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Managing volunteers is at the heart of many nonprofit missions—but communication is often where things fall apart. If you’re still confirming attendance through manual texts, phone calls, or lost-in-the-inbox emails, there’s a better way.
Automated SMS confirmations are fast, effective, and within reach—even if you have no technical experience and zero budget.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to set up a fully automated system using Twilio and Knack, allowing your organization to instantly send personalized confirmation messages to every new volunteer. Best of all? It’s free to get started.
Why Nonprofits Should Use SMS for Volunteer Communication
Let’s talk numbers.
- SMS open rate: 95% within 3 minutes
- Email open rate: Around 20%
- Time saved: Hours per week of manual outreach
Nonprofits often operate with limited staff and tight budgets. That’s why high-impact, low-cost tools like automated SMS confirmations can transform how you work.
Whether it’s a community cleanup, food drive, or event registration—getting timely confirmations out to volunteers increases participation, reduces no-shows, and builds stronger engagement.
What You Need to Get Started
To build your automated volunteer SMS system, you’ll need two powerful (and nonprofit-friendly) tools:
1. Knack
A no-code database app that helps you collect, manage, and automate data workflows. You can use it to build a custom volunteer sign-up form and store participant data.
2. Twilio
A cloud communications platform that lets you send SMS, voice, and email messages. Twilio offers $100 in free credits to nonprofits, plus discounted pricing going forward.
You’ll also need:
- A Twilio account (to get your Account SID and Auth Token)
- A Knack account with the “Flows” feature enabled
- A basic volunteer app (name, phone, event info, etc.)
No developers required. No code needed.
Step-by-Step: How to Set Up Automated SMS Confirmations
Let’s break it down.
Step 1: Create a Volunteer App in Knack
Start by creating a simple volunteer management app with fields for:
- Name
- Phone number
- Event name
- Date
- Location
You can build this in minutes using Knack’s pre-built templates or AI builder.
Step 2: Sign Up for Twilio and Claim Your Free Credits
Register for a Twilio account and apply for nonprofit credits. Once approved, you’ll receive:
- $100 in free Twilio credit
- Your Account SID and Auth Token (used to connect to Knack)
Make sure to securely store these credentials.
Step 3: Connect Twilio to Knack Flows
Inside Knack, navigate to Flows and create a new automation.
Set up a trigger that fires when a new volunteer record is created. This will be the starting point of your automation.
Then, add Twilio as an action in the flow to send the message.
Step 4: Format Phone Numbers for SMS
Before you send messages, ensure phone numbers are formatted correctly.
Add a “phone number formatting tool” in your Knack flow to clean up inconsistent entries and apply country codes. This ensures deliverability.
Step 5: Write and Send the SMS Confirmation
Next, set up your actual SMS message inside the flow. You can dynamically insert volunteer data into the message, such as:
“Hello [First Name], thanks for signing up for [Event Name] on [Date] at [Location]. We appreciate your support!”
Configure Twilio to send this message instantly once the form is submitted.
Step 6: Activate, Monitor, and Test
Click Start to activate your flow.
You can view logs inside Knack to monitor successful message delivery or troubleshoot errors.
We also recommend doing a test run by submitting a form with your own number.
The Benefits of Automating SMS Confirmations
When you combine the power of automated SMS confirmations with no-code tools like Knack and Twilio, you unlock:
- Time savings: Eliminate hours of repetitive messaging
- Better engagement: Messages are read fast and acted on
- Professionalism: Every volunteer feels informed and welcomed
- Scalability: Works whether you have 10 or 1,000 volunteers
- Affordability: Completely free to start for nonprofits
You’re not just saving time—you’re building stronger volunteer relationships.
Ready to Build Your Own SMS Automation?
If you’re a nonprofit looking to streamline how you engage volunteers, now is the time to act.
- Sign up for Knack and create your volunteer app
- Apply for Twilio’s nonprofit credits
- Set up your SMS confirmation flow in under 30 minutes
With automated SMS confirmations, you’ll save time, boost participation, and empower your volunteers with clear, instant communication.
Let your tech work for your mission.
