When you operate a charity or nonprofit organization, you need to think about all the ways you can maximize donations. Fundraising events. Direct mail. Social media links to your website. Adverts, both online and offline.
Another great way you can raise funds is through fundraising emails.
If you’ve not considered fundraising emails before, we’ll discuss the key benefits and what to include to optimize your fundraising efforts.
We'll also show you some fundraising email examples you can use in your next campaign.
Why send a fundraising email?
If you don’t include donation emails in your fundraising strategy, you’re missing out—68% of nonprofits use email marketing to inspire people to contribute.
Here are 4 reasons why nonprofit fundraising emails can give your organization the edge.
Reason #1: Emails have a high return on investment
Return on investment (ROI) measures how much money you earn back for every dollar you spend on your marketing campaigns. Email marketing typically has a high ROI. This is because emails are cost-effective to send, and you can segment and personalize your messages so they resonate with recipients, increasing your chances of success. For a nonprofit, every dollar counts. Using emails in your fundraising campaigns means you can maximize the amount of money you receive and reduce your outgoings.
Reason #2: Emails are highly targeted
The benefit of marketing emails is that you can customize them so they directly appeal to your donors, meaning you raise more money.
You can use personalization to engage with recipients, for example, by using their first name or the city they’re based in. You can also segment your target audience into smaller groups based on their hobbies, interests, and actions.
We’ll look at using personalized and segmented messages to appeal to donors in more detail later in this article.
Reason #3: Emails can be automated
Most email marketing platforms offer email automation. This means you can automatically send emails based on specific actions donors take (or don’t).
For example, you can send a series of emails when donors sign up for your newsletter, showcasing your mission and values, promoting your fundraising campaigns, and telling them how they can get involved.
You can also send a reminder email if email subscribers go to make a donation but don’t complete the donation process, reminding donors to finish the task.
Email automation not only saves you valuable time but means you can send mass emails quickly to existing or potential donors, increasing the chances of them donating. According to Campaign Monitor, automated emails create 320% more revenue than non-automated ones.
Reason #4: Emails can be tracked and measured
Measuring your fundraising efforts can be a challenge. For example, if you run a collection at a sporting event or a comedy show, it can be hard to see who donates or how much the average donation is.
You can easily measure email fundraising appeals, meaning you can not only track the success of each campaign but also gather data-driven insights to help optimize future initiatives.
For example, you might identify that subscribers in a particular city or region donate the most money to your campaigns. You can then focus your fundraising efforts on these areas to increase revenue.
The 4 building blocks of a good fundraising email
Successful fundraising emails consist of 4 key elements: a strong subject line, a persuasive body of text, a clear call to action, and a quality donation landing page.
Let’s look at each element in more detail.
Block #1: The subject line
Your email subject line is the first thing your prospective donor sees and can determine whether they read, or even open, your email.
A boring, confusing, or deceptive subject line can irritate potential donors. If it particularly annoys them, they may unsubscribe from your campaign or mark your email as spam.
The first step toward creating a great subject line is to understand your target audience. This will help determine what type of language you use in your subject line and whether you use characters like emojis.
Here are some additional things to bear in mind when crafting your email subject line:
- Keep your email subject line short—no more than 60 characters.
- Use personalization such as adding your email recipient’s name or location.
- If you use emojis, stick to one and use them to supplement words rather than replace them.
- A/B test different subject lines to see which result in the highest open and click-through rates.
Block #2: The body of text
The primary reason for sending a fundraising email is to encourage people to donate to your cause. Your email copy needs to be clear, concise, and, most of all, persuasive.
Forging a personal connection can also help people to donate. By being engaging and friendly, you can encourage subscribers to offer more financial support, contribute to your nonprofit in other ways (for example, by volunteering), and promote your organization to others. Here are our tips for writing emails that grow donor relationships and encourage personal connections:
- Share compelling stories, for example, by telling email recipients about someone you helped.
- Use social proof to build trust, for example, by sharing a testimonial or a case study from your community members.
- Quantify the work you’ve done. Rather than say you provided shelter to families, tell potential donors how many families you helped.
- Use positive language—avoid making the recipient feel guilty or bad for not donating.
- Be honest and transparent about the work you do.
- Use simple, jargon-free language that everyone can understand and proofread your email before sending it.
Block #3: The call to action
Your call to action is the button or link that inspires email recipients to take action. In this case, your call to action will take readers to a landing page where they can donate.
You want to style your call to action to convince people to donate. This means you have to think carefully about the wording you use. A clear call to action that is to the point is always best, like “Donate now,” “Make a difference,” or “Give today.”
If your call to action is a button, you’ll also have to think about the color, size, placement, and shape. Even changing the font can have a significant impact on donor engagement levels.
Consider having a single call to action in your donation appeals. While you might want to encourage donors to carry out multiple tasks, several different calls to action can confuse them, meaning they don’t click on any of them.
Block #4: The donation page
Your fundraising campaigns don’t stop when people click on your call to action. You need to encourage them to make their way through your donation landing page.
You could have the most persuasive fundraising email ever, but if your donation page offers a poor user experience, you won’t raise as much funding as you might otherwise.
Your donation page must be easy to navigate, mobile-responsive, and promote the benefits of donating to your nonprofit.
As people will be entering their credit card details, your page needs to be secure and trustworthy. Only ask for relevant information, put an SSL certificate in place, and use trust signals like the logos of payment providers you accept.
How to optimize your emails to elevate your fundraising campaigns
Crafting a good email for your fundraising campaigns takes time and care. However, get your email messages right, and they can be one of the best fundraising tools you have at your disposal.
If you want your email messages to lead to engaged supporters and increased donations, here are some additional tips to consider.
Approach #1: Consider how your emails look on mobile devices
Many people open emails on mobile devices. This means you must make sure your fundraising emails look good and function well on smartphones and tablets.
A good starting point is to choose a responsive email template that automatically adjusts to fit the size of the screen.
Keep your subject line short and place the most important words at the beginning. An overly long line will be truncated on a mobile device.
Finally, ensure your email is optimized for speed, as emails can load more slowly on mobile than on desktop. Avoid large images and files, and make sure CSS and HTML codes are clean and streamlined.
Approach #2: Personalize your messages
Personalization is when you use data you already have to customize your emails to each individual subscriber. Personalized messages are a fantastic way to appeal to donors and rally support.
According to a study conducted by Edelman DXI on behalf of Mailchimp, 87% of customers are more likely to click into an email if it’s personalized to them.
One of the easiest ways to personalize a fundraising email is to include the recipient’s name, for example, in the subject line or salutation. Other ways you can personalize your emails include:
- Adding your recipient’s location in the body of text
- Referencing how much money they have donated in the past
- Adding dynamic content based on the pages they’ve visited on your site
- Sharing a compelling story based on their interests and hobbies
Also consider segmenting your email subscriber list so you can send more targeted messages. For example, you can send 1 message to people who donate regularly and another to people who have never donated before.
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Approach #3: Make it as easy as possible to donate
The easier it is to donate, the more likely people are to contribute to your fundraising goal. This is especially true if people view your email on a mobile phone or tablet.
Ways you can streamline the donation process include:
- Using payment platforms which offer a one-click payment solution, like Google Pay or Apple Pay
- Implementing auto-complete on payment forms
- Consolidating the payment process onto a single page
- Offering guest checkout for donors who don’t want to create an account
- Recommending suggested donation amounts so people know how much to donate
Approach #4: Show your gratitude
Saying “thank you” when people donate to your nonprofit isn’t just polite.
It shows you appreciate their generosity and fosters a sense of loyalty, meaning they’re more likely to donate to you again.
You can use automation to send a thank-you email to customers when they donate, showing them how their contribution will make a difference. If you’re able to, you can also tell them what you will spend their donation on.
Make sure your thank-you emails are warm and friendly and address each donor by name. Here’s a fundraising email example:
Subject line: [Name], thank you for your generous gift
Dear [Name],
On behalf of everyone at [Organization], we want to express our sincere gratitude for your generous donation of $[Amount].
Your support makes a real difference in the lives of disadvantaged children, and thanks to your kindness, we can take steps to start a breakfast club for young children and their families.
We are truly grateful for your partnership in our mission to eliminate childhood poverty in [City].
Thank you again for your commitment to [Organization].
Sarah at [Organization]
Approach #5: Split test your emails to see which drive the most donations
Even a small change to your fundraising campaign emails can have a significant impact on the number of clicks and donations you receive.
Split testing (or A/B testing) is an effective way to see which donation request emails get the best result. And the great thing is, most email marketing platforms offer comprehensive testing tools.
With split testing, you take 2 nearly identical emails with 1 small difference. For example, they may contain a different image, or you may send 1 email in the morning and another in the afternoon. You then send 1 email to half of your mailing list and the other to the other half.
You can then see which email performs best and apply what you learn to your email campaigns moving forward.
Fundraising email templates to get you started
We’ve looked at some key strategies for writing great nonprofit fundraising emails, but what if you need extra help creating the perfect donation request?
We’ve put together 3 different fundraising email templates for you to use. Just customize them to your needs and send them to your prospective donors.
Email template #1: The short-but-sweet message
When your prospective donors get a lot of emails in their inboxes, it pays for your emails to be as short and to the point as possible.
Here’s a fundraising email example that comes in at under 100 words.
Subject line: [Name], give the gift of clean water
Hi [Name],
Meet Camille. She dreams of a bright future but lacks access to clean water. She spends up to 4 hours a day collecting contaminated water, leaving her and her young siblings vulnerable.
This Giving Tuesday, give the gift of health and hope. Your donation to [Organization] will fund a well providing life-giving water, giving hope to young children like Camille.
Even a small gift of $10 makes a difference. Will you help?
Donate now: [Link]
Thank you.
Sarah at [Organization]
Email template #2: The urgent request
Some people may want to donate to a nonprofit organization but aren’t sure which one to give their money to. A time-sensitive request for donations may well be the deciding factor.
Of course, it’s vital to be authentic and genuine when using this fundraising strategy. If all your emails come across as urgent, potential donors might no longer take them seriously.
Subject line: Urgent: Help families in need this winter
Hi [Name],
Winter is traditionally a time for love, family, and giving. But for families facing crisis in [City], the reality is far different. They’re struggling with a lack of nutritious food and a warm home to call their own.
With the weather getting colder, we’re facing a critical shortage of resources to help these families that are most in need. The demand for emergency food packages, warm blankets, and temporary housing has skyrocketed over the past few weeks, and we’re at risk of turning families away.
[Name], that’s why we’re reaching out to you today with an urgent plea. Your gift, no matter the size, will provide immediate relief to those facing hardship. Every single dollar counts and will directly support our efforts to keep families who need our help warm, safe, and secure.
But we must act quickly. Our supplies are dwindling, and the need for help is growing every day. Will you step up and provide valuable support during this critical time?
Donate now and make a difference today: [Link]
Time is of the essence.
Thank you for your generosity and compassion.
Sarah at [Organization]
Email template #3: The email to lapsed donors
In business, it’s more cost-effective to encourage previous customers to buy from you again rather than try to appeal to new customers. You can apply the same logic to nonprofit organizations.
Reaching out to lapsed donors who have donated in the past, reminding them of all the good work you do, can encourage them to donate again.
Subject line: [Name], your support matters more than ever
Hi [Name],
We’ve missed connecting with you and we hope you’re keeping well.
We know life gets busy, but we wanted to reach out and let you know how much your past support of [Organization] has meant to us and, most importantly, the dogs we have looked after and rehomed.
Because of your generosity, last year we were able to take in 100 abandoned dogs and rehome them with loving families, giving them a second chance at life. Your kind contributions made a real difference.
Recently, we’ve been working on expanding our kennels so we can take in and look after even more abandoned dogs. We could really use your help to keep this vital project going.
Even a small gift of $25 will have a significant impact, helping us pay for building materials and labor, as well as food and warm blankets for our ever-expanding kennel.
We understand that circumstances change, but we hope you’ll be able to rejoin our community of supporters.
Click to donate and make a difference: [Link]
Thank you for your past support and for considering donating today.
Sarah at [Organization]
Key takeaways
- What is a fundraising email? A fundraising email is an email you send to new and existing donors, to not only raise awareness of your nonprofit organization, but also to encourage them to donate.
- Fundraising emails are a valuable addition to your online fundraising efforts: They have a high return on investment, are easy to personalize, and you can track the success of each individual message.
- Consider all aspects of your fundraising emails: Craft a comprehensive subject line, focus on a single call to action, and ensure your email links to a high-quality donation page.
- Testing is essential if you want to reach your fundraising goals: Use split testing to see which calls to action, images, and email copy inspire higher levels of action.