Since 2002, Operação Nariz Vermelho (ONV) has been bringing joy to hospitalized children in Portugal through its Clown Doctors. This noble mission relies heavily on community support, with income tax allocation donations representing one of its main sources of funding. To amplify its message and reach people directly, ONV has been working with Sendit for around a decade through the SMS channel and, in recent years, has relied on the Arpoone platform to support the campaign in an even simpler, more effective and consistent way. Over this period, the amount raised has grown by more than 500%, reflecting the impact of a consistent, close and well-targeted multichannel communication strategy. With a database of around 90,000 contacts and a 93% delivery rate, SMS has become one of the pillars of its annual campaign.
The Challenges
Mobilizing thousands of people around a form of support that many still do not know exists
ONV is a non-profit organization founded in 2002 that regularly brings professional artists (the Clown Doctors) to pediatric wards across Portuguese hospitals. Today, 37 artists work in 22 hospitals during 42 weeks of the year, bringing moments of laughter and joy to hospitalized children.
To sustain this work, it is essential to secure stable sources of funding, such as income tax allocation donations. However, there is a recurring challenge: many people are still unaware of this possibility or mistakenly believe it involves an additional personal cost, when in reality it simply redirects part of the tax that would already go to the State.
As Rita Fialho, Communications Coordinator at Operação Nariz Vermelho, explains, “The income tax campaign now represents more than one third of our annual budget. It is essential for us to continue spreading joy and to keep growing.”
For the organization, the yearly challenges are clear:
- Raise awareness about income tax allocation donations
- Explain that it comes at no additional cost to taxpayers
- Reach a broad audience quickly and in the most personalized way possible
The Solution
An SMS sent directly to the phones of 90,000 people
Since 2016, Operação Nariz Vermelho has been using SMS, in partnership with Sendit, as a direct communication channel for its income tax allocation campaign. In recent years, this communication has been supported by the Arpoone platform, further strengthening agility and reliability.
SMS proved to be the ideal channel for the campaign’s objective, as explained by Clara Cotrim from the Corporate Fundraising and Communications Department at Operação Nariz Vermelho, “SMS is personal, immediate, does not depend on an internet connection and has a very high delivery rate. Today, people are always on their phones and the probability of opening an SMS is much higher than opening an email.”
Every year, the income tax allocation campaign is developed around a global creative concept that is then adapted across multiple channels (advertising, social media, website, SMS and others) ensuring message consistency and greater impact.
The SMS is sent at the strategic moment when taxpayers begin submitting their income tax declarations (the day before), acting as a simple and direct reminder on how to support the cause. At the same time, the message is clear, persuasive and fully aligned with Operação Nariz Vermelho’s identity, as shown in the 2026 message:
“This operation costs nothing and donating 1% of your income tax does not either! Donate to Operação Nariz Vermelho at no cost: Tax ID 506133729, Model 3, Box 11, Field 1101.”
Without links and with all the necessary information presented clearly and concisely, the SMS was designed to spark empathy while conveying the joy, trust and simplicity associated with ONV. All within the character limit.
The Results
Remarkable reach and 500% growth in income tax donations
Using SMS has allowed Operação Nariz Vermelho to reach its community in a personalized way and reinforce a campaign that is already strongly present across other channels. Key results include:
- 90,000 people reached via SMS through ONV’s database
- 93% SMS delivery rate
- 32% of ONV’s annual budget now comes from income tax allocation donations
- 500% growth in the amount raised through the multichannel campaign over the last 10 years
For ONV, SMS is especially valuable because it enables communication with real people who have already shown interest in or connection to the cause. More generalist channels do not provide the same level of audience visibility, despite their importance for broad awareness.
“Arpoone is extremely important for us because it allows us to reach 90,000 people we actually know. It is a type of communication that creates more awareness and empathy on the other side, because we are not strangers to them, they have already interacted with Operação Nariz Vermelho in some way,” says Clara Cotrim.
Another highly valued aspect is the platform’s reliability and the close, always-available support provided by the Arpoone team, which assists throughout the entire process of campaign creation, delivery and analysis.
“For the last ten years, we have relied on Sendit to help us reach more and more taxpayers, raising awareness about both the importance and simplicity of income tax allocation donations. We truly believe it has been a key pillar behind the more than 500% growth in the amount raised during this time. We are grateful for the involvement, enthusiasm and professionalism of the entire team. Together, we will continue delivering excellent results,” concludes Catarina Pereira from the Individual Fundraising Coordination team at Operação Nariz Vermelho.
About Arpoone
Arpoone is Sendit’s multichannel platform that combines email marketing, SMS and automation in an intuitive, secure and scalable solution. It allows companies and organizations to plan, execute and measure campaigns with full control over data, performance and segmentation.
More info at: https://arpoone.com/
