The Complete Guide to Effective Email Fundraising for Nonprofits

By Samantha Cotter, Senior Nonprofits Account Manager at Grassroots Analytics

With over six years of experience at nonprofits, working on everything from national to local organizing, I understand the pressure of securing funding for vital work and the reality of fundraising with limited resources. As a Senior Nonprofits Account Manager at Grassroots Analytics (GA), I get to work with nonprofits from all over the country and I've seen how strategic email communication can transform fundraising outcomes and provide sustainable revenue streams that organizations need.

I’ve taken my experience working on nonprofit development to build the comprehensive guide I wish I had at the beginning of my nonprofit work. This guide aims to help your nonprofit organization build an effective email fundraising program that engages donors, avoids spam filters, and drives meaningful contributions to your cause.

Email remains one of the most powerful fundraising channels for nonprofit organizations, delivering an average return of $36 for every $1 spent. However, many nonprofits struggle to maximize their email fundraising potential due to poor targeting, inconsistent messaging, or suboptimal sending practices.

The gap between potential and performance can be vast, but entirely bridgeable with the right approach. Organizations with limited resources need every fundraising dollar, and email remains one of the most cost-effective channels for reaching supporters at scale. 

Is Email Still Worth Investing in for Nonprofit Fundraising?

Email remains the backbone of successful nonprofit fundraising strategies, even with the rise of social media and other digital channels. Here's why successful organizations continue to prioritize email investment:

Unmatched ROI and Cost-Effectiveness

While social media algorithms limit organic reach and paid advertising costs continue to climb, email delivers consistent, measurable returns. Even more, your email list is an owned asset that grows more valuable over time.

Direct Donor Relationships

Email creates an intimate communication channel between your organization and supporters. Messages land directly in supporters' inboxes, creating focused attention on your mission and needs.

Proven Conversion Power 

Email affords individuals control over engagement – they can read when convenient for them – and allows time for thoughtful giving decisions. Storytelling and emotional connection in email writing also inspires donors to give. 

Scalable Personalization

With the right data and segmentation, your team can tailor messages based on a supporter’s giving history, issue interests, location, or past involvement – making each recipient feel like the message was written just for them. Now, modern email platforms can automate donor journeys at scale. 

So, how can you maximize the potential of email for your nonprofit's unique mission and audience?

Building Your Email Fundraising Foundation

Strategic Email List Management

The foundation of successful email fundraising for nonprofits starts with smart list management. One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is sending every email to every contact in their database. This approach not only damages your sender reputation but also leads to poor engagement rates and can place your emails in spam – the last place you want to be.

Best Practice: Target Your Most Engaged Subscribers

Focus the majority of your email fundraising campaigns on donors and supporters who have opened an email within the last 30 days. This engaged audience is more likely to:

• Open your fundraising emails

• Click through to donation pages

• Actually contribute to your cause

• Keep your emails out of spam folders

Pro Tip: Periodically send your highest-performing content to your broader donor list. If an email generates exceptional open rates or donations from your 30-day segment, consider expanding the audience to re-engage dormant supporters.

Optimal Email Frequency for Nonprofit Fundraising

Many nonprofits worry about "over-emailing" their supporters, but research shows that consistent communication is key to maintaining donor relationships and maximizing fundraising potential. Always gauge the energy in your area of interest and vary your sending frequency depending on current events and your organization’s needs. 

Regular Campaign Schedule: Send a few emails per week minimum to maintain engagement and program consistency. This frequency keeps your organization top-of-mind without overwhelming supporters.

Peak Fundraising Periods: Increase frequency during major fundraising deadlines.

Email Type: Not every email needs to focus on donations but every email should have a donate button at the bottom.

Election seasons, end-of-year giving, and campaign-specific deadlines may warrant increased communication.

Understanding Email Fundraising Benchmarks

Knowing what success looks like for you is crucial when optimizing your nonprofit email fundraising strategy. Benchmarks differ depending on several factors surrounding your email program. Fundraising strategists, like those at GA, can offer your nonprofit a health check and specific metrics to achieve based on your goals. 

Allow for one full day to pass after sending before tracking open rates to get accurate performance data. Consistently hitting these benchmarks indicates a healthy email program that donors want to engage with.

Mastering Email Copy That Converts

The language you use in your nonprofit fundraising emails has the potential to deeply inspire and excite donor action. In donation request emails, every line should persuade readers why they should donate and why they need to act immediately.

You have less than 60 seconds to capture attention before donors move to the next email in their inbox, so make it count!

1. Be Concise and Crystal Clear

Your fundraising message should be immediately understandable. Use short, straightforward sentences that make a simple, compelling argument. 

2. Incorporate Timely, Relevant News

Connecting your fundraising ask to current events can serve multiple purposes:

• Creating urgency around your donation request

• Providing a clear "opponent" or challenge that donors can help address

• Eliciting emotional responses that drive action

• Establishing reasoning for a timely and necessary ask

Focus on news that genuinely impacts your mission rather than jumping on any provocative news headline. 

3. Use Strategic Formatting

Make your emails scannable and actionable:

• Use bullet points and lists to break up text

• Bold your most important lines and donation asks

• Include hyperlinks to donation pages that look "clickable" with color and underlines

• Create visual hierarchy that guides readers to your call-to-action

4. Embrace Your Organization's Unique Voice

Emails can be boring; there’s a reason we sometimes let the ‘unreads’ pile up in our inbox each day. Break through the mundanity with your unique voice. Your nonprofit's distinct voice and mission should shine through in every message, focus on highlighting what makes your organization different from others in your space.

Consider varying your email senders to bring fresh perspectives. Different voices can connect with different donor segments, potentially reaching supporters who might not respond to your standard messaging!

Email Fundraising Strategies for Leveling Up

1. Segmentation Beyond Engagement

   While the 30-day engagement rule is fundamental, consider additional segmentation strategies:

   • Donation history and giving capacity

   • Geographic location for local initiatives

   • Issue-specific interests

   • Volunteer involvement level

   Unsure where to find this information? GA specializes in segmentation. Contact us at nonprofits@grassrootsanalytics.com for support on segmentation strategies. 
   

2. Testing and Optimization

   Continuously improve your email fundraising performance through:

   • Testing subject lines, send times, and messaging

   • Analyzing which content types generate the highest donations

   • Tracking unsubscribe rates 

   • Tracking donation conversion rates, not just open rates
     

3. Integration with Multi-Channel Fundraising

Email works best as part of a comprehensive fundraising strategy that can include:

• Social media promotion of email campaigns

• Direct mail follow-up 

• Text messaging for urgent appeals

Measuring Email Fundraising Success

Track these key metrics to evaluate and improve your nonprofit email fundraising program:

• Open Rate: Percentage of recipients who open your emails

• Click-Through Rate: Percentage who click donation links

• Conversion Rate: Percentage who complete donations

• Average Gift Size: Revenue per successful conversion

• List Growth Rate: Number of new subscribers

• Unsubscribe Rate: Indicator of supporter retention

Getting Started with Professional Email Fundraising

Building an effective email fundraising program requires strategy, consistency, and expertise. Many nonprofits benefit from partnering with specialists who understand the unique challenges of nonprofit communications and fundraising.

At GA, we empower nonprofit organizations by developing comprehensive fundraising strategies that maximize donor engagement and contribution. Our data-driven approach ensures your email program performs optimally so you can build lasting supporter relationships and grow your cause.

Ready to transform your nonprofit's email fundraising results? Reach out to me directly at samantha@grassrootsanalytics.com and let’s find your next email donor!