Lead, who served two years. On producing the report, which is scheduled for launch in Q1 of 2026, Rich comments: “This is an exciting opportunity to promote best practice in the use of PSMS within charitable fundraising, and provide meaningful data and commentary that the entire industry can benefit from. PSMS, and now RCS, continues to enable supporter engagement and generate significant amounts of income for charities across the UK, so it’s right that we celebrate its impact in a structured and non-competitive way. CYMBA is delighted to lead on this project and proud of its ongoing association with aimm." Joanna Cox, General Manager at aimm, adds: “The report and the support it has received so far reflects an industry-wide commitment to strengthen the sector through insights, shared knowledge, and innovation. If we can better understand the emerging opportunities and challenges, then we can better support organisations working within the sector as they continue to grow and strive to improve the customer experience. Consumer trust is the most important thing, and the thing that we need to get right. If we’re continually trying to arm organisations in the sector with the tools they need to deliver positive customer experiences, as we’re aiming to do with this report, then that can only be a good thing.” aimm members interested in contributing to the report can contact joanna@aimm.co and Cymba customers, please reach out to stevem@cymba.co.uk For more information on aimm, visit www.aimm.co

Exciting news for Cymba Customers! A smarter, more affordable way to manage Direct Debit collections is here. We're proud to introduce ClearDebit , part of the ClearCourse Group alongside Cymba, offering seamless direct debit solutions to make your operation more efficient and cost-effective. ClearDebit is a trusted provider of Direct Debit services to charities across the UK. As a Bacs Approved Bureau, Bacs Approved Software Provider, and Bacs Accredited Training Provider, they offer a fully compliant, secure, and seamless solution tailored to the needs of the not-for-profit sector. At a time when many providers are increasing their fees, ClearDebit is committed to helping Cymba customers cut costs. Whether you're looking to switch from your current provider or explore Direct Debit for the first time, we’d love to show you how ClearDebit can support your mission. Why ClearDebit? Proven experience working with charities nationwide Seamless integration with your existing systems Expert support and Bacs-accredited training Competitive pricing — with no hidden fees Cost savings compared to other providers, who are currently raising their prices Contact Adele Green or the ClearDebit sales team to learn more and make Direct Debits simple, affordable, and effective for your organisation.

Don’t miss opportunities to maximise engagement with our five simple ways to boost engagement across SMS fundraising campaigns

A person holding a phone to look at a message in WhatsApp

There’s an anonymous saying liked by the Cymba team, which is Just because you’ve counted all the trees doesn’t mean you’ve seen the forest. Testing text donation ask strategies is a bit like that. You might think that you have everything in place for a new campaign, but if it doesn’t support the bigger picture – or, worse, if it doesn’t work at all – then it really doesn’t matter that you’ve followed the blueprint for a successful fundraising campaign if the donations aren’t coming in. Of course, there is a way in which to make sure a campaign is as effective as it can be before it gets a wider launch – and it’s relatively straightforward, too. You simply test. But in a campaign made up of countless components and a multitude of variables, what exactly do you test? As a longstanding fundraising platform provider that has carried out thousands of text-to-donate campaigns on behalf of its clients, here are Cymba’s top seven areas to test. 1. Perfect timing Whether you’re testing the time of the day, week, or year, timing plays a large role in the effectiveness of text-to-donate campaigns. One member of our team used to work at a charity focused on an elderly demographic, which had notable campaign success in the colder months. Why? Because the donors were busy looking after grandchildren in the summer months. As a result, campaigns were restricted to autumn and winter. 2. Good value Maybe you’ve spent the last decade asking for £5 per campaign, but lately you’ve been wondering what would happen if you asked for £10 or even £15. Or maybe you’re considering whether or not an open-ended ask might yield even higher donations? With testing, you can find out by issuing varying sizes of asks to a small group of donors. 3. The right message Not that long ago, text-to-donate asks were limited to 160 characters. With the emergence – and now the exponential rise – of Rich Communications Services, there are no limits. Not only that, but charities can now incorporate images, video, and even interactive buttons into an ask. However, irrespective or whether it’s long or short, copy- or visual-driven, or even one-way or two-way, is it effective? The only way to know for sure is to test 4. Pre-broadcast messages A successful campaign shouldn’t hinge on the effectiveness of one broadcast alone. We often run campaigns whereby a warmup message is sent, advising prospective donors that they’re going to shortly receive a message outlining how they can help. Is it effective? Well, it can be, depending on the message and the audience, both of which can easily be … you guessed it, tested. 5. To follow-up, or not follow-up Sometimes, all it takes is a nudge to get that donation over the line. But there’s often a fine line between reminding someone to donate and being perceived as chasing someone to donate. As to how your audience will perceive a follow-up text remains to be seen via testing. But if this tactic is the difference between getting a donation and not getting a donation, then it’s certainly worth exploring. 6. A personal approach A quick poll of the Cymba team revealed that they like being referred to by name when being sent marketing communications or asked to donate; the general consensus is that the personal touch goes a long way. But not everybody likes it. Whether your audience does or not might depend on the nature of the charity and the age of its members (remember, Generation Z expects personalisation when being communicated to). 7. Environmental impact No, we’re not referring to the environment in a climate or sustainability sense, but rather what’s going on in the world at the particular time of your campaign. For example, escalating energy prices and a long-running cost-of-living crisis tend to make people think twice about spending or donating on the basis that they no longer have as much disposable income as they might have done, say, 12 months ago. In our view, how well a charity can counter these external challenges comes down to the messaging - so getting it right via testing is imperative. Given the impermanent nature of life and the fact that everything changes all the time, testing should really be a permanent fixture in your text-to-donate campaign outreach. For advice, guidance, or to simply find out how your text-to-donate campaigns could be improved, contact the Cymba team to speak with a fundraising technology specialist. Want to supercharge your campaigns and improve your return on investment? Contact the Cymba team .

We’ve been harnessing technology to leverage charities’ fundraising campaigns for many years now. And, through our partnership with CM.com , which specialises in AI-powered customer engagement, we’ve broadened our technological capabilities even further. From devising and implementing SMS fundraising campaigns to exploring what’s possible with Rich Communication Services (RCS), we’ve carved a reputation for delivering SMS and RCS campaigns that have the power to boost engagement and revenues. This also puts us in the enviable position of having sight of what lies ahead when it comes to the technology that will be used to power fundraising campaigns in the not-too-distant future. So, the question is, what are the technologies that we foresee being adopted by charities in the next 12 – 24 months? Here's what we expect to see rolled out soon. RCS Strictly speaking, this one isn’t on the horizon – it’s actually here now. However, it hasn’t yet been widely adopted. Whereas SMS is purely character-based, RCS allows charities to incorporate images, video, and even interactive elements, such as clickable buttons and polls. The result? A richer and more engaging experience for potential donors. We have even been helping charities use this technology – via WhatsApp – for the stewardship of large-scale events such as marathons to gain a better understanding of how best to use the channel. SMS Now, this one certainly isn’t new. In fact, this technology has underpinned CYMBA’s campaigns since we first opened our doors in 2004. However, the way it’s used is likely to change over the next couple of years. Perhaps the most notable change will be its integration with Apple Pay and Google Pay, which will make it easier for people to donate in response to SMS messages. We also expect to see SMS and AI working together more cohesively, the result of which will support two-way texting with responses that are tailored to the individual. Of course, SMS in its standard format will continue to dominate the charity fundraising landscape for its high open rate, simplicity, and immediacy. Chatbots Each ask made via SMS or RCS is generally the result of meticulous planning in order to make it as clear as possible, and as simple as possible for the donor to act on. However, potential donors can slip through the net for a whole host of reasons. But what if you have a chatbot on hand to guide potential donors through the giving process? We envisage an uptick in charities using chatbots to do just this. Regardless of the platform – be it a charity’s website, its WhatsApp channel, or even its social media accounts – expect to see more chatbots giving charities a helping hand in getting donors over the line. Voice activation Whether it’s “Alexa, can you …” or “Hey Google, what is …”, the chances are that pretty much everyone is now familiar with voice activation technology. The next step, then, is to enable this technology to make donations via voice command alone. Of course, the initial prompts will still be important, which is why technology such as SMS will never go away. But we expect to see charities asking donors to give via Alexa and Google become standard quite soon. AI Tools such as ChatGPT have become part of the English lexicon – and its adoption by organisations of all natures and sizes is now widely accepted. We expect to see AI help charities create and deliver campaigns at a much faster rate as it becomes a more reliable source of content creation. Not only that, but tailored messaging, custom donation amount suggestions, and personalised communication based on previous donor interaction are now all possible. We believe that 2025 is the year in which this will all come together, offering charities more campaign flexibility and higher chances of securing regular donations. Summary The integration of new and emerging technologies within charities’ fundraising strategies is coming, and its inclusion will allow organisations to be smarter, more efficient, and more tailored in their approach. However, longstanding technologies – such as SMS – will continue to be a throughline, effectively tying together the old with the new by providing the prompts from which donations can be made through new and innovative ways. The next two years are likely to be a period of change as new technology becomes more widely adopted and more is made of existing channels. However, in our view, it’s a positive change, and one that’s likely to open new doors – and new revenue streams – for UK charities. Want to explore how technology can amplify your fundraising campaigns? Contact the Cymba team .

How often do you question the legitimacy of a text or email asking you to do something from someone – or an organisation – you know nothing about? Navigating what’s real and relevant becomes a job in itself.

Why personalised communication is so effective when it comes to retaining donors. Everyone prefers to be treated as a person rather than a data point, of course. But Gen Z is a particularly personal generation.