Why churches in Uganda still use SMS
SMS reaches every phone: the smartphone, the basic phone, and the phone with no data bundle left on a Saturday night. It doesn't depend on a member being in the right WhatsApp group or opening an app. For the messages everyone must see, such as service times, funeral announcements, venue changes and fundraising deadlines, SMS is still the most reliable channel.
How bulk SMS works in FaithDash
- Open Messages and write your text.
- Pick who receives it: All members, Visitors only, Members only, Leaders only, or any tag such as Choir, Youth, Ushers or Building committee.
- Check the preview: character count, GSM-7 or Unicode encoding, SMS parts, and total cost for that group.
- Send. Large sends run in the background with a live "X of Y processed" readout. You don't have to keep the page open.
- Review: every send is logged in the message history with its recipient count, parts, status and cost.
There's no CSV to export and nothing to upload. The recipient list is always your current member database.
What it costs
UGX 35 per SMS part. A standard message of up to 160 characters is one part. Longer messages are split into parts of 153 characters. A message containing a curly quote, an em dash or most emoji switches to Unicode, which fits only 70 characters per part (67 when split).
| Example | Cost |
|---|---|
| 1-part message to 100 members | UGX 3,500 |
| 1-part message to 300 members | UGX 10,500 |
| 2-part message to 300 members | UGX 21,000 |
| 1-part message to a 25-person youth tag | UGX 875 |
Try your own message in the SMS cost calculator, or see full pricing. Every church gets 100 free test SMS once it verifies its contact phone number.
Messages churches send most
| Message | Who to send it to | Can it be automatic? |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday service reminder | Members and leaders | Yes: event reminder |
| Welcome to first-time visitors | Visitors | Yes: visitor follow-up |
| Choir or band practice | Choir tag | Send now |
| Thank you for attending | Event attendees | Yes: attendee follow-up |
| Funeral or urgent announcement | All members | Send now |
| Building-fund or harvest appeal | All members or a tag | Send now |
| Leaders' meeting notice | Leaders only | Send now |
Tips for church SMS that people read
- Start with who it's from. "St. Mark's: …" helps members recognise the church's messages.
- Keep it to one part. 160 characters is enough for the time, the place and one sentence.
- Avoid curly quotes and long dashes pasted from Word or WhatsApp. They silently switch the message to Unicode and can double the cost.
- Send to the group that needs it. A choir message to the whole church costs more and trains people to ignore you.
- Respect opt-outs. If someone asks to stop receiving messages, take them out of the tags and groups you send to. Read SMS opt-out etiquette in Uganda.
Frequently asked questions
How much does bulk SMS cost in Uganda?
Bulk SMS in Uganda is usually charged per message part. In FaithDash it's UGX 35 per SMS part, from a prepaid balance topped up by mobile money, with no subscription. A one-part message to 200 people costs UGX 7,000.
Which network does FaithDash send through?
FaithDash routes SMS through the BulkSMS Uganda gateway, telco-connected infrastructure that delivers to the main Ugandan mobile networks. It's the same class of gateway other Uganda bulk SMS platforms use.
Can I send SMS to only part of my church?
Yes. Send to visitors only, members only, leaders only, or any custom tag, such as Choir, Youth or Ushers. You only pay for the people in the group you choose.
Can members reply to the SMS?
FaithDash is built for one-way announcements and reminders. It doesn't offer two-way SMS chat threads, so include a phone number in the message if you want people to call or reply to a person.
Do I need to upload a contact list?
No. FaithDash sends to the members already in your church database. To bring in an existing list, paste up to 1,000 numbers at once.