Adding a Phone Number for SMS

WeGive lets you send SMS and MMS messages to your contacts. Before you can send anything, you need to add a phone number to your organization. You have two options:

• Buy through WeGive — purchase a number through WeGive for $5/month. The fastest way to get started; no separate accounts required.

• Bring Your Own Twilio Account — connect a number you already own in Twilio. You're billed directly by Twilio for that number.

This article walks through both.

Getting to the Phone Numbers screen

1. Open Settings.

2. Under Communications, select Phone Numbers. (You can also type "phone" in the settings search to find it quickly.)

3. Click Add Phone Number in the top right.

If you haven't added a number yet, this screen will show "No phone numbers."

Option 1: Buy through WeGive

Use this if you want WeGive to handle the number for you. It costs $5/month per number, billed through your WeGive account.

Step 1 — Choose the method

In the Add a Phone Number window, select Buy through WeGive, then click Continue.

Step 2 — Search for a number

On the Search Numbers screen, set your search options:

• Country — the country for the number (defaults to US).

• Type — choose Local or Toll-Free.

• Filter by number — enter the digits you'd like in the number, such as an area code (e.g., 925).

• Matching — choose where those digits should appear:

  • First Part Matches — digits at the start of the number (best for area codes).

  • Other options let you match digits at the end or anywhere in the number.

Click Search. WeGive returns a list of available numbers, each showing its location and the $5/mo price.

Step 3 — Select a number

Find a number you like in the results and click Select next to it.

Step 4 — Confirm your purchase

On the Confirm Purchase screen, review the number, location, type, and monthly fee. To enable the purchase, check both boxes:

1. "I agree to be billed $5 now, then $5 per month starting at my next billing cycle."

2. The second agreement box below it.

Note: The Confirm Purchase button stays greyed out until both boxes are checked.

Once both are checked, click Confirm Purchase. Your new number is added to your organization and is ready to use for SMS right away.

Option 2: Bring Your Own Twilio Account

Use this if you already have a phone number in your own Twilio account. You'll be billed directly by Twilio for the number — WeGive doesn't charge the $5/month fee in this case.

Before you start, have these details from your Twilio account ready:

• Your phone number (or short code)

• The Phone Number SID from Twilio

• Your Twilio Account SID

• Your Twilio Auth Token

Step 1 — Choose the method

In the Add a Phone Number window, select Bring Your Own Twilio Account, then click Continue.

Step 2 — Choose the number type

At the top of the Import from Twilio screen there's a Standard number toggle:

• Standard number (toggle on) — a long phone number such as +1 555 123 4567. Supports SMS, MMS, and voice. Its SID starts with PN.

• Short code (toggle off) — a 5–6 digit short code. Its SID starts with SC, and WeGive automatically adds the required HELP and STOP auto-responses to keep the short code compliant with carriers.

Step 3 — Enter your credentials

Step 4 — Import

Click Import Number. WeGive connects to your Twilio account using the credentials you provided and adds the number to your organization.

After you've added a number

Your number appears on the Phone Numbers screen and can be used for SMS communications. You can add additional numbers anytime by clicking Add Phone Number again.

Troubleshooting

• The Confirm Purchase button won't activate. Make sure both agreement checkboxes on the Confirm Purchase screen are checked.

• My import failed. Double-check that each SID is in the correct format — the Account SID starts with AC, a standard Phone Number SID starts with PN, and a short code SID starts with SC. Also confirm your Auth Token is current.

• I don't see any search results. Try a broader search — fewer digits in the filter, a different area code, or switching the number type between Local and Toll-Free.

Pricing at a glance