How New Zealand’s First Text-to-Donate Platform Is Supporting Social Housing

How New Zealand’s First Text-to-Donate Platform Is Supporting Social Housing

What if supporting a good cause was as simple as sending a text message?

In 2026, it is!

For the first time in New Zealand, donors can contribute to social housing with a single SMS. By texting “HOME” to 2272, Kiwis can instantly donate $25 to Dwell Housing Trust, a charitable organisation providing long-term social housing solutions across Wellington region.

This new Txt2Donate platform, powered by Modica Group, makes charitable giving as simple as the technology we already use every day.

The initiative supports Dwell’s “It Starts With Home” campaign, running 6th March – 30th April 2026, helping provide safe and stable housing for New Zealanders in need.

How SMS Donations Work

The experience was designed around one simple principle: remove friction between intention and action.

Here’s how the donation journey works:

1. Text “HOME” to 2272
2. Receive a secure personalised payment link
3. Open the link to a fully branded Dwell payments page
4. Securely donate $25 using open banking, credit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay
5. Return to Dwell’s thank-you page

This simple SMS-triggered payment experience makes donating easier than traditional fundraising channels.

Donations are received immediately into the nominated account, no intermediary or delays in processing, using trusted and recognised payment providers.

Building New Zealand’s SMS Donation Platform

When Dwell Housing Trust approached Modica in December 2025, the challenge was clear: launch New Zealand’s first text-to-donate fundraising platform before the April campaign.

This was Modica’s first venture into integrated payment flows, expanding beyond its enterprise messaging capabilities.

To deliver a secure and seamless donation experience for Dwell, the platform integrates:

• BlinkPay for open banking payments (Pay-by-Bank)
• Stripe for credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay (Pay-by-Card)
• Modica’s CPaaS Platform combines a trigger messaging workflow, secure link delivery and customised payment landing pages

The User initiates the journey, by requesting a payment link. Modica generates a secure personalised link that opens a branded payment experience, all hosted on Dwell’s domain to maintain trust throughout the user's journey.

Why SMS Fundraising Matters

SMS remains one of the most universal communication channels available, this product bridges the gap between the simplicity of SMS interactions and the security and trust required for electronic payments. Making fundraising available to a much wider audience.

Nearly every Kiwi:

• Owns a mobile phone
• Knows how to send a text
• Can complete a payment within seconds

By combining SMS messaging with secure digital payments, Txt2Donate lowers the barrier to charitable giving in a way that feels natural and immediate. Modica’s CPaaS Platform architecture was also designed for scale.

Future campaigns can easily support:

• Charities or Organisations that want to invite users to initiate the interaction
• Multiple keywords / donation amounts
• Various Payment methods and Payment providers
• New fundraising initiatives
  
  

Supporting Social Housing in New Zealand

Safe, stable housing is one of the most important foundations for wellbeing.

Through the “It Starts With Home” campaign, Dwell Housing Trust is working to provide long-term housing solutions for Kiwis who need it most.

Thanks to this new text-to-donate platform, contributing is easier than ever. Text HOME to 2272 to donate $25. Campaign runs 6th March – 30th April 2026.