A2P 10DLC Registration for Nonprofits & Churches: What It Is and Why It Matters

What is A2P 10DLC?

A2P means Application-to-Person. It's just a way of saying that messages are being sent from software to real people, as opposed to one person texting another from their phone. 10DLC refers to the standard 10-digit US phone numbers used for business texting.

Since 2023, all three major US carriers require organizations sending these kinds of messages to register with TCR (The Campaign Registry). Without it, carriers treat your messages as unverified and often block or filter them before they ever reach anyone.

Why nonprofits and churches need it too

A lot of nonprofits and churches assume this doesn't apply to them because they're not a business. That's not how carriers see it. If you're sending texts to a list of people using any kind of messaging platform, you need to be registered. There's no exemption for nonprofits.

The upside is that most nonprofits qualify for the Low Volume Mixed use case, which has a simpler approval process and lower fees compared to high-volume commercial senders.

What you'll need to register

The registration process asks for basic information about your organization and how you use texting. Here's what to have ready:

• Your legal organization name as it appears on your EIN or state registration
• Entity type (nonprofit, LLC, corporation, etc.)
• Business address
• Website, if you have one
• A short description of what kinds of messages you send
• Two to five sample messages that represent real texts you'd send to members
• An explanation of how members opt in to receive messages from you

How long does it take?

Getting your brand registered usually takes one to three business days. The campaign review, which is done by TCR and the carriers themselves, typically takes two to three weeks.

Our advice is to wait until you're fully approved before sending to your list. Sending before approval puts you at risk of messages being blocked and carrier surcharge fees being passed to you. It's worth the wait.

What happens if you skip registration

Skipping registration isn't just a compliance issue. There are real consequences that affect whether your messages actually get delivered.

• Your messages can be silently filtered and never reach your members
• Carriers may flag your number as spam, which is difficult to recover from
• US carriers charge per-message penalty fees for unregistered traffic, and those costs get passed to you
• Your SMS provider can suspend your account for repeated violations

How TextPack handles it for you

TextPack was built for exactly this kind of organization. When you sign up, we collect your registration information and handle the entire submission process on your behalf. You won't need to create a Twilio account, navigate the TCR portal, or figure out which use case applies to you.

We take care of:

• Collecting your brand and campaign registration info during onboarding
• Submitting everything to the carriers automatically
• Letting you know when you're approved and ready to send
• Managing opt-outs so STOP replies are handled automatically

Ready to get started?

Create your TextPack account and we'll walk you through registration from start to finish. No technical background needed.