How Do I Configure SMS Messaging? – Virtuous

So...you'd like to send text messages to you supporters? Great! That's an excellent way to stay connected.

Once you have added SMS messaging to your account, You'll be able to configure SMS messaging. Before you begin, keep in mind that SMS Messaging through Virtuous CRM+ is only available to send messages to US phone numbers. Any phone numbers outside of the US will not be sent text messages.

To begin setup, navigate to the SMS page in Virtuous CRM+. Hover over the left side bar, then select Marketing. Under Marketing, select SMS.

There, you'll see the option to begin configuring SMS for your organization.

Click on "Setup SMS" to bring up the SMS Settings form.

First, you'll need to enter the email address you'd like to use for SMS notifications. Make sure this is an active email address as important verification updates will be sent here.

Then, begin typing in the phone number search box to find an available toll-free number that will be used for sending messages from your organization. You can choose to search with a word that is related to your organization or mission:

Or, search with a number you'd like to incorporate into your toll-free number:

Note: Once you have set the toll-free number for your organization, this setting cannot be changed.

Next, fill out all of the fields in the Verification Details section - this information will be used to verify your toll-free number, which is required for sending messages to the US.

Below this section, you'll see two checkboxes.

Restrict SMS messages to known mobile numbers means that only phone numbers labelled "Mobile Phone" can be used for sending texts. If you are not sure that you have phone numbers labelled correctly, you can choose not to check this box. This means that it is possible that you may send SMS messages to home or work phones, which means the messages will not be received.
I certify that we have consent to send SMS messages to the phone numbers we collected in our database must be checked in order to configure SMS and begin sending messages. Whenever you collect phone numbers using Virtuous CRM+ Forms, consent language will automatically be applied to the Form.

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Once you have made your selections, click Save to complete the setup. The information will now be submitted for verification, which may take 2-3 weeks.

After completing setup and submitting the verification details, you will receive an email to the Notification Email entered above from Twilio (donotreply@twilio.com) confirming they have received your request. Twilio will then send another update to let you know once verification is complete. Once you are notified that verification is complete and the number is approved, you are ready to start sending SMS messages through CRM+.

If the Notification Email entered on the SMS settings form does not receive confirmation the request was received, or if your number was rejected for any reason, please open a ticket with support (support@virtuous.org) so our team can assist with any necessary corrections and handle resubmission. As of January 31, 2024, messages from any toll-free number that is unverified or pending will be blocked and subject to messaging fees.

Now you're all set to begin creating templates and sending messages! Check out this article to learn more about SMS templates.

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