A fundraising email is an email aimed to raise funds for a specific non-governmental organization, campaign, or event. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and charities often use fundraising emails to attract people’s attention to a problem and encourage them to help solve the issue by donating money, food, or clothes.

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In this article, we’ll unveil why you should use email marketing for fundraising and how to create an effective email. We’ll also share 10 effective tips to create a powerful fundraising email and review some excellent examples.

Why should you use email marketing for fundraising?

Email marketing is an effective channel that helps businesses and NGOs reach their key goals. Here are some reasons for you to consider email marketing to raise funds. Let’s discover them all one by one.

  • Wide reach. Email marketing opens you access to a worldwide audience. With email campaigns, you can reach your potential donors instantly and ask them for help. The process is simple and fast. Fundraising emails enable you to interact with people all over the world in real-time. You can send them updates on specific issues, inform them about upcoming events, and ask for donations for specific purposes.
  • Quick deployment. Your non-governmental organization or charity might require instant help and donations at any time. Some fundraising events can come unexpectedly and urge you to collect funds immediately. Email campaigns don’t need special preparations and much time to inform donors about fundraising. Moreover, if you use a special platform to create your email campaign, it will take you minutes to finish your fundraising email. You can react immediately to the needs that arise and promptly respond to them. SendPulse offers an intuitive email builder, pre-designed templates, and a free plan so you can create a fundraising email without knowledge of code in 15 minutes.
  • Direct communication. You can communicate directly with donors, supporters, and volunteers through email campaigns. You can send them information they can be interested in. Sharing stories, updates, and exclusive content via email campaigns will help you establish trust and encourage potential donors to participate. By sending emails regularly, you can create a community of people who might help you with their efforts, support, or financial resources.
  • Global reach. Email marketing has no specific geographical locations. It means that you can send emails to people located in various countries. You can reach donors globally, making your audience expand and streamline seamless financial support from all over the world. Moreover, if you have an international NGO, you can participate in solving global problems.
  • Cost-effectiveness. Unlike traditional promotion channels, email marketing is relatively cheap and doesn’t require much effort from your team. With its help, you can reach a broad audience with a few clicks of a button, and a part of the costs can be spent on direct mail or telemarketing. The method is inexpensive, making you allocate your financial resources to other valuable tasks.
  • Personalized interaction. Bulk email services provide such features as personalization and segmentation. They allow you to ensure personalized communication with your donors, supporters, partners, and volunteers. You can tailor your email campaigns and set up the list of receivers based on their interests, likings, and preferences. This way, you can improve open rates and boost engagement related to your NGO.
  • Measurable results. With email marketing, you’ll have access to metrics and analytics that provide insights into the performance of your email campaigns. Once you identify your email campaigns' open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates, you'll find out what works and doesn't with your target audience. After figuring it out, you can improve your strategy to meet your audience’s preferences.

Now that you know the pros of email marketing for fundraising, it’s time to unveil the process of creating an effective fundraising email.

How to create an effective fundraising email?

The process of creating an effective fundraising email involves a powerful story, a clear and visible call-to-action button, and strategies that encourage people’s engagement. Below is a detailed guide on how to tailor a successful fundraising email, so let’s dive in.

1. Create a compelling subject line

The subject line of your fundraising email should be concise, compelling, and relevant to your organization and donors. It will help you draw attention to the issue and encourage people to provide financial support.

2. Craft a powerful opener

The first paragraph of your email is the key to enticing people to contribute. That’s why you need to work on a strong opener that immediately catches your attention and encourages users to continue reading and perform the desired action. Consider adding a statement or question that engages readers.

3. Narrate a story showing your impact

Before donating, people should know more about your organization and the impact you want to make. For this purpose, you’ll need to share a compelling story with your readers. You need to write about the work of your organization and the impact you’ve already managed to make. Use figures, statistics, and graphs to demonstrate your organization’s contribution. Consider sharing real stories to evoke emotions and connect with your potential donors.

4. Focus on the donor’s contribution

Highlight the value donors can bring after making their contributions. You should show how their donations will benefit those people, animals, or the environment in need. Demonstrate the existing problems and how financial support from your donors will help improve the situation or solve specific problems. Instill a sense in your donors that they are part of a significant effort, contributing to positive societal change.

5. Make your emails mobile-responsive

Since many people usually check their inboxes from their smartphones, ensuring mobile-friendly emails is essential. When providing mobile-responsive design, you ensure your donors can read your emails without any obstacles. Mobile responsive emails improve readability and provide a seamless user experience.

6. Use bulk email service

Creating effective fundraising emails is simple when you use a special service. There are many options when it comes to email campaign builders. SendPulse is one of them. The service is user-friendly and doesn’t require coding skills, offering an intuitive email builder. You can design your email by simply dragging and dropping the necessary elements into the editor’s field.

Below, you can see how it works in the service.

Now that you have your guide at hand, let’s explore some useful tips to help you with an effective fundraising email.

10 Tips to Create a Powerful Fundraising Email

Sending a compelling fundraising email is a must for reaching your NGO’s end goals. Use the following 10 tips to ensure that people will contribute to your organization and help you solve more social problems.

  1. Write a compelling subject line. If you want donors to open your emails, it’s essential to create a powerful subject line. It should spark emotion and make people open your emails and read them. Make sure that your subject line is clear, short, and sweet. It should communicate the charity character of your email and encourage action that brings impact towards the problems you focus on.
  2. Add a clear call to action button. When you create your emails, think of the CTAs you add. You should add a clear and visible call to action button that helps donors take the desired action. For instance, if you collect funds for a specific purpose, consider adding a “Donate” button.
  3. Personalize your email. If you aim to build trust and give your emails a personal touch, consider incorporating variables to include recipients' names. It boosts the odds of your emails getting opened, leading to better engagement and, ultimately, more funds raised.
  4. Share a powerful story. Transparency and credibility are key when it comes to charity and fundraising. Consider sharing your organization’s story with the audience. You need to communicate your NGO’s impact on society and explain how valuable your donors' help is. Show the real people and their stories and highlight your contribution.
  5. Clearly communicate the need. If you want to raise funds for a specific project, you need to share it with the audience. Your potential donors should know the issues they help with. Describe the initiative and unveil the financial support you need to make it happen. Remember to talk about donors' help’s positive influence on society.
  6. Offer several donation options. Since people might access your fundraising emails from different devices and in several ways, consider having multiple donation options. Provide potential donors with links to a dedicated donation page and mobile-friendly options. Besides, consider sending information to recipients about the process of donating offline, if such an option is available within your organization.
  7. Encourage prompt action. If you require immediate action among your donors because the issue needs fast resolution, encourage urge among your recipients. You can create a sense of urgency by incorporating a countdown or using special words like “today,” “now,” and “urgent.” These approaches will encourage donors to act right away without deferrals.
  8. Provide social proof. You need social proof if you want your potential donors to believe you and provide funds. You can present it in various ways, including testimonials, success stories, or quotes. Social proof will encourage trust in your organization and establish credibility. These two factors are crucial for non-governmental organizations. They make people donate and bring change towards diseases, hunger, human rights violations, and many more problems existing until now.
  9. Ensure transparency. Be transparent in your email campaigns. Transparency should be present in all areas of your organization, especially funds. Provide donors with reports on funds received and used. Consider sending them a breakdown of costs. You should demonstrate gratitude and proof that their money was used for good deeds.
  10. Think of the follow-up series of emails. Sending one fundraising email to your potential donors isn’t enough. You should develop a series of follow-up emails to establish trusting relationships between your organization and your donors. You need to be grateful for every contribution and send “Thank You” emails, update on the changes, and send news. With email campaigns, you should demonstrate that your donors’ help makes a huge difference to the issue your organization is concerned about.

Now that you know the tips, it’s time to proceed to the next section and uncover some powerful fundraising email examples.

Examples of Fundraising Emails

There are many great examples of fundraising emails people receive daily in their inboxes. In this section, we’ll provide you with some excellent urges to donate to get you inspired. So let’s dive in.

Autism Speaks

Autism Speaks is a non-governmental organization that establishes awareness about autism, supports research, and encourages activities related to the disease. The organization urges people to donate before the New Year and contribute to the autism community. Donors can choose the donation amount and help children and adults suffering from the disease.

Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch, an international NGO, also uses email marketing to connect with donors all over the world. The organization encourages people to donate and help individuals suffering in various ways. Their email campaigns are aimed at collecting funds for individuals whose human rights were violated. The example below includes a call to action and a countdown for people to hurry up and help those in need.

Feeding America

Feeding America is a non-profit organization that ensures that people all over the world have enough food to survive. The organization helps through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other community-based agencies. It opened access to food for millions of people and went on fighting for their survival. This charity organization operates thanks to donors who provide financial resources and support to food banks. Feeding America uses email campaigns to raise funds and help more people in need. In its last email, the organization urges to give financial support to families facing hunger. The NGO accepts any help in any amount or shape as long as it allows it to save people from starvation.

Congrats, now you know what a fundraising email is and why it’s essential for organizations, charities, and individuals. Hope that our tips and examples will help you start encouraging donations through email campaigns. Register in SendPulse now to create professional fundraising email campaigns and drive attention to your organization’s efforts and need for support.

References:

  1. This article unveils how to create an effective fundraising email.
  2. In this article, you’ll find fundraising email best practices.

Last Updated: 09.01.2024

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