Best Times to Send Ringless Voicemail Drops (RVMs)
Best times to send Ringless Voicemail Drops (RVMs) and stay compliant. Learn the legal sending windows, time-zone rules, and nonprofit best practices.
Timing plays a major role in whether someone hears your message and takes action. While RVMs don’t ring the phone, they still show up as a voicemail notification—often with a missed-call alert. Choosing the right window to drop those messages can significantly impact callback rate, engagement, and response.
Why Send Time Matters for RVM Campaigns
Even though the phone never rings, voicemail is still an attention-based channel. If your drop lands at the wrong time, it can get buried under notifications and never be heard.
When scheduled well, RVMs support your mission by reaching supporters when they’re most receptive:
- Higher donor engagement
- More callbacks and responses
- Better event attendance
- More supporters taking next steps
At Rally, we’re focused on human-centered messaging and permission-based outreach. Timing is part of that experience.
The Best Days and Times to Send RVMs
Across thousands of campaigns, the most consistent engagement happens during the middle of the week and standard daytime hours.
Recommended Days
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
Mondays are often catch-up days, and Fridays tend to have lower attention and lower response rates.
Recommended Time Windows (Local Time)
- 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
These windows consistently avoid morning rush, meetings, commutes, and after-hours distraction. People are more likely to check voicemail and respond during these times.
If your audience skews toward early morning or evening schedules (e.g., volunteers, shift workers), test alternate windows like:
- 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM
- 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Schedule by the Recipient’s Local Time
Always schedule using the recipient’s local time zone. A 10 AM drop on the east coast is 7 AM on the west coast—not ideal.
If you work across multiple states, segment by time zone or schedule separate drops.
Pro Tip: Passing the ZIP code along with the contact's number is a great way to do this using the Rally platform.
Best Practices for Nonprofits Using RVM
- Keep the message short and clear. Identify who you are and why the message matters.
- Lead with impact. Make it about outcomes, gratitude, or service—not pressure.
- Pair voicemail with texting. Together, these channels outperform everything else.
- Respect timing and frequency. No late-night or early-morning drops.
Supporters want relevant and trusted communication. Respecting their attention shows you value the relationship.
Here are some examples if you want to hear how other nonprofits are using Voicemail Drops.
RVM Send Time Cheat Sheet
| Audience | Best Time | Why |
|---|---|---|
| General supporter base | Tue–Thu, 10 AM–12 PM or 2 PM–4 PM | High attention and availability |
| Morning-leaning groups | 8 AM–9:30 AM | Heard early in the day |
| Event outreach or volunteer reminders | Late afternoon | More availability and responsiveness |
Compliance Tips
Even though RVM doesn’t ring the phone, nonprofits should still:
- Honor opt-outs
- Respect time zones
- Avoid late-night drops
- Use permission-based messaging whenever possible
Our goal is to help you reach supporters with clarity and respect—not contribute to spammy practices.
Final Thoughts
There’s no single perfect time, but there are proven windows that consistently deliver more engagement and better results. Start with the recommendations above, then test and refine for your audience.
As with anything in fundraising and supporter engagement, it’s about clarity, timing, and consistency.
Need help running a voicemail, text, or multi-channel campaign?
We’d love to help. Book a demo or join one of our workshops to learn how top-performing nonprofits use mobile to mobilize supporters and maximize engagement.
