3 Reasons Your Organization Needs Email Marketing and How to Get Started

It totally makes sense for a large business to use email marketing, right? But how important is it for nonprofit organizations? According to Nonprofit Tech for Good, only about 68% of nonprofit organizations actively use email marketing. 

In this post, I’ll highlight three reasons why you need to use email marketing for your nonprofit organization, how to get started, and best practices.

REASON #1 Engage with your community. Email marketing gives you the opportunity to connect with your audience in a way that social media simply does not. You can share more in-depth information through emails because you’re not fighting the user's urge to scroll onto the next reel. Don’t get me wrong, social media is a great way to share small bits of information, but when sending emails, you don’t have to worry about keeping it down to a few sentences.

REASON #2 Highlight your organization’s impact. Email marketing is an excellent place to use storytelling to shine a light on your organization. Because emails are usually in longer form, you can share more details of compelling personal stories and success stories.

REASON #3 Reach more supporters and increase fundraising efforts. Email marketing is a tool that less than ¾ of nonprofit organizations use, but it can have a huge impact. Believe it or not, 26% of donors say that email marketing is what inspires them most to give (Global Trends in Giving Report). This is a great way to reach supporters that are not active on social media, as it increases awareness of your organization and your mission. It’s easy to add a donate button to your email that links back to your donation page.

Okay, so you know email marketing is important, but how do you even start?

First things first, you need subscribers. If you don’t have an email list yet, don’t worry! Here are a few tips to gain new subscribers:

•  Add a subscribe form to your website. If you have room in your footer, that's a great place to start. Consider also adding a pop-up on your homepage for a boost in subscribers.

• Share on social media. Start with an instagram story and use the “Question” feature to add this to your story. You can also have followers DM you with their email address.

• In-person sign-ups. Do you have an upcoming fundraising event? Bring a clipboard and ask people if they’d like to receive email updates on the important work your organization is doing. You can also bring a tablet along or create a QR code for a convenient way to sign-up.

Next you need content ideas… Here are a few to get you started!

WELCOME
Sending an email for the first time or maybe for the first time in a long time? This is the perfect opportunity to share your mission. Imagine you’re explaining your organization to someone that’s never heard of what you do. Consider also introducing your team (or part of your team depending on the size of your organization).

EVENT
Email is a great way to promote upcoming events. Keep it fun and be sure to use the same branding as you would for social media and print. You want people to recognize your event.

FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN
Emails can be a great way to reach fundraising goals. Use impactful storytelling to share how donations are making a difference. Include a Donate button that links back to your website’s donation page. Just be careful to not make every email about fundraising. Donor fatigue is real.

THANK YOU
Did you recently reach a fundraising goal? Or did you have a successful event? Send an email thanking supporters for donating and volunteering. Share pictures from the event or of donated items.

AWARENESS
Share a moving story about your organization. As mentioned earlier, storytelling is a powerful way to increase your cause awareness.

NEWSLETTERS
Use monthly newsletters to keep supporters informed and in-the-know about your organization. Share impact numbers. Consider highlighting a volunteer each month, which also gives the opportunity to share about your volunteer opportunities. 

You’re almost ready to start your email campaign! Here are a few more tips before you begin:

Branding
Solid branding builds trust among supporters, so make sure to use your branding in your emails too. Include your colors in the text, background, and graphics. And make sure to add your logo, linking it back to your website.

Include Pictures
If your email reads like a novel with no pictures, you could miss out on engagement. Make sure to include pictures that capture your organization’s mission. Not only will this grab your reader’s attention, but it also gives them a visual to better understand the work you’re doing. Avoid using stock images if possible. People want authenticity, even if the photos aren’t perfect.

Consistency
Be consistent in sending emails. Whether it be once a week or once a month, create a strategy for when you’ll send out email campaigns. Don’t wait for an event like GivingTuesday to just send one email per year.

Use a Solid Subject Line
Email marketing won’t do much good if the emails are never opened. Use a captivating subject line to grab your reader’s attention. Consider adding an emoji to make it fun. 
Here are seven examples of captivating subject lines:

1. You Don’t Want to Miss This! (Event Invitation)

2. Because of You, This Happened… 😭 (Goal met, fundraising, impact numbers)

3. We’re SO close! Help Us Reach Our Goal! (Donation request)

4. 3 Inspiring Stories You Need to Hear (Impactful storytelling)

5. What’s New at [Organization Name] 👀 (Intro/update email)

6. You Won’t Believe This Incredible Story (Awareness Email)

7. Guess What’s Happening This Month (Monthly Newsletter)

Call-to-Action
Make the most of your email campaigns by including a call-to-action in every email. This can be as simple as a donate button. Be sure to add links to your logo, photos, and social media icons.

Avoid Spam Filters
Include an unsubscribe link to comply with email regulations. Also consider avoiding words that may trigger a spam filter such as "guarantee" and "free". 

I know, I know—that was a lot! Starting your first email campaign can feel overwhelming, but I hope this article has been helpful. To make things easier, here’s a free resource to get you started.

Want further help with your email campaigns? Reach out here to discuss how I can help.